Jehovah's Long-Suffering Before The Flood

Adam and Eve's rebellion in Eden permanently severed their precious relationship with their loving Creator, Jehovah. (Genesis 3:8-13, 23, 24) This alienation affected their offspring, who inherited sin,imperfection and death. (Romans 5:17-19)

Although the first human couple were willful sinners, Jehovah allowed them to produce children. Later, he lovingly provided the means whereby the descendants of Adam and Eve could be reconciled with him. (John 3:16, 36)

The apostle Paul explained: "God recommends his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, therefore, since we have been declared righteous now by his blood, shall we be saved through him from wrath.

For if, when we were enemies, we became reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, now that we have become reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." - Romans 5:8-10.

Jehovah's long-suffering was seen in Noah's day. Over a century before the flood, "God saw the earth and look! It was ruined, because all flesh had ruined its way on the earth." (Genesis 6:12)

Still, for a limited time, Jehovah showed long-suffering toward man-kind. He said: "My spirit shall not act toward mankind indefinitely in that he is also flesh. Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3)

Those 120 years allowed faithful Noah time to produce a family and - when informed of God's decree- to build and ark and warn his contemporaries of the coming Flood. The apostle Peter wrote: "The patience [a quality related to long-suffering] of God was waiting in Noah's days, while the ark was being constructed, in which a few people, that is, eight souls, were carried safely through the water." (1Peter 3:20)

True, those outside Noah's immediate household "took no note" of his preaching. (Matthew 24:38, 39) But by having Noah construct the ark and serve perhaps for several decades as "a preacher of righteousness," Jehovha offered Noah's contemporaries ample opportunity to repent of their violent ways and turn to serving him. (2 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 11:7) The eventual destruction of that wicked generation was fully justified.

Next time: Exemplary Long-Suffering Toward Israel