And the Lord said: “My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he is flesh, yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” And God was sorry that he had created man.
And the Lord said: “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth from me that I have made them.”
Deducing from the above narration is a situation where the agent has failed to meet the principal’s expectations. One author once said, the purpose for man’s living is two-fold, namely to worship God and serve fellow man. When man made in the image of God fails to uphold these two attributes, he becomes irrelevant to God’s purposes and intentions
The earth that came from God’s hands after six days of creation was a splendid carpet of green, covered by the blue sky. The hills were crowned with majestic trees supporting the fruit laden branches of the vine. The vast garden-like plains were clothed with verdure and sweet with fragrance of a myriad flowers. The fruits of the earth were in great variety and almost without limit. The trees far surpassed in size beating and perfectly proportional, now to be found, their wood was of fine grain and hard substance, closely resembling stone and hardly less enduring. Gold, silver and precious stones existed in abundance.
The human race yet retained much of its early vigour. But a few generations had passed since Adam had access to the tree which was to prolong life and man’s existence was still measured in centuries. Had that long lived people with their rare power to plan and execute, devoted themselves to the service of God, they would have made their creator’s name a praise on earth, thereby responding to the purpose for which God created them for. Patriarchs and Prophets.
When this gem of beauty got corrupt of man’s self-centredness, ego and self-exaltation, God had no choice but to destroy what he once pronounced as very good.
Before the destruction of the planet earth, a man by the name Noah was found to be upright before God and was instructed to warn the antediluvians of he coming flood. Noah had to double up preaching with the building of the ark. It did not make sense to talk of a flood when hitherto it had not rained. The earth was watered by moisture and fog. It had never rained since creation.
What a task for Noah? For 120 years he preached and built the Ark. Unexpectedly, Noah went into the Ark. Hordes of animals of every description thronged into the Ark. Eventually the Ark door was closed. For seven days after the door was closed all seemed normal. On the eighth day an unusual phenomenon appeared — dark clouds came in quick succession coupled with thunder and heavy rain drops. Instantly water levels surged, man felt insecure. Some tried in vain to seek entry into the Ark , but it was late. Man and animal sought refuge in vain. Conscience admitted that there was God who rules in heaven and earth. Some clung to the sailing Ark until they were swept away by the surging waters, or their hold was broken by collision with rocks and trees. The massive Ark trembled in every fibre as it was beaten by merciless wind and flung from billow to billow. Animals cried for dear lives. In spite of all this, the ark continued with its ride to safety.
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Angels excelling in power preserved the ark from disintegrating. Beasts in vain rushed to man for protection. Attempts to ride powerful animals failed slowly, yet surely tall trees and mountains submerged.
Fountains of the great deep broke loose, the windows of heaven were opened. Water poured from the clouds in mighty cataracts. Rivers broke loose thereby over flowing the plains and valley. Jets of water burst from the earth with indescribable force, throwing massive rocks hundreds of feet into the air and those in falling buried themselves deep in the ground.
Does this explain the great depressions, the abysses, hills and mountains pitched in otherwise plain savannas, hanging rocks, the rugged features, seemingly in a disorderly format?
Indeed this is not the perfect earth which God and creation called very good. Geology comes in hands to affirm this once upon a time destructive upheaval.
When the surface broke loose, water from above colliding with water from beneath. Boiling lava below the surface when it came into contact with water exploded sending rocks in disarray to every direction. The rock pieces that flew and landed together formed hills and mountains. Other rocks were indiscriminately landed on other rocks in a breath taking manner, yet they have capriciously maintained their balance over the years.
God had now to deal with decomposing animal, human and vegetation debris. When the earth was in revision, wide and deep canyons were formed. Swiftly, all the debris was water driven into these great dykes and buried.
It is these deposits that now form the mineral deposits, the likes of coal, ethanol to name a few. The precious minerals that were easily accessible also got buried beyond man’s reach. Targeted first for destruction was everything that was man made. Their gorgeous buildings, beautiful gardens and groves where idol worship took place were destroyed by lighting. This was a clear indication that idolatry had brought down God’s fiercest angel. Satan feared for his life.
Sins that invited God’s vengeance in Noah’s days were eating, drinking and giving in marriage. They knew not until the flood swept them away. So shall it be during the last days. Matt 24:38, 39. While there is nothing in what the antediluvians were doing, it was the excessiveness with which they did it and the banishing of God from their minds. God’s gifts were adored above the giver. Research shows that more people today die because of bad eating habits and behaviours, than all diseases combined. Men are living for pleasure. Appetite is indulged without restraint. Cravings benumb the moral and spiritual powers paving way for indulgence of the lower passions. Man has become a slave to lust.
Extravagance is the in thing. Integrity is sacrificed at the altar of luxury and display. During the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, a member of a gang of four youngsters stabbed a pleading man to death in broad day light. Instead of saving the poor soul, reporters were taking photographs of manslaughter, making good filming stuff.
Noah’s day philosophers argued that it was an impossibility for God to destroy earth with a flood. Equally today, it is argued that the laws of nature are against the foretold destruction of the earth by fire. God is the maker and controller of natural and other laws. In the circumstances, therefore, all laws are subject to his command. There is nothing impossible with God.
Geological discoveries squarely fit into the flood story. The great upheaval opened up dykes and canyons. In the process, rock flew into every direction forming hills and mountains. In sanitising the face of the earth, God buried all debris into the debts. In the process, the precious mineral which hitherto were easily accessible were buried in the deep, making it difficult for man to easily reach out to them. Huge deposits of minerals is clear evidence of God’s act of cleaning the post-flood rottenness.
lMoses Tsimukeni Mahlangu writes in his own capacity and can be reached on [email protected] for comments.
