Flood theology: why does Noah’s flood matter? Dr Steve Lloyd Biblical Creation Ministries www.biblicalcreationministries.org.uk Hope Church, Gravesend, UK www.hopechurch.org.uk

Why do we need to engage with the theology of the flood? We are ‘floodists’ rather than creationists If we don’t we reinforce the perception that the flood is unimportant theologically Most powerful argument for a global flood are theological arguments

Bible’s story-line: restoration redemption creation fall

1. All history: the flood in the story of creation to re-creation

1. All history 2 Peter 3v5-7: “...long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and with water. By water also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men.”

epochs in world history PAST PRESENT FUTURE new creation flood second coming

New era after flood “Noah, preserved from the old world to be the beginning of the new world after the Flood, is a type of faithful Christians who will be preserved from the present world to inherit the new world after the judgement.” Richard Bauckham on 2 Peter 2v5-9

1. All history: the flood in the story of creation to re-creation Theological significance: parallel to the de-creation and re-creation associated with the second coming

Jesus and the flood - Matthew 24v37-39: “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.”

1. All history: the flood in the story of creation to re-creation Theological significance: parallel to the de-creation and re-creation associated with the second coming universal themes of Genesis 1-11

universal themes of Genesis 1-11 “The theology of the flood is the pivot of a connected but multifaceted universal theme running through Genesis 1-11 and the whole rest of Scripture: creation, and the character of the Creator, in his original purpose for creation; uncreation, in humankind’s turning from the Creator, the universal spread of sin, ending in universal eschatological judgement; and re-creation, in the eschatological salvation of the faithful remnant and the universal renewal of the earth.” Richard M. Davidson, Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

1. All history: the flood in the story of creation to re-creation Theological significance: parallel to the de-creation and re-creation associated with the second coming universal themes of Genesis 1-11 evangelistically – reality of God’s judgement

2. All peoples: the flood inaugurates an era of grace

The flood in the story-line of the Bible new creation creation judgement flood second coming

Genesis 6 v 5 & 7 – sin leads to judgement The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time…So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth…” Genesis 8 v 21 – sin leads to grace The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, for every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done…” 15

2. All peoples: the flood inaugurates an era of grace creation more suited to sin post-flood world is the pre-cursor the new creation

birth-pains of the new creation - Matthew 24v7-8: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth-pains.”

Who is included in the post-flood era of grace? Genesis 9v9-10: (NRSV) “I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendents after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as come out of the ark.”

the flood and the global claims of the gospel Genesis 12v3: “...all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 11v9: “From there [Babel] the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 9v19: “From them [Noah’s sons] came the people who were scattered over the earth.”

3. All things: salvation involves the whole of creation

corruption of the earth - Genesis 6v11-13: (NRSV) “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth.’”

all flesh = ? - e.g. Genesis 7v21: (NRSV) “And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all human beings”

corruption of the earth - Genesis 6v7: (NRSV) “I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created - people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them”

3. All things: salvation involves the whole of creation sin is anti-creational consequences of sin are de-creational

Passover included animals - Exodus 12v12 (&29): “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn – both men and animals...

de-creation in response to sin - Zephaniah 1v2-3: “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.  “I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.

human sin and creation - Jeremiah 7v18&20: “They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger...Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched.”

3. All things: salvation involves the whole of creation sin is anti-creational consequences of sin are de-creational new creation necessary to undo the effects of sin

story of creation - Romans 8v19-21: “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

Noah’s name - Genesis 5v29: (NRSV) “he named him Noah, saying, ‘Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and the toil of our hands.’”

Conclusions The flood is essential to the story-line of the Bible The flood gives us the story of the Bible in miniature Can the flood be the coordinating principle of creationist theology as it is of creationist science?