God decided to destroy the earth because humanity had become so corrupt, wicked, and violent—with murder running rampant—that He had to end it for the sake of unborn generations.
The Bible says the earth was corrupt before God and filled with violence. Les Feldick teaches that the flood was not primarily God's wrath but a broken-hearted act of mercy, cleansing the slate and starting over while saving eight souls.
Genesis 6:11 — States the specific condition that triggered the flood: the earth was corrupt and filled with violence.
Genesis 6:12 — Repeats the corruption with emphasis—all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Genesis 6:13 — God directly tells Noah that the end of all flesh has come because of violence and that He will destroy them with the earth.
In Genesis 6, God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. God then said to 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." Earlier, God had declared, "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."
Les describes the pre-flood civilization as highly advanced—its standard of living and technology were probably equal to or even surpassing today's—yet spiritually and morally corrupt. Murder was rampant, and Les notes there was no civil law, no government to maintain law and order, and no system of worship to maintain a relationship with God. The earth had become filled with violence and rotten to the core. Les is careful to call the flood a broken-hearted act of mercy rather than God's wrath. God was not acting in raw anger; He was responding to a world that had totally fallen apart. Because people were killing one another so quickly, God ended it for the sake of unborn generations. The flood was almost instantaneous destruction, a cleansing of the slate so God could start over. In grace, He preserved eight souls—Noah, his three sons, and their wives.
The Bible says the earth was corrupt before God and filled with violence. Les adds that the generation before the flood had a standard of living and technology probably equal to or surpassing ours today. Yet with no civil law and no worship system, the people had become so corrupt, wicked, and violent that murder was running rampant.
Les teaches that the flood, as awful as it was, was not the wrath of God. It was God who was broken-hearted because everything He had begun with had totally fallen apart and had turned into rejection. The flood was an act of mercy to unborn generations, because people were killing each other so quickly. It was almost instantaneous destruction—a cleansing of the slate and a fresh start.
Les points to God's grace still being evident in the midst of judgment. Eight souls were saved and brought to the other side of the flood: Noah, his three sons, and their wives. Noah was a man of faith who communed with God, and after the flood the whole earth would be populated once again from his three sons.
Les says the Bible repeats the corruption and violence of that generation for emphasis, so we don't forget it. He also says we are fast approaching the same thing in our own day and time, and that as we watch what comes into our living rooms we should ask what God must think of it.
Pre-Flood Prosperity and Wickedness
Les sets the scene by noting the pre-flood world had technology equal to or beyond ours, yet was so corrupt, wicked, and violent that murder was rampant.
The Only Remedy: Destroy the Earth
Les explains that with no civil law, no government, and no worship system, the earth was filled with violence and rotten to the core; destruction was the only remedy, though God's grace saved eight souls.
For the Sake of Unborn Generations
Les says God had to put an end to it for the sake of unborn generations, and that the repeated biblical emphasis on corruption and violence is meant to get our attention.
What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2? (The Genesis Gap Explained)
It's just simply blah, and yet that which evidently God had created perfectly in verse 1 must have been without a flaw, and yet in verse 2 here it is, void, and it's under water. Now I've learned to call this, of course, the first flood, Noah's is the second. But what happened? Why did God destroy that original, beautiful earth that He had created by the word of His mouth?
Corrupt and Rotten to the Core
Les defines 'corrupt' as abhorrent and rotten to the core, applying it directly to the civilization just before the flood.
A Broken-Hearted Act of Mercy
Les stresses the flood was not the wrath of God but a broken-hearted act of mercy—an almost instantaneous destruction that cleansed the slate and gave the world a fresh start.
God Sorrowed and Destroyed All Flesh
Les shows God was sorry He had made mankind, and the degeneration was so total that God had to take everything with Him except the sea creatures.
What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2? (The Genesis Gap Explained)
Well, naturally something cataclysmic had to happen, and I think the best way we can find the answer for it is to go to the Scripture itself, and I know some theologians will disagree with me, just as many will agree, but this is the way I feel the most comfortable with this whole idea that between verse 1 and verse 2 something terrible happened, and that God had to destroy it with a flood.
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.
God reveals that the corruption was so severe that He would destroy mankind and even the land creatures from the face of the earth.
Genesis 6:11: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
This is the direct biblical statement of why the flood came: the earth was corrupt and full of violence.
Genesis 6:12: And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
God looked and saw that the corruption was universal—all flesh had corrupted its way.
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.
God's announcement to Noah connects the earth's violence with the destruction of both the people and the earth itself.
God destroyed the earth because it had become corrupt and filled with violence. Les Feldick teaches that the pre-flood civilization was morally and spiritually rotten, with murder running rampant, and God stepped in for the sake of unborn generations.
Les teaches that the flood was not the wrath of God but a broken-hearted act of mercy. It cleansed the slate and allowed God to start over, preserving eight souls by grace.
Eight souls were saved: Noah, his three sons, and their wives. Les says this shows God's grace was still evident even in the midst of judgment.
The Bible says the earth was corrupt before God and filled with violence, and that all flesh had corrupted his way. Les describes corruption as abhorrent—something rotten to the core.
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