FEB 3

Genesis 6:5-7
Memorise Numbers 23:19
“And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth”

Today’s reading has a particular statement that might seem a bit strange and hard to understand. It tells us that as God looked at the terrible wickedness of man upon the earth, “it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Genesis 6:6). What does it mean that God “repented”? Does this mean that He had sinned in creating the world and then allowing man to fall into wickedness? Was God sorry for what he had done and thus felt a need to ‘make amends’ for His wrong? Now, we know that God is perfectly holy and can never sin. His eyes are too holy to even behold evil, not to mention commit any sin of His own. So how are we to interpret this description of God repenting?

In the Hebrew Bible, there are two main words that are translated as “repent”. The first one, “shub”, used in passages like 1 Kings 8:47 and Ezekiel 14:6, 18:30, expresses the basic idea of turning, and carries the common idea of repenting from sin and wickedness. The second word, “nacham”, is one that carries the idea of regret or sorrow, and is used here in Genesis 6:6. There are also other instances in which it is used on God, such as in Jonah 3:10. In such occurrences, what theologians describe as “anthropomorphism” is being used. This is a personification of God as a man with human attributes, emotions, characteristics or physical qualities, which God uses to help us understand His actions better. In this context, it certainly does not mean that God was repenting from any sin. Instead, He was expressing His feeling of grief and sorrow over the evil and wickedness of man. He was rueing the fact that man had descended into such a deplorable state of evil. In human terms, it is as if He regretted having even made man in the first place.

Of course God in His grace and mercy did not wipe man out completely, but saved one family, and continued the human race through them. Yet through this we see a very important spiritual lesson. When man falls into sin and so wilfully rebels against Him, God is very grieved. He looks down upon man with sorrow and compassion, and like a loving father, His heart is saddened by the fact that His children refuse to obey Him. We must realise that when we sin, we grieve God as well.

Thought: Does it grieve us when we grieve God?

Prayer: Lord, help me never to test the limits of Your longsuffering, but by Your grace, may I learn to live a life that brings You joy and not sorrow