We are now at the biblical flood. This is an event that there is significant debate as to whether it really happened. Some scholars argue that it is just a repeat of the flood story from Mesopotamia, Akkadia, or Sumeria. I can tell you with reasonable accuracy, if multiple different regions have similar ancient stories, it is reasonable to assume that a significant flood did occur, and a man did enter a boat with a significant number of animals.

The reason for the flood was the wickedness of man, more specifically our penchant for violence (Genesis 6:11). Mathew 24: 37-38 reads “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark”. I look at our world today. Everyone is looking for a party where they eat and drink lavishly like there is not a care in the world. Certainly not caring about God and His commands. Violence became a way of life, much like it is today if you read or watch the news. The end was coming and no one cared except for Noah and his family. 

Some question whether the flood covered the entire Earth. In the context of how Noah and his people saw it, this did cover the whole Earth. People did not really start spreading out over the whole planet until the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). So, if the flood was limited to a single region of Earth, it still would have appeared to encompass the whole Earth and would have destroyed all of mankind with it except those on the ark. This same imagery is used in the story of Joseph where a famine was over all the lands (Genesis 41;54). We know that the whole Earth was not struck by a famine as Egypt would not be able to feed the whole world, but for the intents and purposes of the people in the story, it would appear that the whole Earth was struck by a famine.

That being said, there are archeological findings that would support the possibility of a worldwide flood. In mountainous terrain and areas where there are no seas, sea life fossils have been found as well as evidence of ancient intense erosion. Also, the arguments that it would require too much water or that it would be too salty don’t hold true. The Biblical account states that ” the springs of the great deep burst forth…”(Genesis 7:11). So much of this was not Ocean water but fresh water. And underground water added to rainwater would cause significant flooding indeed.

So, while I understand the arguments against a worldwide flood, I do believe through God this was possible. And I see through this the promise of a new world as we will find Noah found when the Ark landed. But the new world we will see with Christ will be more glorious because our sin and corruption will be removed by Christ and the world will be replaced with a world without sin and without corruption.