We read in the book of Genesis chapter 6 verses 5 to 7, 'Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ''I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.'' '
Horrendous crimes were being committed as people got killed for the flimsiest of reasons. The very same thing is happening in several countries around the world today. In those days, just like now, it was rare for people to show the slightest remorse for any of their evil deeds. By the standards of the time, showing remorse was seen as a sign of weakness. Greed was rampant just as cheating was the order of the day.
At the time of Noah, like today's world, betrayal was common among friends. People were defamed simply in order that one person could gain an advantage over the other. The scale of cruelty was unprecedented. There was perjury just as other forms of vanity were on the ascendancy. Promiscuity became fashionable. Stealing was a way of life. There was also fierce competition among people as one person tried to outdo the other. It was similar to what we now know as the rat race. These characterised all aspects of life - namely, politics, fashion, wealth accumulation, lifestyle varieties, knowledge acquisition, trade, industry and commerce. It was either that you joined the race or you were left behind. All these went on without any thought of God.
Also, just like we do today, it was not uncommon for people to plan elaborately for the future. Many had mapped out strategies and tactics on how to achieve their goals and objectives. Promises were often made by one person to another about the future even when no one was sure of that future. Everyone was looking forward to the morrow with hope and enthusiasm. Like the present time, people were marrying and were being given in marriage.
Another feature of the time was that men, women, young and old were very keen on enjoyment. People generally equated this with living life to the full as they savoured the delights of life with reckless abandon. In most cases, people were not disappointed as resources and various facilities were often available. People believed they had ample time to do whatever caught their fancy. In short, man became obsessed with himself and with the pleasures of life.
In those heady days, people decided that God had to take a back seat in their lives. The Almighty was the most distant person from the thoughts of these hedonistic and carefree people. In any case, just like today, people seriously believed that they could do without God. As far as the people were concerned, they were not in a hurry to know God or be reconciled to Him. No one appeared to be keen on the things of God or on the worship of God.
Not surprisingly, to the people of the time, just like to many in our time, God was old-fashioned and boring. People chose to dare God. They believed they were too busy to be bothered about Him for any reason. Surely, no one cared to think that the Giver of life deserved some return in form of worship.
In their perverted reasoning, these people, like many today, believed they were too refined to want to have anything to do with the Almighty who, incidentally, was the Source from whom they flowed. They chose to forget that it was in God and through God that they lived, moved and had their being.
Not unexpectedly, the only object of worship and celebration was man and whatever he stood for. Man earnestly believed that he was sufficient for himself. In those days, it was not unusual to hear people saying among themselves, 'God can look after Himself, we are doing fine here.'
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