What does "their hearts bent on evil" reveal about human nature?

Reading the Verse

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.” – Genesis 6:5

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Spotlighting “Hearts Bent on Evil”

• “Every inclination” = a constant inner leaning, not an occasional lapse

• “Thoughts of his heart” = the very seat of will, desire, imagination

• “Altogether evil all the time” = pervasive, uninterrupted corruption

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What This Shows About Human Nature

• Inborn corruption

– Genesis 8:21 “the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”

– Sin is not merely learned; it is native.

• Total reach of sin

– Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”

– Sin colors motives, reasoning, affections.

• Persistence without divine restraint

– Ecclesiastes 8:11 “the hearts of the sons of men are fully set to do evil.”

– Left unchecked, evil intensifies, not diminishes.

• Need for outside intervention

– Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.”

– Only God can replace a bent heart with a new one.

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Tracing the Theme Across Scripture

• Old Testament snapshots

– Psalm 14:3 “All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt.”

– Proverbs 16:30 “He who purses his lips is bent on evil.”

• New Testament confirmation

– Mark 7:21-23 “From within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts…”

– Romans 3:10-12 “There is no one righteous, not even one.”

• Promise of redemption

– 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”

– Hebrews 8:10 God writes His law on renewed hearts.

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Why This Matters for Us Today

• Realism: Scripture explains the world’s moral chaos—our default is rebellion, not goodness.

• Humility: Recognizing innate evil removes grounds for self-righteousness.

• Urgency: A “bent” heart needs saving grace, not mere self-improvement.

• Hope: The God who judged the flood (Genesis 6-9) also provided the ark, foreshadowing Christ, the only refuge for hearts once bent on evil but now made new.