Isaiah Roman

Animals on Noah’s Ark

The genus of every animal God created entered into Noah’s ark and it carried them over the flood that covered the entire planet. From the scriptural account – and from the proofs of science – all dogs are canine and have a common ancestor. It is the common anscestor that gives us a clear understanding of the origins of our modern world. The diversity of life we now witness all around us is a result of the mechanisms designed into all life; the ability and desire to survive. This is the point where the Bible and the Textbook agree. The difference between the two lies in the definitions used to describe this diversity. The Bible uses the word “kind.” The Textbook uses the term “species.”

All cats are feline and derive from one parent. This “kind” of animal remains distinct. Here lies the important distinction. In a world of Evolution we should see bat-monkies, or perhaps turtle-lions. We don’t. What we do see are distinct kinds of animals that remain distinct. Even within the fossil layers we find distinct creature types that remain distinct. In fact, evolutionists have invented a whole rationalle as to why they find distinct collections of lizards, separate from mammals, or birds, or even fish. While in recent years we find more and more artists’ renderings of creatures that appear to cross lines between kinds, when the bones are examined without the liberties taken by the artist we find that the kinds remain distinct. The most famous case of this genus bending is found in the sealacanth. One rarely hears about this creature any more, but once upon a time this was considered the quinticential “missing link.” Evolutionists were convinced that this fish had legs; that is, until one was discoverd in a river in Africa. It was then shown that this fish had articulated fins, but they were just that; fins.

Despite all of our own intervention with animal husbandry distinct kinds remain. We haven’t been able to produce a dog-horse, though many have tried to produce a horse-sized dog. Thus we see that all animals today come from a common ancestor of yesterday. It was not necessary for Noah to have carried across the many millions of different specie of animal we observe today. He only needed to take across a few thousand kind of animals. But, could the ark hold that many kinds of animals? If you read the account of the building of the ark you have to understand what a cubit is. A cubit is classically the length of a man’s arm from his finger-tips to his elbow. This could be anywhere from 14 to 20 inches, depending upon the man. A standardized cubit was used by measuring a lenght of string, or by creating a length of wood with a precise marking on it. The standard cubit is 18 inches long. Using this conversion we find that Noah’s ark was longer than a football field, just about as wide, and three stories tall. The ark had over 2 million square feet of storage space. That’s enough room for just about anything you want. Add to that the idea that Noah didn’t have to take adult animals, but could elect to take juvenile animals and you have even more room. There were two of every unclean animal and foul and seven of every clean animal and foul (Genesis 7: 2).

There are evidences on the highest mountain ranges of the truth of the global flood in the form of sea fossils found in various places at the highest reaches. Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives (eight persons) entered the ark about 1650 cl and God closed the door of the ark and the water began to rise (time line beginning with Adam’s creation). “The fountains of the deep were broken up” and rain fell forty days and forty nights (Genesis 7: 11). Holllywood shows a great storm with wind and thunder and lightning. As to what it was really like during the flood, we really don’t know. Often the ark is portrayed as a vessel much like a modern ship, with bow and stern shaped to a keel, but the Bible describes Its construction as more like a large sealed barge with a roof and a small upper window structure to let light and air in – and out.(Genesis 6:16). Whatever the conditions of the flood, the ark would have had no problem staying upright, and afloat. Studies have shown that a barge shaped ark would have been able to withstand tremendous waves. With very little “draft” (keel depth) the ark could have floated above any structures or geographic features with ease.

All the water the that was created collected upon the surface of the planet in that forty days. The ark floated on the flood for 150 days until the tops of mountains became visible again. Forty days later Noah began testing to see if they could find a place to land. It wasn’t until a little over a year after the flood began that they were able to depart from the ark. The animals began to go out and wander across the land masses using the land bridges available at that time. The species and families began to develop as they wandered through the passing of time. Every animal specie created has an outer appearance and “sings a song” (makes a sound) no other creature does.Relatively recently whales and dolphins (mammalian water creatures) have been under observation and mankind has learned their sounds as a form of communication. No one seems to find it curious that every animal sings a song. Why not just make clicks, or whirs? Why do those sounds end up being patterened, rythmic, melodious?

