F. But God remembered Noah, 8:1.The story of the flood has, unfortunately, not occupied the attention of preachers as much as it should. It is almost as if it is an episode of biblical history fit only for children in Sunday Schools. Or creationists who insist on finding evidence in it to explain (or explain away) the fossils in the rocks. This we hope is not also the reason why, when the flood enters into Christian consciousness at all it is usually to ask whether the flood was worldwide in its extent and what are the empirical evidences for it, i.e., unbelief.
Our main concern here in this commentary is exegesis and exposition (Click here for suggestions about the evidences for the flood and the apologetical moves Christian thinkers have proposed). In doing so, our first responsibility is to notice how the story is told. Notice that the narrative about the flood is set within the specific context of Noah's life and not the other way around. The preceding chapter (click here to see the text) listed the genealogy from Adam to Noah, following a prescibed formula: When A had lived x years he became the father of B. After he became the father of B, A lived y years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether A lived z [= x + y] years, and then he died. In ending that genealogical list, however, Noah has only half of the formula applied to him: "After Noah had lived 500 years, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth" (5:32). The second half of that formula is, nonetheless, not missing, but is found at 9:28: "After the flood Noah lived 350 years. Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died." In between the two halves of this truncated formula is set the Flood Narrative. This observation is vital because it cautions us about what is the main thrust of the narrative. For the biblical author the Flood is secondary. For all our questions about the Flood, the Flood Narrative is primarily theological in intention. It is about God and Noah, and what that means for the life of faith. Any other interest we may bring to our reading of Gen 6-9 may not be illegitimate but we should not allow any of them to over-shadow what the text has and wants to say. Our first task as preachers is to listen to Scriptures not question it.
The biblical author's interest
in the Flood is secondary.
The Flood Narrative is
primarily theological in intention.
It is about God and Noah,
and what it means for
the life of faith.
Now notice that the story proceeds chiasmatically. The flow of the story centers on the fact that in the midst of the most catastrophic event in the world, God does not forget, "But God remembered Noah . . ." (8:1):
A. "After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth," 5:32.
B. Sexual impropriety of the sons of God with the daughters of men (banot ha'adam), 6:1-4.
C. God's intention to destroy all living creatures on earth, but finds favour in Noah, and promises to make a covenant with him, 6:5-22.
D. God commands Noah to enter the ark: "Yahweh said to Noah, 'Go into the ark . . ," 7:1-10.
E. The Flood: "The springs of the great deep burst forth and the floodgates of heaven open . . . the rain fell for forty days and nights . . . The water lifted the ark above the earth . . . over the mountains . . . the water flooded the earth for 150 days. . ," 7"11-24.
F. But God remembered Noah, 8:1.
E'. The Recess: "The springs of the great deep and the floodgates of heaven were closed . . . the water receded 150 days . . . the ark came to rest on the mountain of Ararat . . . After forty days, Noah opened the window . . ." 8:2-6.
D'. God commands Noah to leave the ark: "God said to Noah, 'Come out of the ark . . .' 8:15-20.
C'. God's promises never again to destroy all living creatures on earth, and makes a covenant with Noah, 8:21-9:17.
B'. Sexual impropriety of the son of Noah with his father: "Noah, a man of the soil ('ish ha'adam)" 9:18-27 (20).
A'. "After the flood Noah lived 350 years. Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died," 9:28-29.
To miss this point is to miss everything that is important to the story of Noah and the flood.
We suggest that you—if you have not done so already—read through the four chapters of this narrative (it is already open on the left panel) and drink it in in one long sip before you turn to the detailed consideration of the text.
Low Chai Hok
©Alberith, 2020