Reading fiction is good for you

[humble soul]

Do you believe the story about Noah to be literally or not? ?

No I don't. A lot of the Bible is metaphorical. It's still spiritual truth though.
Another one is the Book of Hosea. A great story which expresses the infidelity of sinners towards God.

 

[Corn Pop]

If humans can teach birds to speak words, then maybe God can teach a donkey to speak. It has a voice box and vocals.

 

[humble soul]

This may account for the appeal of Noah’s story. Certainly for fundamentalist readers, for those who want to see the Bible as a blueprint for life, the ark’s measurements offer a satisfying sort of literalism: an actual blueprint. The absurdity and wrong-headedness of reading the Bible literally is neutralized when such a reading can—if you have some extra time and money on your hands—actually yield a pretty sweet-looking boat. It’s no wonder that people have spent millennia sketching out how such a ship would actually look, and that some have gone to the trouble of building it. The seventy-three-million-dollar replica of the ark currently being built by Creationists in Kentucky, and the recent completion of one man’s twenty-year ark-building project in the Netherlands, are just the most recent examples of attempts to make the text real. The demands of shooting a blockbuster made an ark builder out of Darren Aronofsky, too. (For more on the quest to adapt Noah for the screen, read Tad Friend’s recent Profile of Aronofsky in the magazine.)
The search for the original ark is, itself, a tradition that goes back thousands of years. In America, books claiming to have evidence of the ark’s whereabouts seem to come out every other week. The earliest map of the world, carved into a clay tablet in Mesopotamia, may include the mountain where the ship supposedly wrecked. Unlike other sagas, in which a ship takes the hero on a quest in search of an object of desire, Noah’s ark—the physical retrieval of the ship—is itself the quest.


{"

 

[Edward]

You need to do extra reading Edward. Jonah is a different writing genre. It's not the literal truth.

I don't understand. So what do you believe or have any faith in?

 

[Edward]

This may account for the appeal of Noah’s story. Certainly for fundamentalist readers, for those who want to see the Bible as a blueprint for life, the ark’s measurements offer a satisfying sort of literalism: an actual blueprint. The absurdity and wrong-headedness of reading the Bible literally is neutralized when such a reading can—if you have some extra time and money on your hands—actually yield a pretty sweet-looking boat. It’s no wonder that people have spent millennia sketching out how such a ship would actually look, and that some have gone to the trouble of building it. The seventy-three-million-dollar replica of the ark currently being built by Creationists in Kentucky, and the recent completion of one man’s twenty-year ark-building project in the Netherlands, are just the most recent examples of attempts to make the text real. The demands of shooting a blockbuster made an ark builder out of Darren Aronofsky, too. (For more on the quest to adapt Noah for the screen, read Tad Friend’s recent Profile of Aronofsky in the magazine.)
The search for the original ark is, itself, a tradition that goes back thousands of years. In America, books claiming to have evidence of the ark’s whereabouts seem to come out every other week. The earliest map of the world, carved into a clay tablet in Mesopotamia, may include the mountain where the ship supposedly wrecked. Unlike other sagas, in which a ship takes the hero on a quest in search of an object of desire, Noah’s ark—the physical retrieval of the ship—is itself the quest.


{"

So the flood didn't happen either?

 

[humble soul]

I don't understand. So what do you believe or have any faith in?

An intelligent God with a great sense of humour.

 

[humble soul]

So the flood didn't happen either?

Here is your opportunity for some mind expansion Edward. To look at the Bible in a new way.
I agree that overall the Bible is the truth. But what do we mean by truth? The literal truth? Yes in some cases. A book like Chronicles I think seems to be an historical account of events that happened. Not that I've read all of it. So I could be wrong.
But events like the plagues in Exodus, the Ark, Jonah, are poetic licence to express a spiritual truth.
Spiritual truths Edward. That's what is important. Stories help us understand an underlying message better. Some stories actually happened in the Bible. Some didn't. It doesn't bother me except for Jesus being the actual Son of God. That's a literal truth we need to all agree on.
Good writing needs to capture our imagination. And that's what many Bible stories do. In order for us to comprehend a deeper truth.

 

[Edward]

Here is your opportunity for some mind expansion Edward. To look at the Bible in a new way.
I agree that overall the Bible is the truth. But what do we mean by truth? The literal truth? Yes in some cases. A book like Chronicles I think seems to be an historical account of events that happened. Not that I've read all of it. So I could be wrong.
But events like the plagues in Exodus, the Ark, Jonah, are poetic licence to express a spiritual truth.
Spiritual truths Edward. That's what is important. Stories help us understand an underlying message better. Some stories actually happened in the Bible. Some didn't. It doesn't bother me except for Jesus being the actual Son of God. That's a literal truth we need to all agree on.
Good writing needs to capture our imagination. And that's what many Bible stories do. In order for us to comprehend a deeper truth.

So what is the deeper spiritual truth of the story of the flood & ark, if it's not literal?

 

[humble soul]

The image of Christ portrayed in the Ark offers many parallels.

• The ark was constructed of wood. The cross upon which Jesus died was constructed of wood.
• Noah was instructed to make a single door in the side of the Ark; it was the only entrance into the Ark, and access was controlled by God. Likewise, Jesus said that He is the door, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
• Noah was instructed to cover the Ark with a covering of pitch within and without. The pitch sealed the Ark and made it watertight so that all inside would be saved. The blood of Jesus covers the sin of all who will put their faith and trust in Him, and His blood puts a seal of security on those that belong to him.

