Genesis 5-11: Who Built the Ark?

OK, we all know the answer to that question, but why did Noah build that ark?  The Bible appears to give us two answers.  First, there is the curious case of the Nephilim, the sons of God (or gods).  These beings fathered children with the “daughters of humans,” children who became the “heroes of old.”  We might be familiar with the exploits of such heroes from the myths of other ancient cultures, the Bible gives us no details.  The author seems to be aware of such stories, but these heroes are not to be admired.  Their parentage indicates a creation out of control, where neither humans nor supernatural beings stay in their proper place.  Only Noah is righteous and walks with God.

Illicit relationships aren’t the only problem.  Violence produces corruption of another sort, and so God resolves to destroy all he has created.  But, as we have seen before, grace limits judgment. God will not destroy it all, but he will start over, unleashing the destructive waters of chaos that were so carefully restrained in the first days of creation while protecting Noah, his family and all the animals in ark.  In judgment we can trace the roots of the great commandments given by Jesus:  To love God and to love your neighbor seem to be the rules, even at this early stage

The flood story appears to have two different sources, and so we can see two different versions combined into one.  Not only are there two different reasons for the flood, there are two different sets of directions to Noah (with different numbers of animals), and two different conclusions.  But when the two sources agree on one important detail:  with the re-creation generated by the flood God takes a new tactic in his relationship with humanity, and that new relationship is covenant.

In this first covenant, God’s promises are central:  God will never again destroy the earth.  In the second telling, that promise is limited to the flood—the rainbow is a reminder to God and humanity that Noah’s flood will never be seen again. This promise God makes to all creation.  On the other side of the agreement, God attempts to reduce humanity’s propensity toward violence.  In this re-creation some concession toward violence is made—meat is now on the menu.  But animal life is to be taken with respect and care.  Taking human life is forbidden.  These two commandments are the first laws we see in scripture.  God blesses his remade creation, and life begins again.

An important sign of grace is found in this first covenant.  The covenant is unconditional. God will keep his word regardless of what humanity does.

That’s a good thing, because the reboot of creation doesn’t solve the problem.  Noah’s family has a bit of difficulty, resulting in Noah’s curse on his son Ham.  The human community is already falling apart!  This story is followed by a genealogy as Noah’s sons become the fathers of 70 nations, Ham being the father of all of Israel’s local enemies (what a coincidence that they happen to be the cursed family line!).  70 nations represent wholeness, but the whole earth is not listed here.  The Bible is a local story, and the nations it names are local.

One more story will get those nations to the territories God has assigned them, and that’s the story of the tower of Babel.  Not only does this story account for the existence of different languages, it sets the stage for God’s next strategy.  Up until now, God has dealt with humanity as a whole.  Those whom God spoke to—Adam, Eve, Cain, Noah—represented all people.  But as this section ends with a genealogy, God’s focus narrows down to one.  Prehistory is done.  The story of God’s people begins.

Some thoughts:

In the flood, God shows great concern for the animals he has made.  This first covenant is made with all creation, and humans are commanded in this covenant to respect the lives of animals even as they eat them.  Eating the blood is forbidden because it is the source of life.  Can we find ways to use this story to build a Christian understanding of care for the whole creation?

This first covenant is unconditional—God will do what God promises.  Are there signs of divine love being revealed here?

These stories assume a world of mythical proportions–heroes, towers that involve all nations in their construction, world-wide floods–how does myth convey truth if it is not historically accurate.