Lesson Six: The Great Flood: A New Beginning

Reading: Genesis 6 – 8

In the previous lesson we noticed how Genesis shows in a number of short stories how the human population was going from bad to worse. The Fall in Paradise started a huge chain reaction, which eventually filled the earth with sexual abuse, violence, hatred, and murder. It is clear that something had to be done. At this stage it seems that God could abandon his creation. Yet, he chose not to abandon all. He saved a “righteous remnant” with which he made a new beginning. Yet, he also brought destruction to clean the board and punish wickedness. For a little while he allowed the “tahoom”- the dark waters of chaos and disorder, to once again cover the planet- as in those pre- creation days. God let those ancient floodwaters cover the earth one more time to bring about a “new creation”.

Noah is described as a godly man, who “walked with God.” So, God chooses him and his family to make a new beginning. He explains to Noah what his plan is: he is going to wipe out the world of human corruption and evil, while preserving Noah, his family, and a selection of animals. So, Noah is called to build a big floating box or boat, which is to preserve those and protect them from the flood waters.

Noah obeys God. Even though there is little evidence yet that there will be a disastrous flood nor any memory of such an event, Noah trusts the word of God, and he builds this big vessel. In Hebrews 11:7 & 8, Noah is listed in “the Hall of Faith” as an example of one who trusted in God: “By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

So, when the “ark” is built and man and beast have boarded, God opens up the floodgates to bring in the water. The whole (then known and populated?) earth is swallowed up by the raging waters. For most, it becomes a watery grave, but the same flood carries the ark and its inhabitants above the floodwaters of destruction. If you know the Exodus story, you recognize the same pattern at the Red Sea: God’s people are safely taken through the water, while the same water destroys the army of God’s enemy; the emperor of Egypt. Both stories are linked to baptism: while God’s wrath is ready to be poured out over all who refuse to seek God or accept his gift of love in Jesus’ sacrifice, God saves a small group, which He leads through the water of baptism. This water forms the boundary crossing out of slavery in Satan’s service towards God’s rest in the Promised Land.

Literary Structure

The Flood story relates a historical event in the context of the big story how God preserves and restores his creation. The story follows a literary pattern, (often called a Chiasm or X pattern) where the start corresponds with the end, the second thought is paralleled by the second last, and so on.

Whenever we recognize this type of pattern, we must find the central verse, which functions as the key verse of the passage or the turning point in the story. In the first part we see the great flood coming in; the story clearly builds to a climax. Then, God “remembers” Noah and all creatures in the ark. It’s not that God had forgotten; no, the time is right for God to turn the tide. Look at some other passages where God “remembers” his promises:

Gen. 2: 24 the turning point from slavery in a foreign land to freedom starts with God’s remembering of his promises to Abraham.

Ps. 106: 45 the turning point from enforced living in a foreign land to freedom to return to the Promised Land: God remembers his promises!

The consequences are obvious: the waters recede and the rest of the story is like a movie that is played backwards:

• * the waters rose; now they fall

• * the land disappeared; now it appears again

• * Noah’s family and the animals entered the boat; now they exit.

Back to Earth

The Bible itself, therefore, makes a clear spiritual application: be on your guard, for God will once more judge the earth to make a new beginning. Will you repent and be saved through the water of baptism, as you walk with Jesus? Or will you be like those who made fun of ‘Crazy Noah’ who built a ship far from the sea? He trusted God, and he –and his family- were saved.

Now, I think we can make two mistakes about this story.

1 Some say; “It is a myth, a fairy tale. It is a moralizing story, but this kind of thing never happened!” Interestingly, however, all human people groups apparently have a similar flood story! 

Even if some details are not clear or clearly understood, we cannot therefore reject it as merely a fairy tale! Jesus himself took it serious, and it is recorded in the history of God’s dealings with the earth! If we take Jesus and the Bible seriously, we cannot dismiss this account as merely a myth!

2 Even as atheists (who believe there is no god) reject the historical reality of the Great Flood, others (who believe in Jesus) have tried to use the most literal account (ignoring its literary format) to build all kinds of fantastic theories of what the world was like. Some of these theories include:

(picture: ancient flood record in the Gilgamesh story; Archaeology Magazine)

• * The vapour canopy theory: the atmosphere before the Flood was different; it contained enough water to cover the earth’s surface with hundreds of metres of water (rather than a few centimetres, as it is today).

* Flood geology: all fossil-containing rocks have been deposited during the five month flood. Even if such rocks sometimes form layers of more than a kilometre thick, they all find their origins in the Genesis Flood!

Some Christians, in their fear of secular science, are building an alternative science. In doing so, they fall into the same errors of pride and conceit. Some have made “Flood Geology” their Gospel message. Rarely do they speak about their joy in Jesus’ ministry, yet they love to criticize and argue for the universal flood; the disaster that changed the face of the earth to such an extent that 90% of all geological features must be explained by it.

We must avoid such extremes. They may give the appearance of building God’s Kingdom by giving glory to Him, but they actually lead to human pride and deceit. They miss the biblical focus and lead us away from the Message of God.

Food for Thought

(Follow God, on Medium)

1. 1  Try to search the Internet for websites on the “Genesis Flood”, and see if you can detect whether the sites might be falling in either of the extreme categories: ridiculing denial or pseudoscience. I am not sure how this might apply to websites in Chinese.

2. 2  Use a website or CD-Rom with Bible access to search for any Bible passages with the term “covenant”. Compare these passages to get a better idea of how God dealt with his people, especially in the Old Testament.

3. 3  What is the sign that God gives with his promise in the covenant with creation? Can you find out what the sign is (signs are) in God’s covenant with Abram (Abraham)?

4. 4  The term “ark” is translated from the Hebrew word “tebah”. This word is used for two objects in the Bible (not for the “ark of the covenant”).
   a) vessel which Noah built b) basket vessel in which Moses was placed

   Study Exodus 2: 1-5 and try to find many similarities between these two “floating objects”.

5. 5  Read 2 Peter 2: 1 – 11. How does Peter use the flood story to warn about the final judgment? What are the similarities between these events?