A GLOBAL FLOOD
Was there a global flood which destroyed all of humanity except for one family? Would it have to be the case, in order, to prove the existence of God? It is not required in my mind. I have felt God’s love since I was a child. All children feel God’s love. Children are loving like their God. Jesus even taught that the the kingdom of Heaven belonged to children and to those like children during His earthly ministry. (Matthew 19:13-15)
According to historians, many ancient peoples told flood stories. Further, there are striking similarities between the Gilgamesh Epic from ancient Ur (Abraham’s homeland) and the Genesis account. Yet, there are multiple gods in the Gilgamesh story. Despite these stories, geologists have not found evidence of a global flood. However, let us analyze the Biblical story about the flood account and consider the parts of it with discernment.
THE REASON EXPLAINED IN GENESIS
The explanation in Genesis 6:1-5 and the writings found in the Book of Enoch claim that “sons of God” came to the earth to marry women, producing evil offspring. Obviously, these must have been fallen angels. However, the Christian religion does not recognize angels as “sons of God.” Angels are created beings. Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, according to Christian teaching. I firmly believe that God never allowed fallen angels (which are spiritual beings) to mate with women.
According to Genesis, these marriages had resulted in women producing Nephilim (giants). This caused a wickedness in mankind which led to a persecution of regular men. So, the flood was required, in order, to rid the world of those evil giants.
GIANTS CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM FOR THE ISRAELITES
Yet, the problem seems to persist in the Old Testament passage Numbers 13:33. For the Israelites, the giants or Nephilim (which make regular men look like grasshoppers) are an enemy army in the land of Canaan. Do people really believe that fallen angels are fathering humans on earth? Or, was this just a way of vilifying the enemy?
Again, I firmly believe that our loving God never allowed fallen angels to marry women. Further, fallen angels cannot create. This is why they attack what God has created by sometimes attempting to possess humans. It takes love to create. (Mammals require the nurture and love of a parent, in order, to survive.) God’s enemies are filled with hate from turning away from God.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANGELS AND PEOPLE
Also, consider the teaching of Christ about the difference between people and angels. According to Matthew 22:30 and Mark 12:25, Christ made it clear that there would not be marriage in the afterlife. People would be like angels, neither marrying nor given in marriage. In contrast, the flood story can weaken our faith in God and in what He would allow.
In our lack of knowledge about God, the plan of family has been the way which God has chosen to reveal Himself. People throughout history have practiced marriage all throughout the world’s cultures (Sociology 101). On a global scale, humans have known to commit to caring for their young. Until modern times, all cultures passed down this knowledge to their children.
What better way did God have to drive the point home to humanity that we are here because of love? If we create our own children from love, then we understand that humanity was created by and for love. Also, Christ taught us to pray, referring to God as “Our Father.” This is the relationship which God wants for us. He also wants us to “hallow” His name. This is why it matters what is taught about God.
THE FLOOD STORY SETS UP ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AGENDAS
The flood story has other problems, also. The Genesis flood story sets up an economic agenda and a political agenda which both continue to influence the world to this day. However, God loves the Jewish people, as He does all people. Although I descend primarily from European Christians, I also have some Jewish heritage in my ancestry. Yet, I am sharing this understanding about the flood story with faith that God has revealed this to me.
After the flood, the story goes that Noah got drunk. His son Ham noticed that Noah was both naked and drunk. Ham told his brothers. His brothers backed into Noah’s tent and covered their dad with a garment. When Noah sobered up on the following morning, he cursed Canaan, Ham’s son, asking God to make him a servant of servants (Genesis 9:20-27).
THE FLOOD STORY WAS USED TO JUSTIFY SLAVERY
How often in history has this story been used to justify slavery? Also, this is an example of believing that God would punish a child for what a parent had done. Have humans ever done this within their own families? Has any justice system on earth ever punished a child for his parent’s crime? God is fully capable of higher conduct than humanity. After all, God is the source of all true love.
FEW WILL OWN PROPERTIES
However, this is not all of the trouble with the story. Noah then asked God to bless Shem and to enlarge Japheth (by numerous descendants) and to let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Contemplate the economic system laid out in this prayer. Few will own properties, the descendants of Shem (Abraham’s ancestor). The descendants of Japheth will rent or have mortgages. And, descendants of Canaan will be perpetual slaves.
