God destroyed humanity because the earth had become filled with wickedness, corruption, and violence, and the human race had turned away from Him.
Genesis 6:5-7 records that every imagination of man's heart was only evil continually, so God said He was sorry He had made man and determined to destroy him. The earth was also corrupt and filled with violence. Les Feldick teaches that without civil law, government, or organized worship, the race morally collapsed until God had no remedy but judgment. Yet in the midst of this, Noah found grace and was preserved.
Genesis 6:5 — This verse states the core reason: God saw that man's wickedness was great and every imagination of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis 6:6 — This verse reveals God's sorrow at having made man, which led to His decision to judge.
Genesis 6:13 — This verse records God's declaration that the earth was filled with violence and that He would destroy them with the earth.
The biblical account does not present the flood as arbitrary. Genesis 6:5 says that God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:6 says it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. Then Genesis 6:7 records God's decision: "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them." The reason is repeated in Genesis 6:11: "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." In Genesis 6:13, God tells Noah, "The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
Les places the flood in the context of a society with no civil government, no law, and no organized system of worship. He explains that before the flood there was no government to maintain law and order and no system of worship to maintain a relationship with God. As a result, the earth was filled with violence, was corrupt, and was rotten to the core. God saw that there was only one remedy: to utterly destroy them. Les also helps readers understand God's emotional language in Genesis 6:6. He says God did not repent as though He had made a mistake in creating man; rather, when God saw what His created beings had become, He had an act of sorrow and was grieved at His heart. The destruction was so total because the creation itself had been affected by human degeneration — God had to take everything with Him, not just human life. The central contrast for Les is Genesis 6:8: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Even though judgment was universal, God's grace was still evident, and He brought eight souls through the flood.
Genesis 6:5 explains that man's wickedness was great and every imagination of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:11 adds that the earth was corrupt before God and filled with violence. Les provides the background: there was no civil law to maintain order, no government to enforce justice, and no organized system of worship to keep humanity in relationship with God. Without these restraints, the human race simply fell apart and became so wicked that God had no remedy but destruction.
The judgment was not limited to human life. Les notes that because the whole creation had been affected by the terrible degeneration of the human race, God could not destroy only man. This is why Genesis 6:7 includes beast, creeping thing, and fowl, and why Genesis 6:13 says God would destroy them with the earth. Les describes the destruction of the planet's surface as being turned inside out.
Genesis 6:8 stands as the great contrast to the corruption: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Les emphasizes that while the whole race was under judgment, God's grace was still evident, and He brought eight souls safely through the flood: Noah, his three sons, and their wives. Noah did not earn this by human merit; the text says he found grace.
Les addresses the wording of Genesis 6:6, where the text says God repented that He had made man. He clarifies that God did not repent because He had made a mistake in creation. Rather, when God saw what His created beings had become, He was sorrowful — an act of grief, not a change of mind about His original plan.
The Human Race's Total Corruption
Les sets the stage in Genesis 6 by showing that the whole human race had become so wicked and corrupt that God said He was sorry He made man, and that the resulting action would be drastic.
The Whole Creation Swept Into Judgment
Les explains why animals and the rest of creation were destroyed along with man — everything had been touched by the human race's degeneration.
Violence Ended the Pre-Flood Civilization
Les describes the pre-flood world as violent and corrupt, with murder running rampant, and he points to Genesis 6:13 as God's declaration that He would destroy them with the earth.
No Law, No Worship, Yet Grace Remains
Les teaches that the absence of civil law, government, and organized worship left the world corrupt and violent, leaving God only one remedy — yet His grace saved eight souls.
God's Sorrow Rather Than a Faulty Creation
Les clarifies that God's grief in Genesis 6:6 was not a regret over creating man, but a sorrowful response to what His created beings had become.
The Garden of Eden as the Start of Corruption
Les traces the world's degradation back to Adam's rebellion, explaining that all human suffering, corruption, evil, and wickedness began in the garden.
When Worship and Order Are Removed, Society Falls Apart
Les says that without an organized system of worship, the human race simply fell apart until it was so wicked and rebellious that God had no remedy but to destroy them.
Life Before Government and Law
Les points to a pre-flood world with no law or government, connecting that lack of order to the violence that Genesis 6 records.
Genesis 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.
This is the biblical reason given for the flood: total wickedness was pervasive in the human heart.
Genesis 6:6: And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
This shows God's emotional response to that wickedness, leading to His decision to judge.
Genesis 6:7: And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
This records the decision to destroy man and the animals from the face of the earth.
Genesis 6:8: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
This is the turning point: Noah found grace, showing God's preservation of a remnant.
Genesis 6:11: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
This reinforces the reason: the earth was corrupt before God and filled with violence.
Genesis 6:13: And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
This states the divine declaration of judgment and its scope.
The Bible says the wickedness of man was great and every imagination of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Les adds that there was no civil law, no government, and no organized worship, so the earth became filled with violence.
Les explains that the whole creation had been affected by humanity's degeneration, so God had to take everything with Him. Genesis 6:7 lists man, beast, creeping things, and fowls among those destroyed.
No, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). Les stresses that grace was evident even in judgment, and eight souls were saved through it.
Watch the Teaching: Why God Destroyed the Earth with a Flood (Genesis 6 Explained)