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 This time So, I'm going to give you the main arguments for the case that the flood was real event and a world-wide event. 

1st Reason: It is the plain statement of Genesis that this is what happened. 

“And all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered with water. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits and the mountains were covered”.

(Gen 7: 19- 20).

2nd Reason, is the reason for and the nature of the Ark. Had the flood been local then Noah and his household could have simply migrated to some other place. After all they had 120 years to do so. As a matter fact, animals migrate all the time and that kind of thing is common even today. It’s not unusual for animals to travel 100’s if not 1000’s of miles to escape conditions of drought or flood. Furthermore, it seems to me the size of the ark was much too massive for a local flood. A commentary I read said “to have built a vessel of such magnitude simply for the purpose of escaping a local flood is inconceivable”. I personally agree with that statement. 

3rd Reason: After the flood God promised Noah that he would never again destroy the earth by water. He specifically says so later in chapter we haven't gotten there yet, but I quote.  

“Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth”.

(Gen 9:11)

If the Genesis flood we're simply a local flood, then this covenant promise would not have been needed and it would have already been broken 100’s of times. There have been many local and regional floods on the earth since Noah's time. God promised not to destroy the whole earth again by water The worldwide phenomenon of the rainbow reminds us of a worldwide flood and the promise that. a worldwide event like that will never ever happen again. 

4th Reason: The New Testament itself says that a worldwide flood occurred.  Peter says in his second letter the world that had previously existed perished by being flooded with water…. I quote,

“If God did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others”; 

(2 Peter 2:5)

If there was no universal flood, then the New Testament understanding of it is an error. 

5th Reason, and this is the most compelling one for me Jesus Himself said the flood was universal.  This is Jesus speaking; 

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all”.(1) 

(Luke 17: 27)

This means Jesus himself said this happened, and also confirmed that everyone and everything outside of the Ark perished. If there was no worldwide flood, then Jesus spoke in error on this issue. The statement of the Peter and the plain words of our Lord both say that there was a universal world-wide flood. 

Are you convinced you yet, well let me give you what I think is one more argument as a powerful reason for believing that the flood was a world-wide event?  Even if I were not a Christian, even if I didn't believe the Bible was the word of God, the next argument would give me cause to pause to think about what actually happened.

The sixth reason I believe that the flood was universal is because there are traditions all over the world telling of a worldwide flood. Hundreds of flood stories and traditions have been found in every part of the world including both eastern and western hemispheres.  One author I read describes and quotes specific traditions from Europe, Asia, Australia, the E Indies, Polynesia, South America, Central America, North America and Africa. Another author I read identified 270 flood stories from all parts of the world. Still another went so far as to say that the majority of nations all over the world have a flood tradition in their ancient writings. I quote 

“Stories of a great flood and some form of new creation are so common to so many people in different parts of the world between whom no kind of historic communication seem possible that the notion seems almost to be a universal feature of human imagination”.

It is overwhelming and it is incredible that every primitive society seems to have a story of a universal flood and those stories and traditions are all over the face of the earth. Forget the bible as the word of God just for a minute but even if there was in fact a worldwide flood such as the one described in Genesis, then worldwide stories and traditions would be exactly what one would expect to see springing up all over the place. That is indeed what has happened. If there were no such traditions opponents of the Genesis flood would argue that a lack of circumstantial evidence like this would be strong evidence against the occurrence of a universal flood. 

The reason I went through this is because that’s the whole reason this passage was placed in our bible. The author wanted to convince the readers of the authenticity of a universal flood. Many Christians who I know, and respect think otherwise on this issue. However, I just want you to know that there is evidence for a universal flood outside of the Bible and my point is that believing in a universal flood is reasonable thing to do. But even those who don’t believe this story is literally true would have to accept that that is what the story being told here is about otherwise the message within the story would have no meaning So, whether or not you believe there was an actual world-wide flood the message is still very clear

So, what is the message of the passage? What is the passage teaching us spiritually?  We shall consider that next time.

(1)  Wikipedia "Flood Myths".