The Last Straw
The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair;
and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said,
My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh;
yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Genesis 6:2, 3
Read Genesis 2:18-25; 6:1-4
You are probably familiar with the saying referred to in our title, “It
was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” This saying tells us that at
a certain point we reach our limit. Crossing the boundary will result in
drastic consequences.
This was certainly true with respect to our text. It deals with the event leading
up to the great Flood. What was the last straw that made the Lord decide
to destroy the earth with a great flood? This is important to consider, not
only in view of the historical significance for that day, but also with respect
to the situation in which we live today. The Lord Jesus has compared the
days of Noah to the final judgment. And so we know that, in a sense, history
will repeat itself.
The event that became the last straw for the Lord was that the sons of God
married the daughters of men. We must understand this truth: young men,
who were descendants of the seed of the woman, married young women
who belonged to the seed of the serpent. To say this in modern terminology,
churchgoing men who were descendants of Enos and called upon the name
of the Lord, were marrying women from the worldly line of Cain which had
departed from the Lord. This intermingling of the church with the world
was such a great evil in the sight of God that He decided to destroy the earth.
The limit of God’s patience had been reached.
Question: What does this message teach us today?
Psalter 1:1, 2 (based on Psalm 1)
That man is blessed who, fearing God, From sin restrains his feet,
Who will not stand with wicked men, Who shuns the scorners’ seat.
Yea blessed is he who makes God’s law His portion and delight,
