(See the previous article about a global vs. a local flood)
Clearly the scriptures concerning Noah's ark and the flood
do not claim that it was a planetary sized flood, but rather
it was a local flood. But what about God's promise to never
flood anyone again? Haven't floods happened since then?
Certainly there have been floods, so why did God say that
he would never flood anyone again?
Simple: he didn't.
Going right to the verses in question:
Ge 9:12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant
which I make between me and you and every living
creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
(Notice, God states that the TOKEN is for perpetual
generations, and that the covenant is ONLY with Noah,
and every living creature with him.
A token can be a remembrance, or a keepsake. In a later
verse, God specifically says that he will remember what
happened, so the TOKEN is a remembrance.
So what was the TOKEN? Let's see...)
9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of
a covenant between me and the earth.
(And there's the TOKEN: the rainbow that perpetual generations
would be seeing. Note too, God said "I do set my bow in the cloud",
and he did NOT say he was just then starting to do such, but that
HE does it, HE sets the bow in the cloud, not that it's just then
starting to happen. Continuing on...)
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth,
that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you
and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall
no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
(Again, see Gen 9:12 above, the covenant is with Noah, his family
and all creatures with them: all living things he's made the
covenant with right then in that LOCAL land.)
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it,
that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and
every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
(Again, see Gen 9:12 above, the covenant is ONLY for Noah and all
living creatures with him there in that LOCAL land... but the
TOKEN is for perpetual generations as a remberance of what happened.)
17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant,
which I have established between me and all flesh that is
upon the earth.
The last four verses are THE SAME covenant as Gen 9:12 started out
with, Noah and all creatures there with him in the LOCAL land where
the ark landed when God was then giving out the covenant and saying
that there'd be a TOKEN of the covenant that perpetual generations
could see.
From this, there is NO statement that God was never going to flood
anyone again outside all those on the ark. Instead, what God was
telling Noah was that HE and all his family and the animals there
with him, THEY would never be flooded again. Therefore, Noah didn't
need the ark anymore so there'd be no need to stay with the ark, or
keep it repaired.
God made it all, Jesus died for our sins.
Note: The above information was written by John P. Boatwright and is freely given. The information is simply my opinion based on how I perceive the content discussed. Anyone reading such should use their own judgement as to whether or not the information has any value to them. You may copy portions of the above opinions as long as a reference to this page is included and no text within said portion is altered. If copied to another medium other than the internet, include the entire text. The above content may change over time.
Best wishes.