The apex of creation, mankind, was given a mind capable of thought and reason; God created them to be unique. Each member of the family of mankind is unique. Even though there are similarities among them each is unlike every other in some unique way. The person that seeks God will have that uniqueness revealed if he perseveres in pursuit of the quest. If evolution is true, when did the ape-like Cro-Magnon man that eventually stood upright develop power to reason? Why was there a need for reason? Where did life for that creature originate? Was there some accident of genetics that caused a mutation which switched apes into men?

A mule is an interesting anomaly. It is the only animal specie that is unable to reproduce itself. The mule has characteristics that are unlike both his parents, yet characteristics that are just like both of his parents. He is neither horse nor ass and so cannot reproduce. In fact, there is a known phenomena about breeding that science has a tendency to gloss over. Kinds of animals cannot reproduce with each other. Dogs and cats cannot mate. Horses and lions cannot reproduce. The only mechanism for creating a mule is human interference. We have he unique ability to take different animals and create new forms of animals. Yet, even then the new forms of animals we create are always broken in some way. God forbade the Jews by Moses law to “mix or mingle” things God created as evidence of their distinct covenant as His chosen people. At some point we rebelled against this command. Today we have come to a place where we feel tempted to create hybrid humans in an effort to promote a better human being. What about our history with animal husbandry leads us to believe we can be successful?

The entire issue of evolution is an attempt by anti-God adherents to prove it necessary to offer an alternative explanation of human beginning in order to avoid the arguments concerning existence of a supreme being. The Bible, God’s book, simply begins with a statement “In the beginning God created.” Here lies the atheist’s greatest dilemma. They have no valid response to the question, “when did human life begins and what was the original primary cause?” Every time the archeologist thrusts his spade into the ground he does more to prove the creation story of scripture than defend his failed theories of man. When you begin to understand about how fossils are made and subsequently dated; how the term “species” was invented and why; what evidences in the fossil record really exist and how others have been fabricated; when you really look into the evolutionary mythos you begin to see that the answers of Darwinists are small and weak. But, even more the questions of life and living. Science has no clear answer to the problems of good and evil; right and wrong, life – or death.

If there is an original cause then mankind “owes” his existence to that cause. He is conditionally obligated to respond. The human spirit deludes one into desiring control over its own existence, to owe nothing to anyone, or anything. Yet, even in our own lives we constantly borrow from others to accomplish even the simplest of tasks. We consider those who use others for success, then claim their own glory as bad, or even evil. Yet, we are loath to consider the providence of an eternal God because He might want something from us. Indeed “everybody wants to rule the world” but they know they can’t do it on their own. What an interesting dichotomy.

The Judeo-Christian faiths have recorded eye witness evidence passed down from generation to generation that proves to be infallible. It highly irritates evolutionary pundits. These people have gone to great length to discredit those sources. Several claims to the death of God have been made by many men, yet God remains while they lie rotting in the grave. They are not able to discredit God who through His Holy Spirit “teaches [his disciples] all things and calls all things to remembrance He has taught them.” They rob God of glory that only He is worthy to receive and gives it to mankind.

“…in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor lists. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless God, even the Father; and with it we curse men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be“(James 3: 2-10).

“…I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).

There is a price to be paid for the idle words and blasphemies against God. He has said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” God personally collects his debts; He is a perfectly just God. When He does, He does it in a manner that leaves no doubt that who has done it. He does not need nor does he use his servants (mankind) in wreaking vengeance. If the story of the flood teaches us anything, it teaches us that God is perfectly willing to use creation itself as a force of judgement against mankind. Unless or until a man confesses and repents God will not hold him guiltless. By messing around with nature we break the order of nature. Environmentalists are adamant on this point. Yet, they believe that mankind is the god that can right the wrongs of… mankind. In what way does this make sense? Why would a man believe that they are more capable than other men at creating instead of destroying? I think the answer is obvious. God does not make idle threats he makes immutable promises; live in Him, or die in the world.