Topical Bible: The Deluge: Called The: Flood

◄ The Deluge: Called The: Flood ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Deluge, commonly referred to as "The Flood," is a pivotal event described in the Book of Genesis, chapters 6 through 9, in the Holy Bible. This cataclysmic event is characterized by God's judgment upon a world that had become exceedingly wicked and corrupt. The narrative of the Flood serves as both a demonstration of divine justice and mercy, as well as a foreshadowing of future judgment and salvation.

Biblical Account

The account of the Flood begins with God's observation of humanity's pervasive wickedness. Genesis 6:5-6 states, "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart." In response to this moral decay, God decides to cleanse the earth through a great flood, sparing only Noah, a righteous man, and his family.

Noah and the Ark

Noah is described as "a righteous man, blameless in his generation" (Genesis 6:9). God commands Noah to build an ark, a large vessel designed to preserve human and animal life. The dimensions and specifications of the ark are detailed in Genesis 6:14-16, emphasizing its capacity to withstand the deluge. Noah's obedience to God's instructions is highlighted in Genesis 6:22 : "So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him."

The Flood Event

The onset of the Flood is marked by the opening of "the springs of the great deep" and the "floodgates of the heavens" (Genesis 7:11). Rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, covering even the highest mountains. Genesis 7:23 records the extent of the destruction: "Every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained."

Covenant and Promise

After the waters receded, Noah and his family emerged from the ark, and Noah built an altar to the LORD, offering sacrifices of thanksgiving. In response, God established a covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy all life with a flood. The sign of this covenant is the rainbow, as stated in Genesis 9:13 : "I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth."

Theological Significance

The Flood narrative underscores themes of judgment, redemption, and covenant. It illustrates the seriousness of sin and the righteousness of divine judgment, while also highlighting God's grace in providing a means of salvation through Noah. The apostle Peter references the Flood in 1 Peter 3:20-21 , drawing a parallel between the waters of the Flood and the waters of baptism, symbolizing salvation through Christ.

Historical and Cultural Context

The account of the Flood is not unique to the Bible; similar flood narratives appear in various ancient cultures, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. However, the biblical account is distinct in its theological emphasis on monotheism and covenantal relationship between God and humanity.

Legacy and Influence

The Flood has had a profound impact on Judeo-Christian thought, serving as a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and the moral order of the universe. It has inspired countless works of art, literature, and theology, and continues to be a subject of study and reflection within the Christian tradition.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 9:28
And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Accurate Account of the Deluge.
... On this account he was fitly called Deucalion ... And Moses showed that the flood lasted
forty days and forty nights ... This, then, is in sum the history of the deluge. ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xix accurate account of the.htm

Of Methuselah's Age, which Seems to Extend Fourteen Years Beyond ...
... souls in the ark escaped destruction by the flood, and of ... before he begat the son
whom he called Lamech, lived ... age of Noah at the date of the deluge, 600 years ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 11 of methuselahs age which.htm

Concerning the Flood; and after what Manner Noah was Saved in an ...
... he is describing the circumstances of the flood, he goes ... a great mountain in Armenia,
over Minyas, called Baris, upon ... fled at the time of the Deluge were saved ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 3 concerning the flood.htm

The Passage Explained; the Queens, the Holy Souls Before the ...
... are those royal souls before the deluge, who became ... The concubines [2692] those after
the flood, namely, those ... Word has with deep perception called the souls ...
/.../chapter iv the passage explained the.htm

Concerning the Posterity of Adam, and the Ten Generations from Him ...
... Adam, And The Ten Generations From Him To The Deluge. ... family to come together to
it; and called that city ... of brick should be destroyed by the flood, the pillar ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 2 concerning the posterity.htm

That the Years in those Ancient Times were of the Same Length as ...
... Then afterwards, at the end of the flood, it is thus written ... and a thirtieth part
of three days was then called a day, then that great deluge, which is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 14 that the years in.htm

That the Original Language in Use among Men was that which was ...
... from the race,"for even before the deluge there was ... were found worthy of destruction
by the flood,"so when ... the city of the godless was called Confusion or ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 11 that the original language.htm

Book 1 Footnotes:
... while the ark was preparing] till the deluge; which I ... built, as the first city or
town after the flood. ... was related by tradition to have been called Seron, or ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 1 footnotes .htm

Of Living Creatures, of Man; Prometheus, Deucalion, the Parc??.
... dust of the ground, from which he was called man, [264 ... It is agreed by all that the
deluge took place for ... If, therefore, the flood took place for the purpose of ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xi of living creatures of.htm

Concerning the Tower of Babylon, and the Confusion of Tongues.
... Japhet, and Ham, born one hundred years before the Deluge. ... the lower grounds on account
of the flood, and so ... plain in which they first dwelt was called Shinar. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 concerning the tower.htm