Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey Bible study
February 5, 1995
Genesis 6-9
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I. Overview of the Flood of Noah.
A. God is displeased with sinfulness of humans, decides to judge them.
B. One family is righteous and is saved.
C. A great flood of water, from above and below the earth, inundates
the planet.
D. All living creatures die, except what is on the ark.
1) All modern humans would be descendants of Noah's family.
E. God makes a covenant with Noah that he will never destroy the
earth again. The rainbow is the sign.
II. Scientific problems.
A. There is not enough water to cover every mountain. Melting ice
caps and every rain drop would not raise sea level even 100
feet. Tallest mountains are 25,000 feet in elevation.
B. There is no evidence of a universal flood in recorded history.
1) Flood deposits of clear clay in Mesopotamia are localized.
C. There are difficulties with an ark of animals.
1) Not all animals could fit on board.
2) How could one family take care of them?
3) The food would be an insurmountable problem.
D. Other ancient literature closely parallels the Flood of Noah
and is older than the Bible's account. Wouldn't they all be
myth together?
III. Biblical answers.
A. Genesis indicates the flood did not just come from rain (or ice
caps) but also from under the ground and "the floodgates of
heaven." What these are is uncertain. 7:11
B. A great flood would not necessarily leave much evidence, so it
is not surprising that deposits cannot be found.
1) The view of some Christians is that the geologic layers we
see was all laid down by the Flood. Compare the strata
laid down in the Mount St. Helens explosion.
C. All humans would have an historical memory of the flood so it is
not surprising that we have other versions of it. The Bible's
version is the inspired one. Comparison of Genesis and
Gilgamesh Epic (Table 11):
1) Ark is huge and seaworthy, Gilgamesh's boat is square.
2) Gilgamesh's flood is only 7 days long.
3) The theology is definitely sub-par. The gods send a flood
out of spite rather than out of holiness.
D. The New Testament supports the historicity of the flood.
1) Noah's generation is compared to that of the Second
Coming. Matt 24:37
2) Noah's faith is commended in Hebrews 11:7.
3) The Flood was an experience of salvation as well as damnation;
baptism has a similar symbolism. 1 Peter 3:20-21
4) God's destruction of Sodom is just as historical as the
Flood. 2 Peter 2:5 and 3:3-7
IV. Local or universal flood?
A. A local flood alleviates some of the scientific problems.
1) Most commentators, even conservatives, prefer a local flood.
2) The universal language would be an example of hyperbole.
B. The plain reading of the Bible demands a universal scope:
1) Representatives of all living creatures on board. 6:19
2) All the high mountains covered. 7:19
3) Every living creature outside perishes. 7:21, 9:15
C. The wide variety of flood stories in ancient societies
supports a universal event.
D. At the very least, Genesis demands the destruction of all
humans except Noah and his family.
V. Ark sightings.
A. The Flood probably happened at least 20,000 years ago, before
Asians passed over to the Americas. It is interesting that
most American Indian tribes have Flood stories.
B. The Ark came to rest in the region of Ararat, not on one
particular mountain.
1) The Ark is LARGE, displacing about 50,000 tons.
C. Numerous sightings of the Ark have been reported over the years.
1) Marco Polo reported seeing it. [Invented] tourist site?
2) A French explorer claims to have been inside the Ark and
to have brought back a piece of it.
3) Sky-Lab photo shows a blob on mountain in Turkey.
4) Astronaut Irwin was an avid Ark hunter.
D. No certifiable claims have been made to date.
1) In most cases, "evidence" has disappeared.
2) It would be most unusual for the Ark to exist inside
glaciers, which move and crush objects within.
3) Yet "Ice Man" in Italy shows at least small objects can
survive for long periods.
4) Lessening of tensions along Turkish/Russian border will
encourage Ark expeditions.
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