Did God Really Say the Flood Was Global?

And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. (Genesis 6:17)

Today’s big question: did God really say the Flood was global?

Uniformitarianism is a dangerous philosophy (not to be confused with general uniformity of laws) that processes in the past were exactly the same as those in operation today. This thought that “the present is the key to the past” is an assumption that holds disbelief in God at its very core.

We have seen the devastating effects of a natural disaster such as the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, with the resulting rock layers and canyons formed in a very short period of time. Accepting the biblical account of a global flood is not an option for people who do not wish to accept the existence of God. Uniformitarian thinking has infiltrated the church today, causing many to ask the question: “Did God really say the Flood was global?”

At Answers in Genesis, we have a catchy phrase that we all use to explain what we would expect to see as a result of the flood of Noah’s day that covered the entire globe. If there really was a worldwide flood, what would the evidence be? “Billions of dead things, buried in rock layers, laid down by water, all over the earth.” This is exactly what we see.

So, if the Bible explains the world around us in terms of catastrophe, and if we can observe the very same effects from present time lower-scale catastrophes, then why should any believer doubt the Word of God when it comes to the global flood? After all, a global flood can explain the vast majority of fossils and rock layers around the world, and would also eliminate the need for cramming millions of years into the days of the creation week.

To adopt the belief in millions of years, many Christians have placed uniformitarian philosophy into Scripture to account for their interpretation of the rock layers. Because of this compromise, they have reinterpreted the Flood account as being merely a local event. Therefore, they must also believe God didn’t really mean that the mountains were covered, that everything that lives and breathes on the earth died, and that He wouldn’t flood the whole world ever again.

The Genesis 3 attack seeks to cause a person to doubt God’s Word. The Bible tells us of the glory of Christ, His birth, death, Resurrection, ascension, and exaltation to the right hand of the Father. If you write those off, then you discard man’s only hope of salvation.

Today’s big idea: acceptance of the Genesis 3 attack requires a biblical rewrite and gospel uncertainty.

What to pray: ask the Lord to protect you from the subtle Genesis 3 attack on His Word.