Lessons from the Flood

By Bill Jahns

Noah's Ark

I S THE BIBLE SIMPLY MYTH? Is man simply the product of chance or was man created by a supernatural being? Can the Bible be trusted from the earliest chapters of Genesis? Today the Bible is being challenged constantly. We are taught by many today that the Flood of Genesis could not have happened, that it is impossible for the World to have been in a flood a few thousand years ago.

Is there evidence out there for the Biblical Flood? Can we go to sources other than the Bible and find that others also have told the same story that the Bible tells? The answer to this question is a resounding yes!! There is much evidence outside of the Bible that indicates the World was destroyed by a terrible disaster.


There is much evidence outside of the Bible that indicates the World was destroyed by a terrible disaster.

Let's go to the Bible and see what it says about the flood. The story starts in Genesis 6. Here God saw that mankind was getting more evil as time went on. The descendants of Adam disobeyed God and went their own way. Mankind had chosen the way of the knowledge of good and evil and the evil way was predominating.

In Genesis 6:5 we see that God realized that something had to be done because the evil nature of man was getting worse and worse. Mankind was following the way of Satan who had rebelled against God much earlier. In order to save mankind, God decided to destroy most of mankind and start all over again with eight people. He instructed Noah to build an Ark. (Genesis 6:14)

One of the false ideas about the Ark is that it was simply a small boat. Many who attack the story of the Bible don't realize that the Ark was of immense size. Notice some interesting things about the Ark. The Ark that God tells Noah to build was 300 Cubits long. If we accept a cubit as being about 18 inches the ark would have been 450 feet long -- much longer than a football field. It would have been around 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. The ark would have been more like a barge than a boat. Tests have been made with boats made of this proportional size and the boats are very stable. Again we can see the "scientific" correctness of the story.

Notice that seven pairs of clean animals were to be taken into the ark and at least 1 (perhaps two pairs depending upon how the text is understood) pair of unclean animals. (Note: some feel that Genesis 7:1 is referring only to seven clean animals not seven pairs). Here is an interesting proof that the "Mosaic Law" was known before the time of Moses. This is a strong proof that the "Law of Moses" was in effect and known to mankind long before Moses was born. God then causes the flood to be brought upon the earth and the ark floats on the waters. Remember that the Ark did not have to go anywhere, it only had to float on the waters to save the animals and mankind from total extinction.

In Genesis 7:19 we see that the water prevailed high above all the earth -- notice the way the Bible states it "...all the high hills that were under the whole heaven were covered". How is it possible to try to claim the flood was only local when this type of terminology is used? The Bible is obviously claiming that all the earth was destroyed by water. Many today claim that is impossible. Hasn't Geology proved there was no worldwide flood?

Notice what the Bible claims about the last days of mankind. In II Peter 3:3-5 we see that the Apostle Peter knew through the Holy Spirit that this would be a problem in the last days. There would be "scoffers" who because of their own vanity would lose sight of the truth of the Bible. They would start to believe their own theories before they believed in the Bible and they would believe what they think they have proved in a laboratory over the very word of God!

The Bible often states that the truth has been hid from those who get too intellectual. Let's notice some of those scriptures. In I Cor 1:20-25 Paul says that the things of God are foolishness to the world. Romans 1:20-22 states that they became so vain in their own imaginations they lost the truth. We live in a world that is absolutely taken by "science".


The Bible often states that the truth has been hid from those who get too intellectual.

Unfortunately, sometimes what is called science is in reality speculation. Paul states in Romans 1:25 that God allowed them to change the truth of God into a lie. In Isaiah 29:13-14 God says that the wisdom of the wise shall perish! There is a way that seems right to a man, the Bible says, but those ways are the ways of death (Pro. 14:12). Christ also indicated that the "educated" of this world end up blinded. He also said in Luke 10:21 that God had revealed the truth to babes (those willing to trust God and God's word above all else) and hidden this truth from those who considered themselves "wise".

The Bible says in Genesis 7:20 that the waters prevailed above the highest mountains by fifteen cubits (about 21 feet). Genesis 7:21 it indicates that all flesh "died". The scriptures are very clear -- all mankind and animals that breathed air (excluding fish of course) died!! According to the Bible the Ark landed upon the "mountains of Ararat". The lowest place where the Ark could have landed in that region is about 6,000 feet high. In order words, if you believe the Bible to be accurate at all in this matter the water had to cover the earth by at least 6,000 feet. Revell Bible Dictionary (article Ararat, page 83) says: "The mountains of Ararat lie in present day Turkey. Lake Van, the center of the district, is 6,000 feet above sea level, with mountains around it towering up nearly 17,000 feet. Tradition identifies the south slope of mount Massis (Ararat) as the landing place of the Ark. Only a cataclysm like that described in Gen. 6-9 could have lifted Noah's boat to such a height". The Bible says the boat landed on a mountain, so the height of the landing had to be much higher than 6,000 feet. This is indeed describing a "worldwide" flood.

