Things were really bad around the middle of the third millennium BC. It was evidently much worse situation than what we have now, although at some time in the future, we also will reach that tipping point where God will no longer tolerate our wrongs and will call us all to account. In those misty days of the past, before the world-wide flood altered our mountains and hills and valleys, and our ecosystems from the fruitful past to near like things are today. At that time it says,

“5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.”
Gen 6:5-6

Then the Lord decided.

“Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.””
Gen 6:7

God even set a time.

“Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years.””
Gen 6:3

However, Noah found favor in God’s eyes, Gen 6:7.

“God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make an ark of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ark, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. ”
Gen 6:13-14

Oh yeah? God’s going to destroy
the world and all flesh?

Make a boat? For a world-wide
flood? Is that so?

It was only a prophecy. Well, who knows, many no doubt said. Others have talked about prophecies before, but no one has ever seen anything like that before? World-wide? I can’t even see that much water around here? You think so?

Even
so, for those
who believe what
God says, it changes
life and actions and directions,
all in good ways!

“By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
Heb 11:7

Prophecy changed Noah’s life.

It provided focus and direction, away from the way the world was living, which bears fruit even today, for we are his descendants, as are all of the races and tribes of men on the earth.

A parallel is drawn to our own times

“26 As it happened in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”
Lk 17:26-27

Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901