God destroyed the earth with a flood because the human race had become so corrupt and violent that the only remedy was to cleanse the earth and start over with Noah.
According to both Scripture and Les Feldick's teaching, the flood was not primarily an outburst of divine wrath. It was God's broken-hearted response to a world filled with violence and corruption, and an act of mercy to unborn generations. God preserved Noah and his family while destroying the corrupted earth.
Genesis 6:5-7 — These verses show that God saw the universal wickedness of man and grieved, which directly explains why He decided to send the flood.
Genesis 6:11-13 — God tells Noah that the earth was corrupt and filled with violence, and that He would destroy them with the earth.
The book of Genesis describes the condition of the world before the flood as one of total moral collapse. Genesis 6:5 says, "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." Verse 6 adds, "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." In Genesis 6:7 God states His intention: "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." Genesis 6:11-12 identifies the specific problem: "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." Then in verse 13, God tells Noah, "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."
Les Feldick teaches that the flood was not the wrath of God. Even though the world was steeped in wickedness, God was still dealing in grace, and the flood was a broken-hearted response because everything He had begun with had totally fallen apart and had turned in rejection. In Les's words, it was an act of mercy to unborn generations, because violence was so rampant that a child born before the flood did not know how long he would live before being murdered. Les also emphasizes that God's judgment in Genesis 6 was a total destruction of the planet, not merely the death of its inhabitants. God told Noah, "I will destroy them with the earth" — the surface of the earth was turned inside out. The pre-flood world had tremendous technology, yet morally and spiritually it had become corrupt and violent. Finally, Les explains that the pre-flood generations rejected God's simple offer of salvation through conscience and blood sacrifice. When it got so bad, God destroyed those generations and started over in so many words with Noah and his three sons.
Les Feldick teaches that the flood was not the wrath of God. He describes God as "broken hearted" because everything He had begun with had totally fallen apart and had turned into rejection. Even in judgment, God was still dealing in grace. Les calls the flood "an act of mercy to unborn generations," since murder was so rampant that a child born before the flood did not know how long he would live before being killed. In Les's words, it was a matter of "cleansing the slate and starting over."
Les points to God's word to Noah in Genesis 6:13: "And behold, I will destroy them with the earth." God was not merely putting people to death; the entire surface of the planet was going to be turned inside out. Les explains that the degeneration of the human race had affected everything God had created, so God had to take everything with Him — both man and beast, creeping things and fowls of the air — except for the creatures that lived in the sea.
Les notes that from Adam until the flood was about 1,650 years. In that long span of time, the human race rejected God's simple offer of salvation — bringing a blood sacrifice and confessing sin — until it got so bad that God had to destroy those generations and start over with Noah and his three sons.
Les contrasts the flood with the coming wrath of God. The flood was almost instantaneous destruction, but the coming wrath will be different. God will pour out His wrath on Christ-rejecting mankind, causing such suffering that they will cry out for the rocks and mountains to fall on them.
Timeline from Adam to the Flood
Les dates the flood at about 1,650 years after Adam, showing the long buildup of corruption before God's judgment.
Violence and Total Earth Destruction
Les teaches the pre-flood world had great technology but was morally corrupt, violent, and murderous; God's response was to destroy not just mankind but the whole earth.
Broken-Hearted, Not Wrath
Les teaches the flood was not God's wrath but a broken-hearted act of mercy to unborn generations, cleansing a violent world and starting over.
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?
Flood vs. Future Wrath
Les contrasts the instantaneous destruction of the flood with the coming outpouring of God's wrath in the Tribulation.
Total Degeneration Required Total Judgment
Les explains that God was sorry He had made man; because the whole creation had been affected by human degeneration, the flood took everything except the sea creatures.
Rejected Salvation Led to Start-Over
Les teaches pre-flood humanity rejected the simple offer of blood sacrifice and confession, so God destroyed those generations and started over with Noah and his three sons.
Noah’s Flood Was Not Just Rain: The Fountains of the Great Deep Explained
That with God this whole planet is like you and I handling a marble or a ball bearing. It's that simple in His power. He can do with it whatever He wants. And He controls all the forces of nature, the forces of outer space. And this was all brought to bear in these early months of what we call the Noah flood. I like to picture it.
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 verse directly gives the fundamental reason for the flood: universal wickedness in the earth.
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 the corruption — grief rather than a sudden burst of wrath.
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 proclaims His intention to destroy all land creatures because of the corruption of the human race.
Genesis 6:11: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
This names the specific problem that triggered the flood: corruption and 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.
This confirms that the corruption was universal, affecting all of mankind.
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 tells Noah that He will destroy not only man but also the earth itself because of violence.
According to Les Feldick, the flood was not the wrath of God. It was a broken-hearted response to a world that had turned in rejection, and an act of mercy to unborn generations because violence was so rampant.
Les Feldick teaches that about 1,650 years passed from Adam until the flood. That long period allowed the human race to become thoroughly corrupt before God brought the judgment.
Les teaches that the human race had become so corrupt and violent that God could not merely destroy man; He had to destroy the planet itself. The whole creation had been affected by human degeneration.
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