Genesis 6:11 – What About All the Violence? – Bible study

The best I can tell, most all of the suggestions have some support and some opposition, likely meaning that for the time being, nothing of significance will happenat least not until there is another mass shooting. That is unfortunate because I would hope that all of us would agree on the fact that something needs to be done. The question becomes what? Many mock or ignore the Bible as a Book with no bearing on our lives. That is ridiculously untrue. The fact is the Bibleeither directly or indirectlygives help and direction to every situation of life, including this one. It is sad that most people and especially most Americans will not read the Bible for in it, we see not only what is happening but what will happen. For a few moments, lets consider the Bible and the violence of our land. I. What Has Happened A. Man tried conscious to control himself. 1. Those of you who are familiar with the Bible know what was taking place in Genesis 6. a. God had created creation (chapter 1). b. God created man (chapter 2). c. Man had sinned (chapter 3). d. Man began to reproduce (chapters 4-5). e. By chapter 6, man had become so wicked that God decided He would remove from off the earth with a flood. 2. There are several words through here which describe the condition of mankind. Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the WICKEDNESS of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen 6:11 The earth also was CORRUPT before God, and the earth was filled with VIOLENCE. 3. What was man using to control wrong at that time? a. It was not law. We shall see in a moment that God will give law to man AFTER the flood. b. At this time, God was letting mans conscience be his guide. (1) Everyone was on the honor system. (2) Lets see if you can figure out how to treat one another. 4. How did that go? a. By chapter 6, God had decided man was to wicked to work with. b. God was going to pick a few people that were not so wicked, corrupt, and violent, and start again. (1) Now, we cannot say that everyone was wicked and violent. (2) Perhaps some were relatively well behaved, but that left them to be the victims of the people who were not. 5. Now get this. a. God did not let man experiment with self-control so that He could see the results. He knew what the results would be. b. He did it so that WE could see what the results are. (1) You see there are always those who say we need to do away with the law (its officers, its rules, its punishment). (2) They believe that man is essentially good and getting better all of the time. (3) That if we will just give them food, an education, and a change, people will do what is right. (4) I have even read where some are supposed to have said that if law abiding citizens would give up their guns, so would the criminals. (5) You can believe that if you want but I am telling you that God has already demonstrated the "man is good and will do the right thing" scenario and it did not work at all. B. Man tried the law to control himself. Ge 9:6 Whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. 1. As soon as man got off the ark, God told Noah, "You are going to have some laws now." 2. This was not the only law but it was the highest law. a. It was given from the highest Court. b. It covered the highest crime. c. It exacted the highest penalty. 3. It also demonstrated what makes the law work, punishment. a. It is sad but true. b. A law that has no bite will not be obeyed by most people. (1) You do not have to take my word for it. We all prove it every day. (a) Question – When do you make certain you are driving at or under the speed limit? (b) Answer for most of us – When we see a police car somewhere around us. (c) Why do we make certain we are obeying the law then? (d) Because we do not want to have to shell out $100-$200. (e) It is not the law we respect but the bite the law puts on us that we respect. (2) If there is no bite, most people will tend to do what they feel they can get away with. c. So because of laws bite, the law works some; yet it still fails. 2. It is interesting that the Bible makes a statement twice about Israel during their time period of being governed just by the law. Jud 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Jud 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. 3. The Bible does not say every man did that was right in his own eyes during the period of being ruled by mans conscious but during the time period of being ruled by the law. 4. Some of you may be protesting what I am saying in your mind. a. You may be saying, "Well, I dont obey the law just because of the punishment. I try to obey the law because it is the law." b. And I do not doubt that is true for some of you. c. However, you have also been influenced by another and a newer power that God has given to us. d. I will tell you about that in a moment; but for right now, lets look at them in the order God gave them to Israel. 5. First, man tried his conscious to control himself and that did not work. Second, man tried the law to control himself and that did not work. C. Man tried monarchs to control himself. 1. God did not give kings to Israel until \#1Sam 8:4-7\. 