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Genesis 6:17 "And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.

"And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth.�?/FONT> Here God is declaring in no uncertain terms that what is about to happen is no act of nature, no natural phenomenon. He is saying to future generations that while they may study to understand ‘what�?happened, when it come to the ‘cause�? He Himself is the cause.

But more than that, God is taking upon Himself personal responsibility for the flood that He is bringing on the earth. The Bible tells us of God that “He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men.�?(Lamentations 3:33).

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, . . .

What goes through the mind of God when He brings judgment? The Bible gives us some remarkable insights. Lets consider the case of a much lesser judgment, when God was about to give up the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians. Israel insisted on going her own way. God worked long and hard to save them, but at last He had no choice but to let Israel suffer the consequences of their choices - just as other nations had had to - just as in these last days the entire world will have to. The thought of doing so pained Him. You can hear His anguish in these words.

Hosea 11:7 My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him. 8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred.

What then His anguish over the destruction of an entire world?

But finally God “gave up�?Israel to the Assyrians.

Hosea 4:17 "Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone.

How sad these words. What can be more awful than having God just give up on you?

And things are not really so very different today. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the time of the end.

Isaiah 58: 1 "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.

Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'

Prophet after prophet appealed to Israel - but they preached to the wind.

Likewise, ever since the days of Enoch God had been sounding warning after warning to a rebellious world. Enoch, Methuselah, Noah - They cried aloud, they spared not, they lifted up their voices like trumpets - but the world would not hear.

2 Chronicles 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.

When God “gives up�?a person or nation (or a world) it is not so much that God has separated Himself from them -- It is they who have separated themselves from Him.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

For nearly a thousand years, beginning with Enoch God preached to the antediluvian world, and I believe we can safely assume that the message for that day, (just as the gospel message will for our day), reached the entire world.

Why does God seem to wait so long at times to bring judgment? Why doesn’t God just doesn’t get it over with - destroy the wicked, redeem the righteous and end the suffering, heartache, misery and sorrow of this sin sick world? The Bible gives us the answer:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

But beware lest you take God’s longsuffering as license for sin.