In Genesis 9:7 we see that God said they should be "fruitful and multiply". If all kinds of animals had been left and saved because they lived in areas not covered by the flood this statement would be false. God says in Genesis 9:12-15 that he set a rainbow in the clouds to be a sign that he would never again destroy the earth by a flood. If that flood were local, then again God did not fulfill his word. There have been many local floods, which have killed many people.

The lessons from the flood are obvious. In 2 Peter 3:11 the Apostle Peter states that since the earth has been destroyed by a flood and the world is again to be destroyed by fire, we better watch how we conduct ourselves.

The flood is a warning!! The wicked will be destroyed, totally, absolutely, and forever! The righteous will be delivered as God delivered Noah and his family from a terrible disaster.


The Bible says the boat landed on a mountain, so the height of the landing had to be much higher than 6,000 feet. This is indeed describing a "worldwide" flood.

Christ also used the flood story for an example for us today. In Matthew 24:37-42 Christ states that his Second Coming would be similar to what happened in Noah's day. They would not realize the flood was occurring. Can you imagine the ridicule that Noah received when he tried to warn his fellow human beings that the world was going to be destroyed by a flood? There are some indications in the Bible that after God's creation of Adam and before the flood there was no rain. In Genesis 2:5-6 we see that God apparently used a heavy mist to water the plants of the earth. We can see why plants and animals in the past grew so large. In the fossil record there are many very large plants and animals that we know grew in ancient times. If the earth were watered every day growth rates would be enormous and it can be easily understood how large creatures would roam the earth. Noah then would have a hard time convincing people that the earth was going to be covered by water if human beings had not experienced rain.

The Bible indicates that Noah may have preached to mankind for as much as 120 years before the flood (Genesis 6:3). Noah must have felt a strong desire to preach and teach people that God was going to destroy them unless they repented.

The message of repentance is one of the great lessons of the Flood of Noah. Christ and John the Baptist in the New Testament repeated it. In Matthew 3:7-11 John the Baptist warns the Pharisees that they must repent. He warns them that if they don't, God is going to destroy them as he did in 69 AD when Jerusalem and the Jewish nation was defeated and destroyed. In Mark 1:15 we see the same message being taught by Jesus. The Jews needed to repent or they would be destroyed. If the flood of Noah were only a local flood what kind of message would that be? Live in the right spot and you will not receive the consequences of your sins.


The message of repentance is one of the great lessons of the Flood of Noah.

Objections to the flood story are often brought up. One question that is often raised: How could Noah have gotten all those animals in the Ark? Those who raise the question ignore several important points in the flood story. The boat that Noah built was enormous. It was apparently 3 stories (Genesis 6:16) and had a lot of room for large and small animals. Those who object to the story often try to say that Noah had to take every species of animal that has ever been found on the earth into the Ark. They ignore what modern science has shown. That animals vary (within a Biblical kind) with time. God has created life with the ability to adapt to its surroundings. Small dogs can be bred into large dogs. The outward characteristics of cats can be altered. When you consider this fact -- that species do vary -- the number of animals that Noah had to take into the Ark is greatly diminished. In fact, Noah may have only taken one kind of "cat" family into the ark. Perhaps there were more -- we don't know -- but Noah did not have to take very variation of the cat family into the Ark.

Another objection to the story that is often given is the question of where did the water come from. Some point out that all the water in earth's atmosphere today would only put a few inches of water on the earth. Let's see what the Bible says about the source of the water. In Genesis 7:11 the Bible says: "the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened". Notice that the source of the water was not just the amount of moisture in the atmosphere -- it was water that was in the earth. Remember that before the flood the Bible describes great rivers as coming out of the depths of the earth (Genesis 2:10). Apparently this water was combined with the water in the atmosphere to create the flood. Let's never forget that the Flood of Noah was a miraculous event. God is the creator of the universe! God could have created the water that was used in the flood.

The Flood of Noah was an historical event that changed the face of the earth. There are important lessons that we can learn from this story. God does reward righteousness -- the wicked will indeed be destroyed in the end. God is just and fair!


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