God
Did God know mankind was going to sin?
God used the flood to cleanse the earth and start over, right? But it didn’t really work. The state of mankind after the flood was not really any better. So why did God even do it? It seems as if God failed in His attempt. If he knew that the Flood wasn’t going to work, why did He even bother? And why did He wait so long to send Jesus to the earth?
By Papa B, October 26, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
Hi Garrett, Great Questions. I’ve learned that the question (and questioning) is perhaps more important than the answer(s). Knowing where to find the answers is critical. Being certain that the answers are correct is also essential.
Don’t get bogged down in a study of “epistemology” (how do we know what we know). We must live and operate in this world and some things are simply more important than others.
Keep on “asking” and seeking Truth!!! I know you will.
To God Be The Glory
By Barry Loon, October 26, 2007 @ 7:52 pm
How do you know it didn’t work? God’s goal was accomplished-He cleansed the earth. “well look at it today, it’s pretty dirty” you say. Yes it is & so are we. You take a bath, I hope at least weekly, but you get dirty again, so you bathe again. The reason the earth seems so dirty is people stop taking their bath with Him. You stop bathing in Him & you are going to be like those you are writing about. The 2nd question is next!
By Brooke, October 26, 2007 @ 8:15 pm
Hi Garrett,
How are you doing? Looks like you’ve been really having a nice time up in Canada. Hope you don’t mind Holly and I stopping by your blog…
Anyway, I felt compelled to comment because I thought you asked a great question. Of course I’m no expert, but in studying Genesis, I do think one of God’s reasons for sending the flood was to prove in later years, like now, that He is God and that the Bible is true.
The Bible states that the flood was world-wide. Just proving that the statement is true is one of the ways to prove that indeed, the Bible is truly the God-inspired Word of God. I mean just think of it: world-wide! That’s a lot of ground for water to cover….
Some of the facts that the flood was world-wide are these:
1) One-hundred and twenty years Noah worked on the ark would be dumb if the flood was not world-wide, or he could have escaped to nearer land from the flood if it wasn’t.
2) Because of the distribution of man upon the earth at the time (see Gen. 4:16)
3) God would have lied in His promises to us, because there has been floods ever since
Now, my favorite facts that have been discovered that are also very exciting:
4) Because of the marine fossils that have been found on the top of the highest mountains.
Willmington’s Guide to the Bible on page 28 states:
“Marie fossils have been found atop mountains. Scientists of the nineteenth century were dismayed to find that, as high as they climbed, the rocks yielded skeletons of marine animals, ocean fish, and shells of mollusks. Thus, in ancient day, flood waters streamed over Mount Everest and all other mountains. A whale’s skeleton was once found on the top of Mount Sanhorn on the Artic Coast, and other similar skeletons a mile high on California’s coastal range.”
5) Because of the many fossil “fish beds” that exist all over the world.
The Science Magazine, January 9, 1959 states:
“More than a billion fish averaging 6 to 8 inches in length died on 4 square miles of bay bottom off the California Coast line”
Ivan Velikovsky wrote:
“When a fish dies its body floats on the surface or sinks to the bottom and is devoured rather quickly, actually in a matter of hours, by other fish. However, the fossil fish found in sedimentary rocks is very often preserved with all its bones intact. Entire shoals of fish over large areas, numbering billions of specimens, are found in a state of agony, but with no marks of a scavenger’s attack.” (Earth in Upheaval, p. 222)
6) Because of the worldwide animal fossil graveyards. Robert Broom, South African paleontologists, estimated 800 billion skeletons of vertebrate animals exist in the Karroo formation alone. To this can be added the tens of thousands of fossils of all kinds found in the LaBrea tar pits in Los Angeles, California.
7) Evidence of water bodies present in desert areas
Evidence of recent drastic rise in the sea level.
(This was taken from Willmington’s Guide To the Bible by Willmington himself)
There’s others to list, but I don’t think I will type them because this post is too long already!!
I don’t know about you, but I find these quite amazing, and to quickly sum this up: I really do think one of God’s purpose (besides getting rid of all the evil people..) was to prove, that He is God and His Word is truth. These amazing evidences that can only be explained by a worldwide flood really do prove in themselves that the Bible is true.
Sorry this is so long!
God bless.
By Barry Loon, October 26, 2007 @ 8:16 pm
A true father never gives up on his son(s). He will keep giving & forgiving until the son comes home. It took so long because He was waiting on us, & still is. He will give his life for his children, a true father. Oh how our Father loves us Garrett. He weeps for us, He prays for us, He tries to speak to us-if only we will listen, He desires us, our hearts, our praise, our joys, our hurts, our loneliness, our questions, our doubts & fears. And when WE fail at being clean, He is there waiting with open arms to forgive us-to bathe us. And even though WE often break His heart, He gives to us the greatest prize any father could ever give-He gave His son-the one a father loves so much-He gave Him for you & me with tears of pain & of joy. A daddy giving his son to save someone else who doesn’t deserve it- that’s agony. I’m sure there are more reasons why He waited but that one stuck!
By Garrett, October 28, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
Thank you, Papa, Brooke, and Dad for the comments.
Brooke, what you say is interesting and has some interesting implications. You are saying God knew that people would question the truth of the Bible in our modern times, and sent the Flood as a means for offering proof to us.
Dad, I am hearing from you that God didn’t fail. Humans failed yet again at their second chance after the Flood. This still doesn’t get around the issue that if God knew they would fail why didn’t he send Jesus as the once and for all pardon instead of the Flood.
Perhaps God had a larger plan that included the apparent failure (to me) of the Flood. Brooke’s idea would fit nicely into this.
By Papa B, October 28, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
Looking forward to discussing this together soon, with our Bibles open. Keep asking questions and keep searching for the answers in His Word. All of the answers to your questions are there.
A few of the concepts to consider seriously include: the nature of the Creator, the uniqueness of man, free will, and such.
Difficult questions are just that, and don’t have simple answers. Keep asking, studying (in the right places), and praying.
On the other hand, God has made the Bible easy enough for a baby to be safe, yet deep enough for an elephant to drown.
By Holly, October 28, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
I think now would be a better time to send a world-wide flood….there’s more evil people than ever!
But of course…think about how big the “arc” would have to be for all the republicans….I mean good-people!