Whether you are a Christian or not, whether you've ever stepped foot in church or not, you probably know the basics of the Noah story. And you've likely seen pictures of a happy, smiling Noah pained in church nurseries and kids rooms.
But let's look at the story of Noah. It only takes 6 chapters in Genesis to get creation from "It was good" to God being sorry he had ever made anything.
"So the LORD said, "'I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.'" - Genesis 6:7
So God has Noah build a big boat, take his family and a bunch of animals and it starts to rain. Now imagine not only having to live in a floating zoo for a month and a half, but everyone you ever knew is drowning outside. I mean really imagine that. Everyone you ever said "Hi" to on the street. The kid you saw playing with a stick. The mother nursing her newborn. All of them drowning outside your door. After a week or so these bodies would likely start floating to the surface. Besides the stink of living in a zoo a sea of dead bodies floats around you.
And what does Noah do once the waters recede? He plants a vineyard. He makes wine. He gets drunk and naked. (Genesis 9:20-21)
While being a flood victim obviously sucks, maybe being a flood survivor kinds sucks as well.
So the next time you are considering decorating your kids room, think about Noah, but maybe don't make him look quite so happy.
