19 May 06
If I’ve read it once I’ve read it a thousand times. But something happened yesterday as I read this passage getting ready for our Thursday night small group Bible Study.
Genesis 6:5-7 (NCV) The LORD saw that the human beings on the earth were very wicked and that everything they thought about was evil. He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will destroy all human beings that I made on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry I have made them.”
Three statements leapt from the page into my heart:
“He was sorry he had made human beings.”
“His heart was filled with pain.”
“I am sorry I have made them.”
Pain, grief and regret. The God who made all things good inherits a severe case of buyers remorse.
Even though I’ve had these same feelings I can’t begin to imagine the depth of these feelings in the heart of God. I know some of you may. Your own creation, your own children may have brought you to the border of these feelings.
Sure, I’ve been hurt, crushed, perplexed, experienced the pain of disappointment. I’ve regretted meeting someone. I’ve been sorry for meeting someone. My heart has been filled with pain by the actions of some.
The way of the world is self-seeking, self-serving. That should not be a surprise. When those who say they know God are self-seeking and self-serving that’s what should bring us great concern.
The world is unjust. We know that. God is just. We know that also but this truth has some difficulty taking root in our heart.
There are two ways to view this world:
Evil without hope
The way you view the world affects the way you treat others.
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The way you view the world SHOULD affect the way you treat others. I find myself more frustrated with those who recognize that people are lost and don’t care than with the lost themselves.
Thanks for the thoughts. How much we all need forgiveness!
Good stuff. Did you write that before or after our late nite chat?
I haven’t experienced this through my child but I have through some brothers and sisters in Christ.
Very painful but yet true healing cannot take place unless forgiveness resides in one’s heart.
Hard lesson to learn and apply when one values “loyalty.”
This passage has troubled me for some time.
I like your points very much about pain and grief, but it’s the “regret” part I can’t get past. I couldn’t get past this idea of God being sorry he made us. The notion that God was sorry he made human beings and that he said to himself he would destroy all human beings seems to me to be at odds with a God who is good and knows no evil. If he made us in his likeness then how could he be sorry he made us? Is he sorry he made me?
Does that mean he made a mistake? Not our understanding of mistakes but, as you point out, the idea of regret the writer attributes to God. Does God get “do overs?” I don’t see how he could ever be sorry he made us. As a human I can understand that feeling but it’s not something I’ve ever attributed as part of the character of God.
And if it was humans that caused these feelings of sorrow & pain in God, why should all of his creation suffer the consequences of his wrath? Why not just the humans? The way the NCV translates the passage implies he was sorry he made “every animal and everything that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air.” For that matter, NIV, NASB & NEB all translate it that way.
It sounds like to me that he was sorry he made all of creation just because of humankind’s actions.
Now I’m trying to figure out how your points about pain, grief & regret fit into this. You’ve raised some difficult ideas.
Preach it, baby!