The Flood

2023-10-31

The Antediluvian World

The Flood was a worldwide act of judgment from God. Since humankind’s sin, fall, and expulsion from the Garden of Eden, their wickedness increased. Some like Enoch walked with God, but they were the exception.

In that world, there was demonic activity, which was prevalent as seen in the “sons of God.” This is somehow connected with a race of giants that started to appear on the earth.

People started to become very violent. Their minds were on violence continually. The plight of humanity had become so bad we read that “it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Genesis 6:6). The LORD would destroy humankind, but He would spare one man, Noah, who “found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). He sought the LORD: “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9) and was the last one on earth who did. Noah trusted God while the rest of the world did not. We see that Noah’s faith spared him from the flood judgment.

Here are the particulars of the Flood:

Noah had to build an ark, or a giant boat, to be saved from the flood. “Make thee an ark of gopher wood” (Genesis 6:14). Read more about the ark here.
The flood destroyed all flesh. Everything in the earth (dry land) that had breath of life and was not on the ark would die. (Genesis 6:17; 7:22).
Pairs of animals went onto the ark to preserve them. Sevens of clean animals and birds (Genesis 7:2-3). God brought them into the ark when Noah and his family were already in there (Genesis 7:7-9, 15). This would include any land animal or bird, including any animal that has since gone extinct. Dinosaurs would have been on the ark. These would repopulate the animals of the earth after the flood.
The LORD shut them in. Nobody could go in or out after the LORD closed the door. (Genesis 7:16).
Rain lasted for forty days and nights. (Genesis 7:12).
Fountains of waters under the earth also broke up. (Genesis 7:11).
Every high hill and mountain was covered. (Genesis 7:19-20). This implies every continent of land was covered. This was not a local flood.
The water continued to be strong on the earth for 150 days. (Genesis 7:24).
A wind provided by God pacified the waters. (Genesis 8:1). The rain and the fountains were stopped.
The ark landed on the mountains of Ararat. (Genesis 8:4).
Plants started to grow again. (Genesis 8:11).
Noah offered a sacrifice. God was pleased with it. (Genesis 8:21, 22).
God promised to never destroy the world by flood again. “And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth” (Genesis 9:11).

Effects of the Flood

This Flood was the most cataclysmic event in the history of the world. Other than the pairs of animals and the eight people on board the ark, every land animal, bird, and human being died.

This event was so catastrophic that the world changed significantly. We have nothing in the present that compares to this. Results of the flood explain:

The continental “drift.” “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7:11). The ground was broken up while rain dumped downward. The earth quaked like no other time in history.
The many layers of sediments that have fossils. Since there were billions of creatures destroyed during the flood, we would expect to see large amounts of remains. Rocks were rapidly laid down during this yearlong deluge.
Seemingly ancient ages by radiometric data. Rock from Mount St. Helens (1986) and basalt from Mt. Etna (1964) and Hualalai (1800) were dated from hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago. If these local volcanic eruptions could make things appear millennia older than they are, imagine the immensity of a global flood, which would have likely included volcanic eruptions (cf. Genesis 7:11).

God’s Blessing After the Flood

God blessed humankind and made a covenant with them, known as the Noahic Covenant. Here are some particulars.

God showed compassion on humankind despite their sinfulness. Because of this, God instituted capital punishment for the murder of people (Genesis 9:5, 6). This would restrict the rampant violence that existed in the antediluvian age.
God maintained that animals are still under the human authority. (Genesis 9:2).
Noah and his sons were to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth, just as was commanded to Adam in his day. (Genesis 9:7).
God promised never to flood the earth again. (Genesis 9:11). The rainbow is the sign of this covenant.
People were given meat (flesh) to eat after the Flood unless it had blood in it. (Genesis 9:3, 4).

When and Where Was the Flood?

The flood was about 1656 years after creation (given years found in the Bible) and about 2350 B.C. This would have been about a year long.

