Genesis 7:11-24 (ESV)
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in. The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.
Devotional Reflection
Four times we're told that the waters of the Great Flood "prevailed" upon the earth. Covering the highest mountains. Wiping out all life that lived upon the earth. Total destruction. Total cleansing. So it's interesting how this same word (which isn't used very frequently in the OT) is used by the Psalmist in Psalm 103:
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
How great is God's love? It prevails. It covers his anger. It covers our sins. Like a great flood, God's love prevails over every one of our transgressions until they are completely submerged in the waters of his forgiveness. Once, God used water to judge. Now, as Peter tells us, he uses water to save.( 1 Pet. 3:20-21) He takes the victory won by Christ over sin, death, and the devil and he attaches that promise to the water. The water covering us in baptism is nothing less than God's love prevailing over everything that separates us from him.
Image Description (AI Prompt)
An abstract painting in a 16:9 ratio, depicting the concept of an underwater scene where the water level covers everything, using visible brush strokes and globs of paint. The painting should convey the vastness of the submerged environment through a creative, artistic interpretation. Thick, textured brush strokes and globs of paint in varying shades of blue and green should be used to create a sense of depth and movement of the water. The abstract style should emphasize the fluidity and dynamism of the water, with light effects created through the use of paint to suggest rays of light penetrating the water. The overall composition should be vibrant, lively, and evoke the feeling of being submerged in a deep, mysterious underwater world.