Noah and the Great Flood

Episode 9

Hello, and welcome to this special edition of In the Lighthouse: your safe harbor from the storm. This is Daphne Collins, the Lighthouse Keeper. I’m so glad to have you join me today with another special edition that’s been added to our regular lineup. We noticed that there was much interest in the Christmas episode, “A Light in the Darkness,” so we decided to bring you more stories from the Bible for you to enjoy, and perhaps learn something you didn’t know before. I’m pleased to announce a new series that we’re calling, “The Heroes of the Old Testament,” and the first story being presented to you today is entitled, “Noah and the Great Flood.” 

Everyone loves an epic tale – a sweeping drama with historical figures and heart-pounding action. These stories keep the listener spellbound and on the edge of their seat. The Bible contains such dramas within many of the books of the Old Testament. These ancient books (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, and Judges to name a few) have been exhaustively researched, investigated, cataloged, and in many ways, refuted, as to their authenticity. However, research and faith argue for the inerrancy of the Bible. The historical account of the Great Flood has been investigated, researched, and compared with traditions or stories that seemingly corroborate the validity of what was written in the Book of Genesis. Therefore, I want to tell you this story in its historical context so that you will have the backdrop of the world as it was in Noah’s time.  

Life as they knew it would have been ordinary for that generation as it is with our own – notably, with a few exceptions concerning people no longer living in our world today. People went about their lives according to their cultural norms and mores. In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus made reference to what was going on during the time of Noah to illustrate the suddenness of his second coming. The gospel writer quotes Jesus who said, “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

And regarding this topic, the apostle in 2 Peter 3:5-6 says, “For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of the water and through water by the word of God . . . the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.” If you’re hearing this story for the first time, you might be tempted to call it a myth like Beowulf or Perseus and Medusa. But keep in mind, this biblical account is written a historical genre, and has been investigated for its authenticity. Furthermore, it’s necessary to provide the geographical setting where the action takes place. Noah lived in ancient Mesopotamia which is the land situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; two of the four rivers that flow from the Garden of Eden. The land around Mesopotamia is significant to the Old Testament because much of the narrative in the first eleven chapters of Genesis takes place in this region. Today, the region makes up part of northern Iraq and extends to eastern Turkey and northeast Syria. The Bible states that the ark came to rest on the peaks of Ararat, a mountainous region located in modern-day Turkey situated at the northern edge of Mesopotamia. The first king of Mesopotamia years following the flood was Nimrod, the grandson of Noah’s son Ham. His empire spanned all of Mesopotamia, including what would later become Babylonia and Assyria. Mesopotamia was also the birthplace of Abraham who was from Ur of the Chaldeans. The ancient mythical tale: Epic of Gilgamesh (circa 650 BC) was unearthed during an archeological finding at the ruins of Nineveh’s great library during the mid-nineteenth century. These Chaldean tablets tell a surprisingly similar story to the Genesis account (albeit with different characters) about a great flood and the ark dwellers in a six-story square ark.  Ancient flood stories from other cultures all over the world have been researched by anthropologists to demonstrate that the Great Flood was a global event. The ancient Babylonians, Native Americans, Australian Aboriginals, Aztecs, Romans, Greeks, Chinese, Mayans, Inuits, and many others have stories that share similarities to the Bible.  Furthermore, evidence of fossil remains of marine life has been discovered at the tops of every major mountain range in the world, including the Himalayas. It may sound fantastical and amazing, but let’s face it, when you read about the works of God, there can be no other word but amazing! Okay, let’s get started!

Human history has demonstrated that patterns have a way of repeating, and oftentimes, rendering the same results. The great physicist Albert Einstein agreed with this sentiment. He was noted to have said, “insanity is making the same mistakes and expecting different results.” The Bible refers to this as foolishness, and the perpetrator, the fool. The Book of Proverbs describes the fool as one whose wayward heart turns continuously towards foolishness. Proverbs 26:11 says, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” In Isaiah 32:6, the prophet comments, “For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink.” 

Our story begins with the generations that followed Adam and Eve after God expelled them from the Garden of Eden. The curses placed upon Adam following the fall had begun to take root, beginning with the murder of their son Abel at the hand of his brother, Cain who sojourned far from his parents and the presence of the Lord to the land of Nod, east of Eden. To these generations were those who dwelt “in tents and have livestock” (Gen. 4:20), “those who play the lyre and pipe” (Gen. 4:21), and those who forged “all instruments of bronze and iron” (Gen. 4:22).  The sin of Cain carried through his progeny as murder and violence tainted their line. These generations did not call on the name of the Lord.

Show Notes

Opening Theme: Going For Gold

Transition Theme: Eternity

Conclusion Theme: Cinematic Inspiring Romance by Matt Steiner

Insights From An Elder - “For Him or Against Him” by Laine Wilder

Transcript of “Noah and the Great Flood” - by Daphne Collins

Transcript of “For Him or Against Him” - by Laine Wilder