And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth" - Genesis 6:12

Noahs flood is perhaps the largest genocide ever documented. Every human being and animal save for a few - completely destroyed with wilful intent. The text above summarises why, but there are some things which are revealed when you pray and read and meditate on His Word. The key is the words ... all flesh - This is why everything had to be destroyed.

1. Angels corrupted humankind. ( Gen 6:1-4 )
2. Man himself was violent and evil. "And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always only evil." Gen 6:5
2. Animals were being corrupted as well. It is not overtly stated, but in Gen 9 ( after the flood ) The Lord makes some changes. He puts the fear of man into animals- I am speculating - for their protection and to prevent acts of bestiality? We also see in Gen 7:2 - a first distinction made between clean animals and unclean animals. Clean animals and birds were taken in 7 pairs, everything else went 2x2. (A clean animal chews the cud and has cloven feet.)
3. After the flood animals are able to kill man (!), but God requires payment to be made for man's blood. ( Gen 9:4 ). This is a big change!
4. Gen 9:5,6 - God introduces the death penalty for killing His image.
5. Animals now fear each other too, because we now have predators and prey. No more intermixing.

All flesh had been corrupted. Imagine it... Angels cohabiting with humans, humans cohabiting with animals who trusted them and could not resist, animals corrupting each other...
Can you blame the Lord for saying that when He saw this, He was so sorrowful that He regretted making it this way?Yet we are thankful He did not wipe us out but redeemed us through Noah, and the Ark of Christ.

He swore never to destroy the earth in this fashion ever again. And He put His bow in the cloud to remind Him forever.

"As for me, behold, I am establishing my covenant with you and with your seed after you, and with every living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and every animal of the earth with you, from all that came out of the ark to all the animals of the earth. I am establishing my covenant with you, that never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, nor will there ever be a flood that destroys the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I am making between me and you, and between every living creature that is with you for future generations. My bow I have set in the clouds, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant between me and between the earth. And when I make clouds appear over the earth the bow shall be seen in the clouds. Then I will remember my covenant that is between me and you, and between every living creature, with all flesh. And the waters of a flood will never again ⌊cause the destruction⌋ of all flesh. The bow shall be in the clouds, and I will see it, so as to remember the everlasting covenant between God and between every living creature, with all flesh that is upon the earth." Gen 9:9-16

This promise is not just for Noah and his kids, The Lord is here making a promise to EVERY LIVING CREATURE.

Think about that for a while......