For an unbeliever, the Flood described in Genesis stands out as a mysterious and incredible event like the six-day creation. It is presented as the greatest catastrophe the earth has ever witnessed. It wiped out the entire human population except those saved in a vessel called Noah's Ark. Though it is impossible to know the actual number of people at the time of the Flood, it is generally believed that millions of people were on the earth at that time. The earth was covered with immense and thick forest. The so-called wild and exotic animals such as the Dinosaurs, the Mammoths, the Mastodons etc had roamed the earth, but they all perished. The events of the Flood changed the landmarks, topography, climate, lifespan and size of man and animals, food supply etc to a very great extent. The account of the Flood is found in Genesis 7 and 8 Chapters. When we study the Genesis account with an open mind, we can understand that the Flood was universal. Genesis 7:19 says the waters rose above the mountains everywhere. In Genesis7: 24, we can see the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days. This great event can be dated to about 5000 years ago by biblical chronology.

A Universal Flood That Destroyed The Earth

Liberal bible scholars and other skeptics have considered the Flood nothing more than a flood in and around Mesopotamia. But the word of God reveals that it was a universal Flood. I would like to present a very interesting fact that atleast 67 cultures in the world from all continents and many islands have ancient Flood tradition. Some of them have marked similarities to the Flood account given in the Holy Bible. For example, Gilgamesh Epic. It is the Babylonian story of the Flood, depicted on clay tablets found at the ancient site of Ebla (2500-2300 B.C). This Babylonian epic poem is named after its hero, the Sumerian King Gilgamesh. It includes a story of the Flood that has striking parallels with the Biblical account. We can get more details of the Universal Flood in the book " The Deluge Story in stone" written by Byron Nelson. Nelson has tabulated the common features of the flood legends of many cultures and compared them with the Biblical Flood account. We can also see the Assyrian story of the flood in the epic of Atrahasis.

At this point, it is relevant to give a few more evidences supporting the occurrence of the Universal Flood. A very important evidence is the mass destruction of life and the worldwide distribution of fossils. Mass graveyards of animals such as dinosaurs, mammoths, elephants, horses and other creatures are found in different parts of the world. It is estimated that about five million mammoths are entombed in ice in Siberia and Alaska. Some of them have subtropical plants in their mouths and belly. It is believed that those animals were first drowned in water and later covered by snow and ice by sudden climatic change. Mass graves of dinosaurs and horses in Colorado and Utah, Sicilian hippopotamus beds, dinosaur beds of the Black Hills and Gobi desert, fossil graveyards of rhinos, camels, giant boars and other animals in Nebraska etc are a few other examples. It shows a morbid evidence of God's Judgement of earth by a catastrophic deluge in the days of Noah. Another solid evidence is the formation of Petrified Forest. Many petrified forests covered with lava are found in many parts of the world. Yellowstone National Park in USA has such forests. River systems and Watermarks can also be considered as another evidence of the Universal Flood. It is believed that the present topography and river systems of the earth are resulted by the topographical changes that occurred during and after the Flood when fountains of the deep burst forth and the windows of the heaven were opened (Genesis 7:11). Watermarks in old dried up lakes, old river terraces and ancient elevated shorelines found in different parts of the world testify to a great watery event,the Flood. The origin and age of civilizations, the age of fossils determined by Radiocarbon dating (a radiometric method used to determine the age of fossils and other carbonaceous materials, developed by an American scientist Willard F Libby) etc will also support the above view. Any person examining this subject without a biased mind will come to the conclusion that fossils are formed by sudden death and quick burial. They are not formed by slow gradual death and decay.This fact definitely indicate a catastrophism and not a uniformitarianism. The graveyards of fossils all over the world are the best living evidence of the biblical account of the universal Flood in the days of Noah.

The Purpose of God

The Flood described in the book of Genesis is an essential part of the Bible.Brainwashed by false theories, many Christians don't accept the account of universal Flood and of Noah's ark. According to Holy Bible, God had created a perfect landmass, the Good Earth. After ten generation spanning, about 2000 years, God destroyed the landmass by a universal Flood, why? Let us examine what was the great purpose of God behind it.

The word of God reminds us that He is the Creator, Sustainer and Possessor of the whole world. Our Lord is the sovereign Creator of matter, energy, space and time; Man is the pinnacle of all creations. In Genesis we can see that sin and corruption had followed Creation. In the first sin, the disobedient man is separated from God (Adam from God) and in the second sin man is separated from man (Cain from Abel). Then there is a series of sin. As time went on the ungodly men and 'ungodly sin' multiplied. To make the matters worse, intermarriage and cohabitation between sons of God and daughters of men had started and people of great size and strength (Giants or Nephilim) were originated. (Gen. 6:1-4 ).

"The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become 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, whom I have created from the face of the earth- men and animals and creatures that move along the ground and birds of the air- for I am grieved that I have made them" (Gen. 6:5-8 NIV).

Finally Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was selected not because he was a sinless man, but because he was obedient, just and blameless among the people of his time. The word of God says that Noah walked with God just like a little boy walks with his grand father.

So God said to Noah" I am going to put an end to all people.........I am surely going to destroy both men and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood(gopher wood), makes rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out"(Gen.6:13,14 NIV)

"Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks (Gen.6: 16 NIV)

When God decided to destroy the earth by Flood, He provided a way of escape, the ark for those who had faith to believe His words. The door was opened to all. The word of God says that only Noah and his family entered the ark and escaped from the wrath of God.

In the Olivet discourse while giving the signs of His second coming and of the end of the age our Lord reminds us " No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in the heaven nor the Son, but only the Father."As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the Flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, upto the day Noah entered the ark and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:36-39 NIV)

Our Sanctuary

Now we are living in an age very similar to Noah's age. The world is corrupt before God and it is filled with violence and all types of wickedness. God will judge this earth. The word of God clearly tells us that only those who enter the ark will be safe. The ark is none other than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Yes, He is our ark of salvation. He is our redeemer, refuge and the blessed hope. In John 10:7, we read that He is the door of the sheep.

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture."(John 10:9 NIV)

About 2000 years ago, our Lord paid the price for our salvation by dying at the cross shedding His last drop of Blood. Always He is calling everyone. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 NIV) Let us listen to His sweet and comforting words and obey.

Let us re-dedicate our lives to live and labour for our Lord. We don't know the day and hour the God is going to shut the door. Don't miss the opportunity like the foolish virgins in the parable of the ten virgins. Let us enter the ark of salvation through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.