Genesis 6:11
What to Do About All the Violence?
The mass shooting at Parkland, Florida, has left the country in an
grieving uproar. Across the country, students and adults alike have
called—even demanded—that something be done. Sit-ins, boycotts, and
student "strikes" have taken place—whether spontaneously or by design
across the country. Some have called for more gun control. Others for
armed guards at schools. Some want to train and arm teachers. Some
are considering homeschooling their children. The President of the
United States even made the statement that in dealing with some
people, law enforcement officers "might take their firearms first and
then go to court" to see if they were justified in doing so.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018
/03/01/daily-202-trump-s-rejection-of-due-process-for-gun-owners-
points-to-his-disdain-for-the-rule-of-law/5a97825130fb047655a06a23/
?utm_term=.699574dff61a
The best I can tell, most all of the suggestions have some support
and some opposition, likely meaning that for the time being, nothing
of significance will happen—at least not until there is another mass
shooting.
That is unfortunate because I would hope that all of us would agree
on the fact that something needs to be done. The question becomes
what?
Many mock or ignore the Bible as a Book with no bearing on our lives.
That is ridiculously untrue. The fact is the Bible—either directly
or indirectly—gives help and direction to every situation of life,
including this one. It is sad that most people and especially most
Americans will not read the Bible for in it, we see not only what is
happening but what will happen.
For a few moments, let’s consider the Bible and the violence of our
land.
I. What Has Happened
A. Man tried conscious to control himself.
1. Those of you who are familiar with the Bible know what was
taking place in Genesis 6.
a. God had created creation (chapter 1).
b. God created man (chapter 2).
c. Man had sinned (chapter 3).
d. Man began to reproduce (chapters 4-5).
e. By chapter 6, man had become so wicked that God
decided He would remove from off the earth with a
flood.
2. There are several words through here which describe the
condition of mankind.
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the WICKEDNESS of man
was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil continually.
Gen 6:11 The earth also was CORRUPT before God,
and the earth was filled with VIOLENCE.
3. What was man using to control wrong at that time?
a. It was not law. We shall see in a moment that God
will give law to man AFTER the flood.
b. At this time, God was letting man’s conscience be his
guide.
(1) Everyone was on the honor system.
(2) Let’s see if you can figure out how to treat one
another.
4. How did that go?
a. By chapter 6, God had decided man was to wicked to
work with.
b. God was going to pick a few people that were not so
wicked, corrupt, and violent, and start again.
(1) Now, we cannot say that everyone was wicked and
violent.
(2) Perhaps some were relatively well behaved, but
that left them to be the victims of the people
who were not.
5. Now get this.
a. God did not let man experiment with self-control so
that He could see the results. He knew what the
results would be.
b. He did it so that WE could see what the results are.
(1) You see there are always those who say we need
to do away with the law (its officers, its
rules, its punishment).
(2) They believe that man is essentially good and
getting better all of the time.
(3) That if we will just give them food, an
education, and a change, people will do what is
right.
(4) I have even read where some are supposed to have
said that if law abiding citizens would give up
their guns, so would the criminals.
(5) You can believe that if you want but I am telling
you that God has already demonstrated the "man
is good and will do the right thing" scenario
and it did not work at all.
B. Man tried the law to control himself.
Ge 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall
his blood be shed: for in the image of God made
he man.
1. As soon as man got off the ark, God told Noah, "You are
going to have some laws now."
2. This was not the only law but it was the highest law.
a. It was given from the highest Court.
b. It covered the highest crime.
c. It exacted the highest penalty.
3. It also demonstrated what makes the law work, punishment.
a. It is sad but true.
b. A law that has no bite will not be obeyed by most
people.
(1) You do not have to take my word for it. We all
prove it every day.
(a) Question - When do you make certain you are
driving at or under the speed limit?
(b) Answer for most of us - When we see a police
car somewhere around us.
(c) Why do we make certain we are obeying the
law then?
(d) Because we do not want to have to shell out
$100-$200.
(e) It is not the law we respect but the bite
the law puts on us that we respect.
(2) If there is no bite, most people will tend to do
what they feel they can get away with.
c. So because of law’s bite, the law works some; yet it
still fails.
2. It is interesting that the Bible makes a statement twice
about Israel during their time period of being governed
just by the law.
Jud 17:6 In those days there was no king in
Israel, but every man did that which was right
in his own eyes.
Jud 21:25 In those days there was no king in
Israel: every man did that which was right in
his own eyes.
3. The Bible does not say every man did that was right in his
own eyes during the period of being ruled by man’s
conscious but during the time period of being ruled by
the law.
4. Some of you may be protesting what I am saying in your
mind.
a. You may be saying, "Well, I don’t obey the law just
because of the punishment. I try to obey the law
because it is the law."
b. And I do not doubt that is true for some of you.
c. However, you have also been influenced by another and
a newer power that God has given to us.
d. I will tell you about that in a moment; but for right
now, let’s look at them in the order God gave them
to Israel.
5. First, man tried his conscious to control himself and that
did not work. Second, man tried the law to control
himself and that did not work.
