February 18

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  Genesis 6:5

Only 6 chapters into the Bible, and we see how wicked and evil humans had become.  This pivotal verse in the Old Testament describes the moral state of humanity that led to the flood. We see the human condition at that time.  In this verse we see how pervasive the wickedness and sin was as it says, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth.”  Wickedness was everywhere.  Evil and sin was not isolated to a certain region or group of people.  Sin and evil filled every corner of the world and every heart of humankind.  It had become the defining characteristic of society.

This verse also tells us the source of evil and sin in humans.  It is an internal source coming from the heart - that “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil.” The pervasiveness and source of human evil came from the heart.  The third theme from this verse is the constancy of sin “...was only evil all the time.”  Sin and evil weren’t an occasional event.  It didn’t happen every so often.  It happened all the time.  The hearts of the human race had become evil.  Verse 6 tells us “the Lord regretted he made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.”  Something had to be done.  God sent the flood and destroyed all of humanity except Noah and his family.  God needed to wipe the slate clean by washing away sinful humanity.

So it is with us.  We are sinful and evil.  If we’re honest, our hearts, too, are inclined to evil all the time.  Our wickedness is great.  Our desire to turn from God and seek our own will is always present.  Like humanity in the time of Noah, we deserve to be destroyed.  We deserve God’s wrath and judgment.  But, praise God, He sent His Son to bear His wrath and judgment.  Along with King David in Psalm 51:10, we recognize our need for a clean heart - a heart that needs to be washed clean.  A new heart with a new start.  This is what God has done by sending His Son, Jesus, to the cross.  It is through the shed blood of the Lamb that we are washed clean.  

Father - our hearts are inclined to evil all the time.  Forgive us.  Create in us a clean heart.  Thank You for the precious and life-changing gift of Your Son, Jesus, who took our punishment to the cross.  Thank You for the blood of that Lamb that washes us clean.  In Your name we pray, Amen.