Finally, the Ark carried all of its passengers safely to the destination that God had prepared for them. Jesus said:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3)

 

[humble soul]

The story of Noah, the Ark, and Flood speaks an inspired and powerful message about judgment and grace, that has instructed God’s people throughout the ages about God’s hatred of sin and his love for his creation. Most importantly, we see God’s promise never to destroy the Earth again fully realized in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, where God takes the judgment for sin upon himself rather than humanity. Thus, through the lens of Christ, the biblical Flood story proclaims the marvelous news of God’s grace and love for his people

 

[Corn Pop]

With Noah's story i don't think it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, The bible says the waters prevailed for 150 days, that was before God remembered Noah, that's more than 40 days and 40 nights.

 

[Tessa]

The image of Christ portrayed in the Ark offers many parallels.

• The ark was constructed of wood. The cross upon which Jesus died was constructed of wood.
• Noah was instructed to make a single door in the side of the Ark; it was the only entrance into the Ark, and access was controlled by God. Likewise, Jesus said that He is the door, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
• Noah was instructed to cover the Ark with a covering of pitch within and without. The pitch sealed the Ark and made it watertight so that all inside would be saved. The blood of Jesus covers the sin of all who will put their faith and trust in Him, and His blood puts a seal of security on those that belong to him.

Finally, the Ark carried all of its passengers safely to the destination that God had prepared for them. Jesus said:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3)

I believe the flood really happened.
I also believe that hour post is very insightful. Loved reading that Humble. Perhaps it was both literal and spiritual?

 

[Edward]

I believe the flood really happened.
I also believe that hour post is very insightful. Loved reading that Humble. Perhaps it was both literal and spiritual?

This one is both literal and spiritual. All of the worlds cultures have all recorded a massive flood in their history and everyone's archeological findings all support that it happened.

 

[Edward]

Here is your opportunity for some mind expansion Edward. To look at the Bible in a new way.
I agree that overall the Bible is the truth. But what do we mean by truth? The literal truth? Yes in some cases. A book like Chronicles I think seems to be an historical account of events that happened. Not that I've read all of it. So I could be wrong.
But events like the plagues in Exodus, the Ark, Jonah, are poetic licence to express a spiritual truth.
Spiritual truths Edward. That's what is important. Stories help us understand an underlying message better. Some stories actually happened in the Bible. Some didn't. It doesn't bother me except for Jesus being the actual Son of God. That's a literal truth we need to all agree on.
Good writing needs to capture our imagination. And that's what many Bible stories do. In order for us to comprehend a deeper truth.

I'm all for expanding my mind, but every cell of my being says no...Genesis is history, the flood did happen and this has come up before here and there. So I went through a season of researching, reading, and praying about all these things and came away with an understanding that...metaphors and allegories are used in scripture, but not all of it! I learned that there is an intrinsic message in the passages and always an underlying hidden message which is only revealed by the Holy Spirit while meditating on the word. And then on top of that, the Lord did a whole lot of codes & numbers games in scripture and stuff like that and they are still finding more and more stuff within scripture. From the genealogies having messages to messages and names spelled out but being one letter evry so may letters and all like that. I forget what they call that but it's all throughout scripture.

Plus, like they say, truth is stranger than fiction. And much of scripture is very strange. Nephilim and all that. So in an odd way...that's just weird enough to be true. We now His ways & thought are above ours and that, It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.../

I've come to believe that the Bible is very much more special than everyone gives it credit for. I think most don't even read it, and the Lord told us too. And it says...the word of the Lord shall never pass away, so I bet you a dollar that when we get to heaven...that the Bible will still be there and studied by His children. It makes too much sense.

And Brother, I would not want to be in your shoes if in heaven Jesus askes you, did you read my book? How embarrassing will it be to have to say no?! So I advise for you to read it cover to cover...at least once! That book is important. It is God's primary way to speak to us. And if we don't pick it up then He can't so much, right?

 

[Edward]

I believe the flood really happened.
I also believe that hour post is very insightful. Loved reading that Humble. Perhaps it was both literal and spiritual?

Me and the Lord had a conversation about this. And I'm pert sure I heard Him good. And He said, it IS both literal and spiritual truths, plus so much more and I didn't get a lot of details but it lead me to understand that...that book, is a masterpiece and a very powerful tool for us Brothers and Sisters. Jesus wrote that book. And then it was dictated to the many different authors.

 

[Link1983]

Here is your opportunity for some mind expansion Edward. To look at the Bible in a new way.
I agree that overall the Bible is the truth. But what do we mean by truth? The literal truth? Yes in some cases. A book like Chronicles I think seems to be an historical account of events that happened. Not that I've read all of it. So I could be wrong.
But events like the plagues in Exodus, the Ark, Jonah, are poetic licence to express a spiritual truth.
Spiritual truths Edward. That's what is important. Stories help us understand an underlying message better. Some stories actually happened in the Bible. Some didn't. It doesn't bother me except for Jesus being the actual Son of God. That's a literal truth we need to all agree on.
Good writing needs to capture our imagination. And that's what many Bible stories do. In order for us to comprehend a deeper truth.

I think that the spiritual truth and purpose of the stories are the important things to get. Even if they are literal or not.
And also who can say if they were? And who can say they weren't?

 

[humble soul]

And also who can say if they were

I can. I was there at the time. And it didn't happen. I was a witness to it not happening.

 

[Link1983]

I can. I was there at the time. And it didn't happen. I was a witness to it not happening.

What's up?

 

[Edward]

I can. I was there at the time. And it didn't happen. I was a witness to it not happening.

Do you believe The Sermon On The Mount to be true? (Matthew 5-7)
Or is that fiction?