474 Scripture & Science 13: Noah’s Flood (Will Barlow)

Having looked at the basics of earth science last time, we are now ready to consider Noah's Flood. As always you'll learn the major options for interpreting this biblical event. Some Christians understand the flood to have been a local event, largely limited to the region of Mesopotamia. Others hold to the notion that this flood covered the entire planet, rising above even the highest mountains. No matter which position you take, you'll have to answer key biblical and scientific questions. 

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0xPsa6WrPE&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV1Etu1jXO3jbUQ6CFI-2k6W&index=13&t=4s

See below for notes.

—— Links ——

• We are doing follow-up discussions to these episodes on YouTube. Check them out!
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• Check out Barlow’s previous podcast episodes
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—— Notes ——

Noah’s Flood

• Considerations• Global or local?• Evidence for Noah’s Flood• Implications of Noah’s Flood

Considerations

• Rain before the flood?• Plate tectonics and evolution• Scope and evolution• How big was the ark?

Rain before Noah’s flood?

Many have taught that, before Noah’s flood, there was no rain:

Genesis 2:5-6   When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground--

Scholar Mark Futato suggests that “mist” should be translated as “rain.”

• In the context, there are two “problems”

• No rain• No man to till the ground

• Thus, “mist” could equal “rain”

Reasons why “mist” could be better:

• If you hold late tectonic shift, mist would be required (“land” singular in Genesis 1:10)• The sign of the rainbow — the rainbow is only physically possible with rain• Possibly rain kicked off the modern water cycle - this answers the objection “where did the water go?”

Plate Tectonics and evolution

What we believe about plate tectonics impacts our view on