C. Man tried monarchs to control himself.
1. God did not give kings to Israel until \\#1Sam 8:4-7\\.
2. However, you will notice that in both of the verses I gave
your from Judges, the Bible specifically mentions that
there were no kings at that time in Israel.
a. Why is that being mentioned?
b. I would suggest because until Israel had kings, they
had problems controlling themselves.
c. While we might not like to admit, kings (dictators) to
provide order. They may not provide justice or
laws, but they do provide order.
3. Other nations had kings long before God gave Israel one.
a. Do you remember what the people said when they told
Samuel they wanted to have a king?
1Sam 8:5 And (the people of Israel) said unto
him (Samuel), Behold, thou art old, and thy sons
walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge
us like all the nations.
b. They wanted a king like all of the other nations.
(1) There is probably not a preacher who has been
preaching for any length of time who has not
preached on that statement.
(2) But have you ever asked yourself why the children
of Israel wanted a king like the other nations?
(3) May I suggest it is because with most kings you
do get order.
(4) I remember when President George W. Bush attacked
Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein. I was
concerned. (That’s nothing new. i am concerned
about a lot of things.) But I was concerned
what would happen if their dictator was removed.
Many people (George W among them) believed that
if the people had a chance, they would choose
a democracy. That is that old "people are
basically good at heart" philosophy. So we sent
billions of dollars and thousands of troops to
give them a chance. It did not go as some had
hoped.
(5) In fact, the same things that happened in Genesis
6, happened in Iraq.
(a) They had wickedness, corruption, and
violence.
(b) Why? Two reason:
i. Because mankind cannot control himself
with his conscience or even laws.
ii. Because Americas coalition removed
their source of order, their dictator.
4. But of course, monarchs have their drawbacks.
a. They tend to be abusive, corrupt, and cruel.
b. When Israel demanded a king, God warned them what they
would get.
c. Read \\#1Sam 8:11-18\\.
d. Everything God warned came true repeatedly in Israel,
but still, generally, they had order.
e. Why? Because if you annoy the king, he will kill you.
5. So I am going to say that while conscious does not work at
all, and laws do not work much, dictators normally do
bring order, but surely there is something better.
D. God gave and mankind tried salvation.
1. There are many gifts that come with the gift of salvation.
a. God gives a new heart. \\#Eze 36:26\\
b. God gives a new mind. \\#Phi 2:5\\
c. God gives a new Convictor, the Holy Ghost.
\\#John 16:8\\
2. All of this produces a new type of people, a righteous
people.
a. A righteous people is a people that does right just
because it is right.
b. A few moment ago, I acknowledged that some of you
might be objecting to the statement that I made about
people not obeying the law unless there is a bite to
it.
(1) But you are not ordinary folk.
(2) Most of you are saved and have been for some
time.
(3) And even if you are not, you have been reared in
large part by a righteous nation that has
influenced you.
(4) And most people that would obey the laws just
because they are the laws, have been influenced
by God’s new force—righteousness.
(5) If not directly, then indirectly.
3. Does salvation and righteousness work?
a. Yes. It causes men and women to do right above what
their own conscious would demand.
b. Indeed, it causes men and women to do right even above
what the law demands.
c. It worked so well, that a nation and new type of
government was formed.
(1) A government where people rule themselves.
(2) That is the United States and a democracy.
(3) There was no such thing as a democracy before
there was salvation and its effects.
(4) And since our nation has thrown off God, His
salvation, and the righteousness that it
produced, we have seen that man no longer has
the ability to rule himself.
(5) Instead, we are resorting to trying to create
more and more laws, but laws by themselves do
not work.
II. What Will Happen
A. America, in her arrogance, is going to keep trying the two
systems that will not work.
1. Some will keep preaching that man is basically good. Give
him more education. Give him more money. Give him a
chance. But it won’t work.
2. Others will keep preaching that we need more laws. We
need more oversight. If we have to sacrifice our
freedoms to have it, so be it.
B. And while America keeps attempting those, the same three
things that filled the earth in Genesis 6 will fill this
country and the earth.
1. Wickedness
2. Corruption
3. Violence
C. Until ultimately, a president, a judge, or a military leader
decides he or she is the solution and America becomes some
form of dictatorship.
1. It may not be an absolute monarch, but it will be someone
who can establish some form of order.
2. It may happen before the rapture of the church, but if
not, it will definitely happen after the rapture of the
church.
D. Why do I think this?
1. Because it has all been attempted before. Americans just
won’t read about it.
2. We do not want God, salvation, righteousness and without
them, we cannot have a people that is capable of ruling
themselves.
3. Things may speed up. Things may slow down.
4. But the Bible gives us the answer.
III. What We Can Do
A. We can be saved. Just because everyone else wants to be
ignorant and damned, doesn’t mean we have to join them.
B. We can be the righteous. We can mode; what Christ can do with
the human soul.
C. We can invite others to join us. The only hope for mankind is
and always has been Jesus Christ.
Would you become part of the solution today?
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