Character Ark

The tale of Noah’s Ark is not a new story for many of us. In fact, many religions and mythologies across the world describe some sort of great flood event. This is called a cultural memory, something that was so significant that multiple people groups remember it.

However, the Biblical account of the flood stands out in how it presents the character of Yahweh, the God of the Bible. The entire Genesis narrative was told to set Him apart from the gods of the surrounding cultures. It contrasts Him with the other gods in the areas of Process, Control, and Lordship.

Process

When I was in middle school, I would always borrow this big yellow book about Greek mythology (complete with pictures). Lo and behold, a flood story was included. Zeus, king of the gods, decided to flood the earth. Some say he grew annoyed with mankind’s wars. Others say that man’s vices, unleashed from Pandora’s box (which, coincidentally, came from the gods themselves), had grown out of control. Either way, the flood was coming. Prometheus, a titan who was eternally punished for giving mankind fire, warned his son Deucalion and had him build a boat to save himself and his wife.

The Genesis account has a similar setup. Yahweh saw how unchecked man’s evil had grown and decided that a watery purge was necessary. Contrary to many flood narratives, including the Greek myth, an unrelated party did not reveal the coming flood in a secret meeting. Yahweh Himself told Noah, whom He found blameless, what He was planning to do and how Noah could escape it.

Why is this detail so important?

In Zeus’s case, he prioritized the flood. He focused more on the destruction than the people it would affect most. Yahweh acted differently. Yes, He chose to flood the earth, but what was His first step in that process? Warning Noah. Giving him instructions to survive the flood. Instead of destruction, Yahweh’s first step, His priority, was salvation.

Control

One of the oldest written poems was the Epic of Gilgamesh, the account of a legendary Mesopotamian hero and king. The eleventh tablet of this poem contains the flood narrative of the ancient Middle East. Several of the gods, Anu, Enlil, Ninurta, and Ennugi, conspired with each other to flood the world. Ea, another one of the gods, went to a man named Utanapishtim and told him how to escape destruction (again, a secret revelation from someone not fully on board with the flood plan).

When the gods unleashed the flood, the intensity was far greater than they expected. Here is an excerpt from the eleventh tablet:

The gods were frightened by the Flood,
and retreated, ascending to the heaven of Anu.
The gods were cowering like dogs, crouching by the outer wall.

This version was probably familiar to the Hebrews, the original listeners of the Genesis account. It was the tale the cultures closest to them told. However, Yahweh is directly contrasted with these gods. He calls in the flood, cuts off the water; not once is He depicted as panicked or caught unaware. He is fully in control at all times.

Lordship

The final comparison is not limited to just one religion’s or mythology’s pantheon. For this final segment, we’re going to look at a concept many people are familiar with: lords and vassals. A vassal pledges loyalty to a lord. They provide the lord with tribute, and the lord governs and protects them in turn.

The gods work the same way. Their followers give them worship and devotion, and the gods give them blessing and protection. If the followers insulted the gods or did not hold up their end of the bargain, the gods would punish them. We saw this clearly with the prior Zeus example, and it’s consistent across the board.

However, Yahweh stands apart in this area, too.

After the flood had fully receded, and Noah and the animals disembarked from the ark, Yahweh makes this covenant (found in Genesis 9:11-17).

“…I will establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
And God (Yahweh) said, “This is the sign of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,
I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.
Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

This is a rather generous move on Yahweh’s part. He is basically saying that, no matter what we humans do, He is not going to flood the earth again. We are in the vassal position. By all means, we should be giving Yahweh His dues. Instead, He promised to hold back the flood waters, regardless of how we treat Him.

This point is enhanced further by a detail most English readers miss out on. In the BEMA podcast, hosted by Marty Solomon, it’s pointed out that “rainbow” is not actually used in the original writing of Genesis. In the original Hebrew, it’s the word for “bow.” Why is this important? The “bow” that the original listeners pictured was not the ribbon on top of a gift, but the wooden instrument for war. The bow-shaped thing that appears with the clouds is what we now call a rainbow, which would explain why translators chose to switch it.

If the rainbow is indeed representing a bow used for war…why is it pointing upward?

The gods of other religions and mythologies lorded over their subjects with fear and control. They dangled punishment over people’s heads, ready to fire down when they felt slighted. If they were given a bow, they would have it pointed down toward humanity. Many Christians picture Yahweh the same way: an angry God with a lightning bolt in hand, just waiting for us to slip up.

But the rainbow, the bow that signifies Yahweh’s promise, is pointed upward. Pointed back at Himself. He is not threatening us into submission. He is showing us mercy and love, with the freedom to choose to love Him back.

Yahweh seeks salvation before destruction, remains in control at all times, loves mercy, and honors His promises. This is especially important when you remember that the Bible says He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The way Yahweh was before, He will still be now and continue to be tomorrow.

The next time you’re stuck in life’s turbulent floods, just remember the character of Yahweh.