You may believe that all of this happened, but do you really believe that God would answer this prayer? Jesus taught that we should love our enemies and that we should pray for them (Matthew 5:44). He also taught us to forgive our enemies, in order, to be forgiven (Matthew 5:7; 6:12).
THE LAND OF CANAAN WAS OVERTAKEN BY THE ISRAELITES
The political agenda laid out in this story is the justification for taking the land of Canaan. Canaan and his descendants were only to be servants, not land owners, from the time of this prayer. Therefore, the descendants of Shem were fully justified in overthrowing or enslaving Canaanites.
The “land of Canaan” just happened to be a prime piece of real estate which was located on the Mediterranean. The Phoenicians also lived in this region. They built an impressive trade empire in ancient times by taking advantage of this central, coastal region of the ancient world.
THE JEWS INTERMARRIED WITH THE CANAANITES
However, throughout generations of Jewish life in the region, the Jewish people intermarried with the Canaanite people. So, the Jewish people are actually historically tied to the land through their blood line. Our loving God even sent His Son to the Jewish people, in order, to teach them about God’s merciful nature.
When Christ was rejected by a small number of political Jews, God allowed Him to be crucified. Christ laid down His life, and then He resurrected. This rejection of God became the means of salvation from God for the Jewish people and for the people of the world. Christ’s Jewish apostles were given a mission to take this good news throughout the world. Yet, they were not instructed to enslave nor to ethnically cleanse those who refused.
Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights for the Jewish people. Of course, the flood story claimed that God had destroyed the world in forty days by flooding it. Through the ministry of John the Baptist, God instituted the sacrament of baptism for the followers of Christ. Water baptism symbolizes the washing away of our sins, yet it also represents an acceptance of earthly death. Also, Christ remained on earth for forty days after His resurrection.
IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP TO THE TRUE LOVE OF GOD
Yet, Christ referred to this story in His earthly ministry because He addressed what the Jewish people believed. The Son of God became a Jew because He loves the Jewish people despite this story. However, it is time to wake up to the true love of God and to quit desiring judgments for others.
Many people have been deceived about God by this story. Thankfully, He is not like Noah’s prayer has portrayed Him. God gives freedom to all people. We are not supposed to be slaves. We are supposed to be free, evolved children of God. Further, we are called to forgive others, so we can receive forgiveness.
The ancient Hebrew people believed that it was fully acceptable to own slaves. Yet, throughout their history they were occupied or were enslaved multiple times. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, also experienced this enslavement while Israel was occupied by Rome. Christ willingly died a slave’s death at the insistence of a few political Jews. Yet, God loves. Christ asked, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” (Luke 23:24) even as He was being crucified.
HALLOWING THE NAME OF GOD
So, am I being overly critical about the flood account? No, I am hallowing the name of God. He wants us to believe in His goodness. Also, He wants women to know that they were created from His love. Women were not created as just an afterthought to be companions to men. Furthermore, God does not want us to believe that women caused the fall of man (the Adam and Eve Story) and the fall of angels (the Flood Story), as well.
Also, our Lord wants us to accept earthly death as a blessing. Our passage from this life is intended to be an entrance into paradise with our God. (Luke 23:39-43) Heaven is not a shadowy, dark underworld like the Greek’s Hades, the Roman’s Pluto, or the Hebrew’s Sheol. If your creation stories are vilifying death, then they are vilifying the creator of death.
DEATH WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE FIRST HUMANS
According to the fossil record, death was present before the first humans came into being. Furthermore, many ancient people throughout the world viewed death as a passage from this life to the next. This was why ancient people practiced religions. They believed in an afterlife. Contrary to the Adam and Eve story, death was never intended to be perceived as a punishment.
Our God created this temporary life with good intentions. He wishes to save us, not to destroy us. God looks at death from the other side. When we die, we are intended to be born into eternal life. However, love cannot be forced. Because God’s nature is loving, He has given us a free will. Thus, we must choose love rather than reject God’s merciful love.
Even so, Jesus showed us that God also cares about our sorrows when our loved ones die on earth. Christ mourned with those who were experiencing the death or near death of a loved one. He healed some (Luke 7:1-10) and resurrected others (Luke 7:11-17) according to the gospels. This shows us that earthly death can happen prematurely. Also, Jesus taught, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4) because there is a life to come.
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