Evolution vs. Creation PART 5 of 12
A story about eight humans and two of every kind of animal in one giant boat during a global flood? Sounds to most like a fairy tale.
As children, most of us saw renderings of Noah’s Ark as a little banana-shaped boat, with giraffe’s necks looping comically out the windows. Fluffy clouds with a cute rainbow always seemed to complete the picture. Evolutionists especially discount the story.
But the Bible seems to describe it as a real event, not an allegory or a parable. This has caused a lot of controversy, to say the least. Even more troubling for Christians who doubt the veracity of the Scriptures, is that Jesus Himself quoted it as fact:
“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, up to 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 24:37-39.
So, why not just believe it as written?
There are many arguments that are espoused against the story.
The boat was too big. In order to hold the animals, it would have to be very large. The size of the boat itself is given in Scripture (Gen. 6:15), and would measure at least 450 feet long and about 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. While this is the proportion of modern cargo ships, it would be an enormous wooden ship, at a length longer than a football field. However, there is no reason it could not have been built.
The animals would not fit. Actually, since the Bible only requires “kinds” (Gen. 20) there would be far fewer animals needed than most expect at two of all and seven of some. Probably about 15,000 animals total, and if they were juveniles or even eggs, they would be smaller. This would help out, especially on the dinosaurs that were called to the Ark.
There could not have been dinosaurs on the ark! Well, “behemoth” in Job 40, written after the flood, is what most of us think as long-necked dinosaur. His ancestors had to survive the flood, where most did not. Bones of dinosaurs are usually found fossilized in Flood sediment. Some had to survive. Juveniles of dinosaurs are small, and can breed in the future.
Animals won’t just come in to a ship. We still see inexplicable homing instincts and migration patterns even in modern animals. It is consistent with a supernatural God who controls the waves to guide the animals.
Eight people could not feed the animals. The most common answer to this argument (and the related amount of waste) is hibernation. This is practiced in many species even now. Whether God caused it, or it was just the normal response to the darkness of a moving ship, this seems quite plausible. Also, Noah was told to build rooms (“qen”—literally in Hebrew “nests”) in Genesis 6:14 seems to tell us they were nesting.
If they slept, who was the food for? Remember that there were seven of each clean kind. Surely, some of those produced dairy products, and possibly meat, for the humans. The clean animals had to eat something. Further, feed hoppers are used on farms even now for ease of animal feeding.
Much more can be said, but the message of the Ark is really the message of the cross: the judgment of God comes, but the mercy of God made a way for safety. Once sealed in the Ark, through tossed to and fro, they were safe. In Christ, regardless of the storm-tossed seas of life, the Bible assures us that we are sealed in Him.
All prior articles in this series can be found by searching my blog at DavidBPeel.Blogspot.com.
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