371 Days

Once we accept the historical, literal Adam and Eve, and thus the literal Fall, we then understand (or we should) understand our need for a Savior. We should be preachers of righteousness, as Peter described Noah (2 Peter 2:5), warning those around us of the coming judgment on this world by our holy and just God. But back to Noah, another foundation belief is that of a global flood described in Genesis 6 – 8. “Science” today starts with the presupposition that the earth is billions of years old (4.3B, I have read recently). But even a cursory look at flood geology overwhelmingly supports the Biblical depiction of events.

Yet I will not bore you with geology and tectonic plate theories here. I will, however, bore you with a good chronology of the Flood account I came across recently in a book by Dr. Terry Mortenson and Dr. Thane Ury, Coming to Grips with Genesis. When we believe and accept God’s Word as true and authoritative, it should only enhance our reading of passages that we might otherwise not give much time to. I have left out the days of Noah in this, but reading through these passages, we are told which year of Noah, which month, and which day, giving great accuracy to the 371-day account.

Gen. 7:11 Rising waters, the beginning of rain, and opening of the water sources beneath the ground and sea floor
Gen. 7:12,17 40 Days, the rising waters cause the ark to float
Gen. 7:24 150 Days, continually rising waters, due to rain and water sources, all land creatures outside the ark die
Gen. 8:4 Receding waters, waters begin to subside, ark is grounded (keep in mind, an ark of that size would have considerable displacement, and could rest on Ararat many feet below the water surface, even before any land being visible.
Gen. 8:5 74 Days since ark grounded, mountaintops appear
Gen. 8:6 40 days, Noah opens the hatch
Gen. 8:7 Raven released
Gen. 8:8 7 Days (?), Dove released
Gen. 8:10 7 Days, Dove released and returns with olive leaf
Gen. 8:12 7 Days, Dove released, does not return
Gen. 8:13 90 Days since mountaintops appeared, ground surface free of excess water
Gen. 8:14 21 Days now since water sources were stopped

OK, but SO WHAT??? Yeah, good question.

Geology and other observational science support the Flood being real. I believe strongly in strengthening our churches to not give way to the literal and historical accounts of the Bible, but rather resting on phrases such as “it’s all about the Gospel”. True, though, our lives are about the Gospel, which was given to us through the Word and in the Word, which also describes what we see today, both in nature and in sin and corruption. Christ was the answer to Noah’s family, by faith they entered the ark. The cross is the answer today. By faith we trust in Christ’s atoning death to pay our sin penalty.

If we allow the church to undermine God’s authority in Genesis, then the Gospel is not far behind. I expect a lost world to deny God. But Christians?? Already, many churches, Christians, explain away a literal Hell, for just one recent example (Love Wins).

The Flood was real. So was Christ’s death and resurrection. Both are literal and historical accounts. God’s grace provided then and provides now for a sure way of escape from His wrath. Let’s tell someone today.