God's Sadness and Grief

Introduction

The reading of Parashat Noach starts in Genesis 6:9 and ends in Genesis 11:24. Probably this is one of the hardest texts to understand in the whole Bible, and one of the saddest tests. What makes it one of the saddest texts in the Bible is the fact that it says:

The English translations don’t want to use the word “saddened”, so they use the word “grieved” instead.

In this verse we also read that the Lord repented that He made man:

The ASV has correctly translated right the word “nicham”, which really means “repented”. The NKJV translated it: “The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the Earth.”

“Sorry” or “repented” or “saddened” or “grieved”, it is a sad text that speaks volumes about God and His creation.

This is especially true when you consider that God does not make mistakes, and that God is in full control of His creation. God knows all things before they happen. How could it be that God repented or was sorry that He created man on the Earth?

These chapters in Genesis hold some of the most important concepts that direct our lives and give us a better understanding of God and how He functions.

This portion of the reading starts with these verses that speak of how bad humanity has become, and it ends with the Tower of Babel, after the flood. Even Noah himself has committed a grievous sin, after the Lord saved him and his family from certain death by water, with the other members of humanity.

If you look at the story of Noah and the flood in this dark and morose light it would be easy to become very pessimistic, even depressed. However, the truth is that in all the statements about the sinfulness of man and God’s role as the responsible adult, God could have designed everything different, from the Garden to the flood, to keep from creating a situation that would condemn man for his bad choices.

Hope

The spot of light and demonstration of God taking responsibility for His actions is seen in the decision and one-sided covenant that He makes with humanity, not to destroy the world again with water. The similarity between the beginning of chapter 6 and the text in 8:21 is shocking.

The very same reason why God decided to do the flood and wipe out humanity, except the eight souls of Noah’s family, is the reason why He decided not to do destroy the world again.

Here is the wonderful reality of the God who created the world and all of us human beings. Remember, dear reader, that when God created the world He said “behold it is good” six times only, but on Tuesday he said it twice. When he created man and woman God did not say, “it is good.”

The grace of God is seen in the flood in both the harshness of the flood, an act of exercising justice and payment for sin, and in saving Noah and his family, because Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Even in the punishment for the horrible sins of that generation, God showed His character full of grace and truth, lovingkindness and mercy.