Here is the timeline:

Noah’s sons: “And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth” (Genesis 5:32).
Beginning of the flood: “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7:11).
Rainwater on the earth 40 days: “And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:12).
Waters prevailed on earth 150 days: “And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days” (Genesis 7:24). “And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated” (Genesis 8:3).
The ark rested on the mountains of Ararat: “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4).
Mountain tops seen: “And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen” (Genesis 8:5).
Window opened to release the raven and a dove: “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made” (Genesis 8:6).
Seven more days, the dove released a second time: “And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark” (Genesis 8:10).
Seven more days, the dove released a third time: “And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more” (Genesis 8:12).
Ground dried: “And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry” (Genesis 8:13).
Earth dried, and they exit the ark: “And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried” (Genesis 8:14).

It covered every mountain, so therefore the flood covered every continent and was worldwide in scope. If it were not a global flood, God did not keep His promise when He said He would never flood the earth again, because there were myriad local floods since Noah got off the ark (Genesis 9:11).

We do not know from where the ark embarked on its turbulent voyage. It landed on the mountains of Ararat. This does not specify a specific mountain, so it is a larger region. Because the world was completely and violently rearranged after the flood, it does not make it clear where specifically this would have been. The earth’s surface may have been still unstable, so this also makes where they disembarked unclear. There is a reason the Lord included the name of the mountain range, though. It would have landed somewhere in that mountain range.

As in the Days of Noah

The sins of Noah’s day included demonic activity and violence. They did not give God any thought. Jesus commented on those times when referencing the time of His return.

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37-39)

Many were enjoying life. They were eating and drinking. Of course, everyone does that to survive. I suspect the mention of this here is that they lived their lives without care that the Lord would come and destroy them. People were going about without knowledge that their destruction was imminent. The discussion of marriage suggests that they were planning for futures together with mates without any thought that their time was short.

Genesis 4 tells us how they were innovative people in Noah’s day: Inventing musical instruments, innovating metalworking, and how to make tents and raise cattle. It was Seth and his descendants that sought the Lord; we do not see them involved in the world as much as the civilization at the city of Enoch. Compare the descendants of Cain and Seth here.

The demons behind the demonic activity are mentioned elsewhere:

By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1 Peter 3:19-20)

These evil spirits stirred up havoc of some kind during the days of Noah.

And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (2 Peter 2:5)

Noah would have told the world of the coming judgment. Even if he did not, the giant ark would have spoken for itself and would have caused him to answer many questions.

Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, likewise testified of God’s coming judgment:

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 1:14-15)

Whatever fruit he had with his preaching was gone in the coming generations.

Take heed of what you read here. We also live without knowing the day of our end. We also live in an innovative society. We also see the increase of evil in our world. We also see the increase in violence. As in the days of Noah.

Theodicy and the Flood

Is God just in condemning the entire world except the eight on the ark? If God is the Creator, then He is the owner of all things, including every living soul on earth. “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). It is not easy to receive, but God is the author of life and can take it away when He chooses. “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). And again, “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up” (1 Samuel 2:6).

The antediluvian world was filled with people that would never turn to God. Consider the discussion here.

Everyone is guilty before God. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). He extended mercy to Noah and family, but they also were sinners. Noah also eventually died. “And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died” (Genesis 9:29). Death is the consequence for sin.

There is another coming judgment, but Jesus Christ has allowed a way of escape by His dying on the Cross for our sins and rising again. He is our Ark. Trust in Him today.

The Lesson of the Flood

Consider this lesson of the Flood:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:3-7)

Just like people scoff at the return of the Lord, they scoffed before the Flood. Today, they are willingly ignorant of the great Flood of the past. Non-Biblical accounts also mention the Flood. The layers of fossils and the continental divisions all testify of those days. However, evil people invented excuses for not believing what was obvious: there was a worldwide deluge that destroyed all but eight people because of their wickedness. It will happen again in the future, but with fire. The Lord will return and destroy those who do not believe in Him. The olive branch is extended now in the person of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose from the dead. Receive Him now. He is the only way out of the certain coming judgment.