Monday, February 19: Genesis 9:8-17

Monday, February 19: Genesis 9:8-17

When I see a rainbow, I always flash back to my childhood and learning the story of Noah and the Ark. Is it a literal passage that is completely true? I think not; however, many ancient civilizations have stories of great floods that destroyed civilizations, and there is archaeological evidence in various areas of the world for devastation caused by floods. A quandary, where is the truth?

Does it really matter? If this passage is literal, it is a wonderful thing to have a deal with the almighty creator; if it is a story to teach us that God has made promises to mankind, it is still a wonderful thing.

Devastation by flooding is something we are familiar with; Cincinnati’s 1937 flood comes to mind, as do the floods caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. As bad as these were, they don’t compare with the flood described in Genesis.

It is likely there was a disastrous flood in the area we now call the Middle East, and there were probably few survivors. These survivors no doubt questioned why God allowed such a thing to happen and were comforted by this story, true or not.

God worked through people back then, as He does now.

Carroll Mayhugh