Question
Dear Gramps,
We had an interesting question come up today. As we understand it, the Great Flood as recorded in the Bible was intended (among many things) to destroy all flesh from off the earth, save those specifically saved aboard the Ark constructed by Noah. Our question is this: How were all of the fishes and other sea creatures in the world’s oceans killed off by the flood? Water is their natural environment! Your insight would be much appreciated.
Will
Answer
Dear Will,
Going to the prime source for information concerning the flood, we find the following information—
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
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 me that I have made them.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD (Gen 6:6-8).
We see from the source that the Lord had determined to destroy men, animals, apparently insects, and birds. Later on in the same chapter of the information source, we read—
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them (Gen 6:19-21).
Specific instructions were given to bring into the arc one pair, male and female, of the following species–birds, cattle (referring to animals) and insects, with food for all. Nowhere in these two sets of instructions are fish mentioned. So it wasn’t that all flesh was to be destroyed, in fact, the term, flesh, is not mentioned in the instructions to destroy. However, it is mentioned in the instructions to keep alive. The real question about Noah and that which was to be destroyed and that which was to be kept alive, is expressed in the following poem—
Noah was a prophet I’d
like to have
met face-to-face.
A man instrumental
in saving
the human race
And all living creatures
from the largest
elephants to the tiniest little ants,
But I’ll never understand
why he didn’t kill
those two flies when he had the chance!
Gramps
