Genesis 6:12–13

In Genesis 1 God was alone, producing the fruit of His own handiwork, in wisdom, goodness, and skill, and then all was good and desirable... But now it is not God's hand presenting a perfect work to God's thoughts and affections. It is man, the rebel workman, spreading out a wide scene of corruption and violence, for the grief and regret of the mind of God. That is where the secret of the change lies. Man has been at work. Man has been shaping and furnishing the scene, and not the living, blessed God.

Note this: corruption had affected the earth itself, for man had also corrupted God's way. The corruption was material as well as moral... Ever since sin came in, corruption has thrived and grown. Sadly, its willing victims rush to spread its terrible influence, driven by the sinful desires of body and mind. They are themselves "slaves of corruption," as the Scripture says (2 Peter 2:19).

We have to admit, sadly, how corrupt this world is. It touches every area, so everything is falling apart — for the word "corrupt" carries the thought of "decay and pining away."

The passage then points to the most serious evil of man — his corruption before God — which led to an earth filled with violence (v. 11). Violence is of course against others, and people consider this the worst thing. But their corruption is against God, and they think little of it. If there were no corruption there would be no violence... God tells Noah that the end of all flesh was near, because the earth was filled with violence. Violence was the clear proof of man's corruption (v. 13).

There must be the entire destruction of that which had corrupted God's way on the earth. "The mighty men, and men of renown," must all be swept away, without distinction. "All flesh" must be set aside, as completely unfit for God. God said, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh." It was not the end of some flesh only. No, all of it was corrupt in the sight of the LORD — all beyond recovery.

There is nothing good at all in our sinful nature... But can diligent prayer and watchfulness improve it? No, never: it is completely incurable... True, in some we find nature polished, cultivated, and refined; in others, rough, rude and rugged. But it is the same sinful nature in both. We may not be able to bend a bar of iron, yet it can be hammered out until it is quite flexible. But it is the same iron still. Its appearance has changed, but its nature is the same.

Here, then, was a picture of the end of the old creation. All was to pass under the waters of judgement. What then? "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood." Here we have a picture of the new thing. That ark, floating quietly over the dark depth of waters, was a picture of Christ, and of the believer in Him... It all hinges upon this one question. "Am I in or out of Christ?"

How was it in the days of Noah? Did righteousness cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea?... Scripture replies, "the earth was filled with violence." "All flesh had corrupted their way on the earth." "The earth was corrupt in God's sight." Well then, "so will it be in the days of the Son of Man."

The most serious evil of man is his corruption before God, and it led to an earth filled with violence. Violence is of course against others, and people consider this the worst thing. But their corruption is against God, and they think little of it. If there were no corruption there would be no violence. But at this time "all flesh" had corrupted itself. God tells Noah that the end of all flesh was near because violence filled the earth. Violence was the glaring proof of man's corruption. God would destroy the people along with the earth.

The mighty men and the men of renown must all be swept away, without distinction. "All flesh" must be set aside as completely unfit for God. "The end of all flesh is come before me." This was not the end of some flesh only. No, all of it was corrupt in the sight of Jehovah — all of it beyond recovery. God had tried it and found it wanting. Then the Lord announces His remedy to Noah: "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood."

The end of man's time of testing has come before God. It is too late for man to ask for a new trial. He is guilty and under condemnation. It is too late for that poor young man, condemned to death, to talk of being tried again. He must be pardoned or executed. Such is man's condition. The prisoner may dream he is free, and hope to commit no more crimes — but he wakes for execution.

He dealt with him as a man deals with his friend, and as God deals with a chosen sinner. "The end of all flesh is come before Me," says the Lord to Noah, telling him what had been passing in His own heart. Later, on the day of the waters, He showed the same gracious friendship. When the ark was about to float on the scene of judgment, "the Lord shut him in." He did it with His own hand.

The flood of waters that came, covering everything, so that the end of all flesh came, is a picture of the death of Christ. In His death God passed judgment on all flesh and carried it out. The waves and billows rolled over His innocent head. He passed through death and judgment for us and has made Himself our perfect ark, our hiding place. In Him we are lifted above the waters of judgment.

There can be no purifying of the flesh. God has only one way to deal with it. As He said in Genesis 6, "The end of all flesh is come before me." He deals with it either at the Cross, where faith submits to the sentence, for God, "by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, ... condemned sin in the flesh" — or else in the lake of fire.