What the first part of Genesis 6, flowing out of Genesis 5, demonstrates is the momentum of sin through the generations. In chapter 4, we see the first step toward the intensification of the corruption of human nature after the fall. It is assumed that with every generation this intensifies until it can be said of mankind, as it is in chapter 6:5, that “every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time”. Certainly, there were exceptions to this bleak generalisation and Enoch is one of these exceptions (see 5:24). Noah was another one. God still had his people. But apart from these exceptions we see a situation in which sin had gained such a momentum through the generations that man was utterly corrupted to the very core. And this is how sin works. Wrong attitudes and desires can be passed on and with each generation gain a greater hold upon people. But each of us has the opportunity through Christ, and the ability by the Holy Spirit, to break the pattern like Enoch and Noah. Every family, tribe and nation have patterns of life that gain momentum through the generations. Most people get swept up by the force of the momentum of these patterns and live their lives on a kind of natural autopilot. But Christ has opened an off-ramp for us. You can be the last one to repeat destructive patterns of the past and establish new godly patterns. There are always negative patterns to break. Make sure you identify them and leave a better pattern for the next generation to benefit from.
Reflect on what patterns of negative behaviour you need to focus on overcoming.
Read Genesis 5:1 to 6:8
