The wickedness of man was great in the earth ~ Bob Coy

SIN SURVIVES THE FLOOD

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth.? So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth..." Genesis 6:5-7 (NKJV)

In Genesis Chapter 6 we see that sin's influence continued to spread across the earth. As people multiplied, sin also multiplied, and things deteriorated to such an alarming degree that God decided to wipe the slate clean and start over again.



Noah, along with his wife, three sons, and three daughters-in-law were to be the only exceptions. They started building an ark that would save them from a flood that would reduce the world's population to just eight people!



Fast forward a few years. The ark is built, Noah's family is all inside, and the rain starts. The waters rise, and the world perishes. It rains for forty days, and it takes nearly a year before the waters have safely subsided. Noah and his family step out of the ark and into a whole new world completely clean of sin. But it doesn't take long for Noah to pollute it.



And Noah...planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. (Genesis 9:20-21 NKJV)



Just a few verses after being brought into a sinless environment, we find Noah drunk, passed out, and naked! 


This isn't the image of Noah most of us grew up with, but it's true nonetheless. It also shows us that sin was still with mankind. Sin survived the flood because it was stowed away in the hearts of those who were stowed away in the ark. It wasn't just "out there," it was also "in there."



We can fall under the subtle spell of thinking that sin is somehow "out there," embedded in our culture, environment, or circumstances. It isn't. The problem is hidden deep inside of us, and not even the greatest disaster this world has ever seen can destroy it.

Discuss, Dig, Decide

Discuss with your group the persistent presence of sin. Share some examples of how you have learned that sin doesn’t simply go away. Share about a time in your life when you tried to remove yourself from sin but it kept coming back. How did you respond?

Dig into Genesis Chapter 9. What do you learn from the life of Noah? What were God’s instructions to Him? What does this reveal to you about God’s heart and man’s sin?

Decide as a group to reach out to someone who has been the victim of some form of catastrophe. Your willing response to their calamity can be the thing that reassures their faith and gives them hope for the future. Put your helping hands to work for God’s glory!