Getting my tongue out of my cheek after writing this blog's title, I'm going to try and tell you about the Great Flood and the best guy in the world...at that time. His name was Noah, and although he has been dead for centuries, he was a great guy, but human to the core. The story is an allegory, in my opinion, although there truly was a great flood very early in the Earth's existence. This story of this flood is the Bible's, written down in Genesis 6.
"The Lord saw how great man's wickedness was on the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil--all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said "I will wipe mankind from the face of the earth, and the animals, grieved, that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."
Now, Noah was a great guy, good in the sight of God, and blameless among the people. Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japeth, walked with God, which pleased God. When God spoke to Noah and told him what he wanted to do--to start over, by putting an end to those now on earth, except for Noah, his family, and a male and female of each animal species then alive. God told Noah exactly how to build an ark which was to save them from a violent and terrible flood. Each measurement was to be perfectly right. And God also said, "Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, your wife and your sons and their wives. You must also bring into the ark two of every kind of bird, animal, and creature that moves along the ground. Take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them. And Noah did all that was asked of him."
Imagine! "And Noah did all that God asked him to do and was very old when the floodwaters came. All the springs of the earth and the floodgates of heaven opened up. Rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights They had every animal and its mate aboard and all creatures with the breath of life entered the ark. The flood kept coming and the ark floated, until the high mountains were covered too over a depth of at least 20 feet. Everything left on earth died. The water flooded the earth for 150 days."
Yes, I am thinking and wondering if anyone got a bit cranky on board that ark? Or how holy was Noah? His wife? And the two other women aboard? Most women get cranky on board a boat when they can't get off even to hunt for sea shells! And for 150 days! Even if they were angelic women!
"So God remembered Noah and all those with him and the waters began to recede as a wind swept over the earth. The springs and floodgates closed and the rain stopped. At the end of the 17th day of the 10th month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat and the waters continued to recede."
After each daytime rainstorm, what is the first thing you might look for? Yes, a rainbow! God's covenant! God said, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done."
But the people, even the best people, once again, disappointed God. Even Noah! Noah became drunk and lay uncovered, which was against the law at the time. His son, Ham, went inside his father's tent and saw his father's nakedness. With much laughter, he told his brothers, Japeth and Shem. The two left Ham, backed into their father's room, and with their eyes averted, covered his torso , turned and left without witnessing their father's shame.
Perhaps Noah, by getting drunk, made a poor example of Godliness for his sons. The possibility of evil is shown by Noah's mistake rather than being evil itself. Ham's mocking attitude revealed a lack of respect for his father and for God. I trust each of them asked forgiveness of God and family.
No person is perfect, even Noah! God still loved him and trusted him in that great task God wanted done--the flooding of the earth. God promised to never flood the earth again--and left the rainbow as a lasting covenant for all! We do sin, we humans, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not, but God loves us in spite of ourselves. How can we not love Him, adore Him and worship Him?
I love God...and the rainbows I've seen, and needed to see, throughout my lifetime.
Jo INMN
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