The Wickedness of Man
A Devotional Series from Genesis
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
5/29 Reading Portions: Deuteronomy 2; Psalms 83-84; Isaiah 30; Jude
Genesis 6:5
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.
SIN
It had gotten extremely bad in God’s creation, so bad that nearly everyone had “gone off the reservation” of righteousness, so to speak, that He was about to bring a worldwide deluge upon the planet to destroy the earth and nearly all who dwelt upon it. Here, there is something about this verse we should take time to consider. If you ever needed a reason to read the Scriptures using the Robert Murray M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan, this verse is it. The plan is portioned so that we read the Bible daily in one full year—the Old Testament through once, and the Psalms and New Testament twice. This means that you will read through Genesis once each year; and every January 6th, you will read this verse. Read it again. I’ll wait for you. I won’t type another word until you’ve read it. Go ahead.
Robert Hawker (1753-1827), known as the “Star of the West” and author of the Poor Man’s Commentary, wrote this about today’s verse:
“Reader! pause over this verse, and read it twice before you dismiss it once.”
His quote was why I asked you to read the verse again. But think about it; although we have been saved by grace and understand that…
…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23
…how often do we stop and meditate upon one of the things we have been saved from: sin. Today’s verse tells us that this is what we were before we were saved by God’s grace in, by, and through the Lord Jesus Christ. What wretches we were. Every area of our lives, even those actions tending toward goodwill toward others, were stained with enough evil that the heartiest of our good deeds not only fell short of God’s glory, but their intent was also wicked, horrible, and corrupt. That we denied that truth for so long was evidence that we have no idea how bad we were. And God must look upon that wickedness (which sets us up to understand the next verse; which we will look at tomorrow). It is written:
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:9-10
Yet the same is still true of you and me, though we are saved by God’s grace. There is still enough corruption in our mortal flesh that the thoughts and intents of our hearts are selfish and idolatrous apart from God’s grace in Christ. Because we have been given a new heart and a new spirit when we were saved (Psa 51:10; Ezek 36:26-27), the Holy Spirit, through verses like this today, provokes us to surrender to Him so that we may love Christ with godly fear, and to love Christ by loving others with thanksgiving for God’s amazing grace. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
