Symbol of Salvation

Genesis 6:11 - 14
The world God created was quickly increasingly becoming more evil and wicked.  The Sons of God procreated with women and their offspring were a race of super human giants called the Nephilim.  God saw the wickedness of the world and his heart was broken because humanity had turned completely away from him they were completely and continually evil.  The Lord declares he will blot out humanity and all living creatures because of their wickedness.  Amidst all the evil there was one righteous man in the land; his name was Noah and he found favor with God. 

Vs 11:  The earth was corrupt - spoiled… ruined.  We know that the world was intended to be filled with living creatures; animals and humanity but instead it became filled with violence.
Violence - This denotes brute force or the oppression of the weak by the powerful, the poor by the rich or the unintelligent by the clever.  This same word was used in various passages to denote injustice, murder, and rape.  The world had become a place of evil.  

Verse 12:  “God saw…” implies that God was shocked at how corrupt the word had become.  Twice we are told that the world was inhabited by evil that it was corrupt and wicked.  “All flesh” – Both man and animals had become corrupt.

Verse 13:  “God said to Noah…”  We are told in verse 9 that Noah walked with God.  This reveals to me the fact that a man who walks with God will communicate with God and God will communicate with him.  Since Noah and God have a close relationship God reveals his plan to destroy his creation.
“I have determined…”  God’s response to the corruption and violence on earth is to declare (It is implied that it is irrevocable, it is set) that he will destroy the world.  He will not only destroy it but he will also destroy all living creatures with the earth.

Verse 14:  There is salvation for the righteous.  Noah is righteous and since God is about to ruin or destroy the earth he tells Noah to make an ark built to His specifications.  The ark is intended to be a place of refuge during judgment.  
“Ark” – interestingly the only other time this word is used is in Exodus 2:3, 5 where it signifies the basket Moses was placed in as a baby.  The ark is a symbol of Christ.  I'll talk about this more in the days to come.