Not Far from the Tree

GETTING STARTED

The national news seems to be filled with reports of Wall Street greed, deceptive business practices, and escalating national debt. As viewers, we are appalled, and even angry, that people would do such things. Yet, is there one of us who hasn’t spent money we shouldn’t have? And some of us have even misreported on a tax return or failed to correct a miscalculated credit in our favor. 

  • Do you notice your own tendency to gratify your desires? What does that look like for you?

READ THE WORD: GENESIS 6:1-8 (ESV)

6:1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. What had people done that made God regret having created them (vs. 5)?
  2. What two decisions did God make that clearly demonstrated that he, not humankind, was in control (vss. 3, 7)?
  3. Who and what suffered the consequences for the sin of humankind (vs. 7)?
  4. Why would God be grieved in his heart?
  5. Do you have any unconfessed sin which is putting distance between God and you? 

RESPOND TO GOD

People had become so focused on satisfying their own cravings that they ignored God and became consumed with themselves. They lost sight that they were made for God’s pleasure. The truth is that we are all born with that same sin nature to focus on self and live by our rules. In doing so, we distance ourselves from God, which grieves him. Amazingly, God desires to restore us back into relationship with him. 

  • Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area of your life where your desire for control—your sin—has grieved God.
  • Turn this over to him, and commit to walk closer with him.