The story of the great flood, recorded in the sixth through the eighth chapters of the book of Genesis, is one of most powerful stories in human history. Most of us have heard the story since our childhood – how God instructed Noah to build a large boat to save himself and two of every kind of animal from the flood God was going to bring upon the earth as judgment. Images of a large wooden ship with animals everywhere have filled Bible story books and young minds for ages. But if we look a little deeper at this incredible story, we will find a powerful principle that has direct application to us today.
In Genesis 6:17, after instructing Noah to build an ark and giving him the plan and dimensions, God told Noah that His clear purpose for bringing the flood upon the earth was “To destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life.” Then, once Noah, his family and the animals were safely in the ark, God brought the flood waters upon the earth. The waters came from above in the form of rain, and from below as the “fountains of the great deep” – a reference to subterranean springs – were opened.
For forty days and nights the waters came, with each new day bringing more water. The account is found in Genesis 7:18-24 where the following statement is repeated four times:
“The waters prevailed…”
To “prevail” is defined as to “gain ascendancy through strength or superiority.” Through strength and sheer force the floodwaters literally overpowered the surface of the earth, destroying all flesh in the process. And it is here that we find a tremendous principle for our own lives as Christians. Many times throughout scripture The Spirit of God is compared to water. When we consider the cleansing, refreshing, nourishing, life-giving nature of God’s spirit, it is easy to understand this comparison. But water is sometimes fierce too – as in the case of a raging flood.
In a number of places throughout his letters, the apostle Paul referred to the fallen state of man by the simple term, “Flesh.” It refers to the sinful, selfish, nature that all mankind is born with and which, according to Romans 7:7, cannot follow God’s law. Paul makes the contrast between the spirit and the flesh very clear in Romans 7:6, where he states that:
“The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.”
And again, in Galatians 5:17 he said,
“The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”
The fallen nature of man
– the “flesh” is in eternal opposition to the Spirit of God. But for anyone who has been born of and
filled with God’s Spirit, the “waters” of God’s spirit have been poured out,
just as the waters of the flood were poured out upon the earth. And just as the waters of the flood
“prevailed” upon the earth, the waters of God’s Spirit will prevail upon anyone
who will allow his Spirit to continue to flow in their life!