Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Feedback: Miraculously Calm Waters Around the Ark?
by Tim Chaffey, AiG–U.S.
August 23, 2013
“In reference to the article by Tim Chaffey ‘Did the ark have a sail?’, I am glad to see that someone else has a concern about the design of the Ark as you present it. My thoughts on the matter is this: The design speaks loudly that you are relying on man’s idea as to what it took to with stand the rigors of the deluge of the flood instead of giving God’s protection credit for the survival of the Ark and its passengers. Jesus had calmed the waters in Mark 4:39. Therefore it wouldn’t be absurd to think that the Ark floated in calm waters for the entire event. Thank you for hearing me out as this has been a concern from the first time I saw the new pictures of the Ark.”
Hello,
Thank you for contacting Answers in Genesis and for your comments about the Ark’s design. As the author of the article you referenced, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to read it and send you a few brief comments to consider.
First, as long as you aren’t implying that the entire Flood was tranquil, then I agree that “it wouldn’t be absurd to think that the Ark floated in calm waters for the entire event.” I do not doubt at all that God could have calmed the waters around the Ark, but we are not told that He did this, so why should I assume that He did? Does the Bible give us good reasons to believe that He calmed the waters?
Second, I don’t agree that “the design speaks loudly that [we] are relying on man’s ideas.” Since we have no record of God calming the waters around the Ark or of Him telling Noah that He would do so, it is not wrong to think that Noah may have faced stormy seas. In the example you cited, the disciples endured the great windstorm for some time before the Lord calmed the storm. While Jesus slept, “the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling” (Mark 4:37). So if we are to use this account as a possible example of what happened around the Ark during the Flood, wouldn’t it be consistent to assume that Noah and his family faced turbulent waters for a while?
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