Sharon:
The story of Noah’s Ark has always been one of my favorites. God saw the wickedness on earth, told Noah to build an ark, and saved his family and the animals. I believe that flood really happened, all over the world.
Mike:
I love that story too. But I’ve come to think maybe the flood wasn’t global. It might’ve been a huge local flood, big enough to feel like the whole world for the people living there.
Sharon:
But the Bible says “the whole earth” was covered. That the mountains were under water. That’s not just a local flood. That sounds global to me.
Mike:
I understand that. But sometimes in the Bible, “whole earth” means the whole known world. Like when it says the “whole earth” came to see Solomon’s wisdom. That didn’t mean people from every country. It meant all around their world.
Sharon:
Still, it says every creature not on the ark died. That would mean the animals and people across the world. If it was just a small area, how could that be true?
Mike:
I think it was a big area, just not the whole planet. Maybe it was the area where people lived at the time. God still brought judgment, and He still saved Noah. The message is the same—God sees sin and shows mercy.
Sharon:
But if it wasn’t global, why build such a big ark? Why take all those animals? They could’ve just moved if the flood was only in one region.
Mike:
Good question. Maybe the ark was a symbol too. Like the cross. It shows that God gives people a way out, a way to be saved. Even if the flood was local, the ark was still real and full of meaning.
Sharon:
But the details are so specific—how long it rained, how big the ark was, how many days they were inside. Why would the Bible include all that if it wasn’t describing a real worldwide event?
Mike:
That’s true. The story is very detailed. But sometimes stories in the Bible use strong pictures to teach spiritual truth. Like Jesus talked about a camel going through the eye of a needle. That doesn’t mean it really happened—it’s a picture to help us understand.
Sharon:
Still, Jesus also said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah…” He talked about the flood like it really happened. I believe Him. He wasn’t using a symbol. He was warning people.
Mike:
I agree that Jesus was serious. And I think Noah was a real man. I think the flood really happened. I just don’t know if it covered the whole globe. The earth is huge. There’s not enough water to cover the whole planet all the way over the mountains.
Sharon:
But God can do anything. He created the world—He can flood it too. It doesn’t matter how much water we think there is. God could bring it from anywhere.
Mike:
True. God is all-powerful. I just wonder if we’re meant to focus more on the meaning than the size. The world had gone wrong. People were violent and evil. God had to act. But He also saved Noah because he walked with God. That’s the heart of the story.
Sharon:
I think the size does matter. Because if it was just a small flood, it makes the story seem smaller too. But a global flood shows how serious God is about sin. And how powerful He is to wipe it all clean.
Mike:
That’s a good point. But sometimes I worry that if we say every part has to be 100% literal, we might miss the message behind it. Maybe the story was written in a way that the people back then could really understand.
Sharon:
They understood plenty. God told Noah what to do, and Noah obeyed. He didn’t say, “This is just a symbol.” He built a real boat. He gathered animals. That doesn’t sound like a story meant to teach a lesson—it sounds like something that really happened.
Mike:
I’m not saying it didn’t happen. I think the flood was real. I just think maybe how it’s told is more like a sacred story than a science report. It still tells us everything we need to know about God’s justice and mercy.
Sharon:
But if we keep calling stories “sacred” or “symbolic,” how do we know what’s real? Some people use that to say none of the Bible is real. That’s what worries me.
Mike:
That’s fair. But I think we can look at each part of the Bible with care. Some parts are clearly history. Some are poems. Some are parables. We ask, “What kind of writing is this?” I don’t think we have to choose between truth and style.
Sharon:
So you think God flooded only part of the world, and the story just makes it sound bigger?
Mike:
Yes, maybe. It could’ve been the part of the world where people lived. And for them, it would’ve felt like the end of the world. The destruction was huge, and the rescue was real. That part matters most to me.
Sharon:
I still think it was the whole planet. The Bible says even the high mountains were covered. That’s a pretty clear picture. And after the flood, God put the rainbow in the sky and said He’d never flood the earth like that again.
Mike:
Yes, the rainbow is such a beautiful sign of God’s promise. And I believe that promise still stands, no matter how we see the story. I think it’s okay for Christians to look at it a little differently, as long as we agree on what it tells us about God.
Sharon:
We do agree on that. God is holy. He judges sin. But He also loves, and He saves. Noah shows us that.
Mike:
Exactly. And the ark is like a picture of Jesus—our shelter when life floods over us.
Sharon:
That’s true. Jesus is our ark. I just feel better reading the flood story as a real event. It reminds me that God is in control of the whole earth.
Mike:
And I feel better knowing the story still speaks today, even if some parts are more like deep images. I think it still brings us closer to God, either way.
Sharon:
So you don’t think I’m wrong?
Mike:
No, not at all. I think you’re reading the Bible with faith. And I respect that. I just see the details differently. But the heart? I think we share it.
Sharon:
We do. And I guess that’s the most important thing.
Mike:
Yeah. Whether the flood was global or not, we both believe God is the one who saves.
Sharon:
Amen to that.