Genesis 1 tells us that God prepared the earth for mankind to live on and rule over. So how are we doing?
By most measures, not so well. The first man and woman couldn’t even rule themselves! Seduced by false advertising (Genesis 3:4-5), they stole what wasn’t theirs (Genesis 2:17, 3:6) and blamed “someone else” when they got caught (Genesis 3:11-13). This unpromising start was quickly followed by unjustified anger (Genesis 4:5-7), cold-blooded murder (Genesis 4:8), and arrogant lies (Genesis 4:9-10).
What was the result of this misrule? In Genesis 6 God gives mankind this discouraging report card: “…all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth…” (Genesis 6:12). What started as “very good” (Genesis 1:31), mankind had completely corrupted (Genesis 6:1-13).
Grieved over their mismanagement and mistreatment of Himself and each other (Genesis 6:6), God told His servant Noah that He would put an end to that utterly evil age (Genesis 6:8-9; 7:1). God warned that destruction was coming and that His servant should prepare if he wanted to escape (Genesis 6:13-21)
That was Noah’s time. What about our time? Did God proclaim a warning for our day and age? How corrupt do YOU think our day and age is right now?
A better question may be, is there ANYTHING mankind hasn’t corrupted in our day and age?
How about something as simple as food?
The US Department of Agriculture estimates that 80-90% of all corn and soybeans are genetically engineered. At least 246 million acres of farm land around the world are planted with Monsanto’s genetically-engineered “technology.”
To make livestock grow bigger and faster we inject them with growth hormones, feed them the blood and ground-up remains of dead (and diseased) animals, and pump them full of antibiotics when they get sick. Very little food in the United States is produced in accordance with God’s laws. We have utterly corrupted it in our day and age.
What about business and economics?
The U.S. Department of Treasury estimates that American households lost $19.2 TRILLION dollars in household wealth due to the recent financial crisis. Hundreds of billions have been spent to bail out failed companies whose leaders knowingly engaged in bad (and sometimes criminal) practices. Billions in penalties have been assessed for tax fraud, accounting fraud, and securities fraud. Millions lost their jobs, millions more lost their homes and trillions have been added to the U.S. Government debt (it’s almost $16 trillion and growing fast). Which businesses or politicians do we trust? Not many!
Business and economics have been utterly corrupted in our day and age.
What about families and education?
Gay marriage and abortion are being legalized, while teaching anything about God in many public schools is being made illegal.
Almost 50% of marriages are terminated by divorce, and 20% of births terminated by abortion. Worldwide, about 42 million babies are killed via abortion every year. That’s almost 1/2 billion babies in 10 years!
Add to this adultery, fornication, pornography, child abuse, domestic abuse, and drug abuse. Add to that violence in our streets, violence in our homes and violence in war. Greed, fraud, violence, waste and every form of lust and abuse abound in our day and age!
What does the Bible say the world will be like just prior to Christ’s return? Christ said it would be like the days of Noah (Matthew 24:38-39). He said it would be like it is today!
We don’t know exactly when the Great Tribulation just prior to Christ’s return will start (Matthew 24:21, 36). But when we look at prophecy being fulfilled (as shown in our weekly Updates), and truly understand the corruption that permeates virtually every aspect of our societies, it seems those days are quickly approaching. When Noah was warned about God’s coming judgment, he believed and prepared. When we look at the signs of our times and hear warnings about God’s coming judgment, do we believe? Are we now preparing? Are we ready for Christ’s return if it happens in our lifetime?
