One Bad Apple...
Have you noticed how quickly a corrupt atmosphere can take over? How one bad apple can spoil the whole basket?
This can happen in the home.
When one of the parents is in a foul mood and behaving badly, others in the family can respond in kind. Before you know it, the whole house is in an upheaval.
Corruption can take over the workplace.
A high-ranking executive who’s more concerned with the bottom line and willing to cut corners will often create an environment where sales personnel oversell their product and bean counters cook the books.
When a country’s leadership is corrupt, the general population begins to accept what had previously been deemed unacceptable.
On and on we could go.
Trying to clean up a corrupt mess can take ten times longer than it took to mess things up in the first place! Not to be political or anything, but...well, you know!
This has been true from the fall of man. Genesis 3 records the fall; Genesis 4 records the first instances of jealousy and murder. Genesis 5 is somewhat of a pause in the development of the race as Moses recorded a genealogy from Adam to Noah’s sons.
But then you come to chapter 6.
If you were to read chapters 3-6 in one sitting, you would probably hit 6:1 after about 10-15 minutes; and shortly after the chapter begins, we’re told that the human race has become thoroughly corrupt (6:5).
Fortunately, as is the case in most corrupt organizations, there was an exception to the rule: Noah. Contrary to the spirit of his age, and by the grace of God Himself, Noah walked with God. And his wasn’t a closet faith, either; he was recognized by his contemporaries as a just and upright man. Given the pervasive corruption of the day, he must have stood out like a bright light in a dark cave!
What a challenging example Noah is for God’s people today. We, too, live in a day of pervasive corruption.
In the political world, it’s almost impossible to know whom to believe.
In the corporate world, image is everything, and the bottom line is the guideline.
In the home, selfishness reigns.
In the educational world, humanism controls the classroom.
These are dark days of sin’s pervasive domination of our world. We need to be Noahs! Will we stop the spread of corruption? Probably no more than Noah did. But we will honor God by letting everyone know we trust Him with our souls, and we will endeavor to live for Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
This can happen in the home.
When one of the parents is in a foul mood and behaving badly, others in the family can respond in kind. Before you know it, the whole house is in an upheaval.
Corruption can take over the workplace.
A high-ranking executive who’s more concerned with the bottom line and willing to cut corners will often create an environment where sales personnel oversell their product and bean counters cook the books.
When a country’s leadership is corrupt, the general population begins to accept what had previously been deemed unacceptable.
On and on we could go.
Trying to clean up a corrupt mess can take ten times longer than it took to mess things up in the first place! Not to be political or anything, but...well, you know!
This has been true from the fall of man. Genesis 3 records the fall; Genesis 4 records the first instances of jealousy and murder. Genesis 5 is somewhat of a pause in the development of the race as Moses recorded a genealogy from Adam to Noah’s sons.
But then you come to chapter 6.
If you were to read chapters 3-6 in one sitting, you would probably hit 6:1 after about 10-15 minutes; and shortly after the chapter begins, we’re told that the human race has become thoroughly corrupt (6:5).
Fortunately, as is the case in most corrupt organizations, there was an exception to the rule: Noah. Contrary to the spirit of his age, and by the grace of God Himself, Noah walked with God. And his wasn’t a closet faith, either; he was recognized by his contemporaries as a just and upright man. Given the pervasive corruption of the day, he must have stood out like a bright light in a dark cave!
What a challenging example Noah is for God’s people today. We, too, live in a day of pervasive corruption.
In the political world, it’s almost impossible to know whom to believe.
In the corporate world, image is everything, and the bottom line is the guideline.
In the home, selfishness reigns.
In the educational world, humanism controls the classroom.
These are dark days of sin’s pervasive domination of our world. We need to be Noahs! Will we stop the spread of corruption? Probably no more than Noah did. But we will honor God by letting everyone know we trust Him with our souls, and we will endeavor to live for Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
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