The second reason for the flood was the sinfulness of humanity generally.
6:5 Men's and women's actions were very wicked and their thoughts and affections were completely evil by this time (cf. vv. 11-12; Rom. 1:18-32).
"Near the turn of the 19th century F. W. Farrar wrote a book entitled Seekers After God. The book was a popular seller and was in considerable demand. A certain western bookseller had a number of requests for the volume but had no copies available. He sent a telegram to the dealers in New York requesting them to ship him a number of the books. After awhile a telegram came back which read, No seekers after God in New York. Try Philadelphia.'"287
6:6-7 God was sorry that He had made humankind because people generally did not want a relationship with God. They insisted on living life independent of God and consequently destroying themselves in sin. He was sorry over what His special creation had become.
"God is no robot. We know him as a personal, living God, not a static principle, who while having transcendent purposes to be sure also engages intimately with his creation. Our God is incomparably affected by, even pained by, the sinner's rebellion. Acknowledging the passibility (emotions) of God does not diminish the immutability of his promissory purposes. Rather, his feelings and actions toward men, such as judgment or forgiveness, are always inherently consistent with his essential person and just and gracious resolve (Jas 1:17)."288
6:8 Noah was the one exception.289"Favor"is grace. This is the first mention of this word in the Old Testament, though we have seen many examples of God's grace thus far. There is a word play in the Hebrew text (an anagram). The same consonants of Noah's name (nh) in the reverse order mean "grace"(hn).
All God's people can identify with Noah, the recipient of God's grace. It is only by God's grace that we can escape His judgment on the wicked.
"Genesis is flatly contradicting the humanistic optimism of Mesopotamia: humanity's situation in its view is hopeless without divine mercy."290
This section shows that pagan idolatry and immorality pain God and incur His judgment that man can only escape by His provision of salvation.