2. However, you will notice that in both of the verses I gave your from Judges, the Bible specifically mentions that there were no kings at that time in Israel. a. Why is that being mentioned? b. I would suggest because until Israel had kings, they had problems controlling themselves. c. While we might not like to admit, kings (dictators) to provide order. They may not provide justice or laws, but they do provide order. 3. Other nations had kings long before God gave Israel one. a. Do you remember what the people said when they told Samuel they wanted to have a king? 1Sam 8:5 And (the people of Israel) said unto him (Samuel), Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. b. They wanted a king like all of the other nations. (1) There is probably not a preacher who has been preaching for any length of time who has not preached on that statement. (2) But have you ever asked yourself why the children of Israel wanted a king like the other nations? (3) May I suggest it is because with most kings you do get order. (4) I remember when President George W. Bush attacked Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein. I was concerned. (Thats nothing new. i am concerned about a lot of things.) But I was concerned what would happen if their dictator was removed. Many people (George W among them) believed that if the people had a chance, they would choose a democracy. That is that old "people are basically good at heart" philosophy. So we sent billions of dollars and thousands of troops to give them a chance. It did not go as some had hoped. (5) In fact, the same things that happened in Genesis 6, happened in Iraq. (a) They had wickedness, corruption, and violence. (b) Why? Two reason: i. Because mankind cannot control himself with his conscience or even laws. ii. Because Americas coalition removed their source of order, their dictator. 4. But of course, monarchs have their drawbacks. a. They tend to be abusive, corrupt, and cruel. b. When Israel demanded a king, God warned them what they would get. c. Read \#1Sam 8:11-18\. d. Everything God warned came true repeatedly in Israel, but still, generally, they had order. e. Why? Because if you annoy the king, he will kill you. 5. So I am going to say that while conscious does not work at all, and laws do not work much, dictators normally do bring order, but surely there is something better. D. God gave and mankind tried salvation. 1. There are many gifts that come with the gift of salvation. a. God gives a new heart. \#Eze 36:26\ b. God gives a new mind. \#Phi 2:5\ c. God gives a new Convictor, the Holy Ghost. \#John 16:8\ 2. All of this produces a new type of people, a righteous people. a. A righteous people is a people that does right just because it is right. b. A few moment ago, I acknowledged that some of you might be objecting to the statement that I made about people not obeying the law unless there is a bite to it. (1) But you are not ordinary folk. (2) Most of you are saved and have been for some time. (3) And even if you are not, you have been reared in large part by a righteous nation that has influenced you. (4) And most people that would obey the laws just because they are the laws, have been influenced by Gods new forcerighteousness. (5) If not directly, then indirectly. 3. Does salvation and righteousness work? a. Yes. It causes men and women to do right above what their own conscious would demand. b. Indeed, it causes men and women to do right even above what the law demands. c. It worked so well, that a nation and new type of government was formed. (1) A government where people rule themselves. (2) That is the United States and a democracy. (3) There was no such thing as a democracy before there was salvation and its effects. (4) And since our nation has thrown off God, His salvation, and the righteousness that it produced, we have seen that man no longer has the ability to rule himself. (5) Instead, we are resorting to trying to create more and more laws, but laws by themselves do not work. II. What Will Happen A. America, in her arrogance, is going to keep trying the two systems that will not work. 1. Some will keep preaching that man is basically good. Give him more education. Give him more money. Give him a chance. But it wont work. 2. Others will keep preaching that we need more laws. We need more oversight. If we have to sacrifice our freedoms to have it, so be it. B. And while America keeps attempting those, the same three things that filled the earth in Genesis 6 will fill this country and the earth. 1. Wickedness 2. Corruption 3. Violence C. Until ultimately, a president, a judge, or a military leader decides he or she is the solution and America becomes some form of dictatorship. 1. It may not be an absolute monarch, but it will be someone who can establish some form of order. 2. It may happen before the rapture of the church, but if not, it will definitely happen after the rapture of the church. D. Why do I think this? 1. Because it has all been attempted before. Americans just wont read about it. 2. We do not want God, salvation, righteousness and without them, we cannot have a people that is capable of ruling themselves. 3. Things may speed up. Things may slow down. 4. But the Bible gives us the answer. III. What We Can Do A. We can be saved. Just because everyone else wants to be ignorant and damned, doesnt mean we have to join them. B. We can be the righteous. We can mode; what Christ can do with the human soul. C. We can invite others to join us. The only hope for mankind is and always has been Jesus Christ. Would you become part of the solution today?