How could a world flood take people by surprise & kill them all in a flood?

Question

If people saw it raining, saw Noah building an ark, saw the ark floating.

Surely, there would be at least a few of them smart enough to build a ship, raft, grab a ply board, anything to keep afloat?

You mean, they all just watched the water rise, while no-one attempted to build a boat of any sort, they just lay there and drowned?

Surely the people were not that dumb, were they? I find it incredulous that Noah built some ark, but no-one even attempted to keep from drowning with a small boat of their own?

Remember, they had only themselves to feed, not a ship full of animals.

Answer 1

It was the "God's Toilet" maneuver. One flush and the water is up so fast that even the fastest turds can't escape. The give away was the "bright blue" color of the water. That was God's Tidy Bowl cake the size of the moon!.

Answer 2

For one thing, people were too busy laughing at Noah and his God because they had never seen rain, nor were they concerned with leading lives that would have been pleasing to God. They didn't believe Noah's claims.

Also, it rained continuously for 40 days and nights; even the ark had to have a roof to keep the water out. Add to that the springs rising from underground. The mountains were eventually covered. No one had enough time. once they realized what was happening, to build another appropriate shelter. Further, from beginning to end, the flood lasted over a year. No one else thought to make appropriate preparations for a long-term stay on the water.

It was because of the people's disobedience that God decided to flood the world to begin with, so it wouldn't have mattered what they built - they still would have drowned.

For what it's worth, we can assume that many people did try to get into the boat, but the door was sealed, as was their fate.

Answer 3

If you have read the passages that tell the story you will find that the people of the day were as hateful toward Noah belittling his "folly". A lot like the hatred I see here on answers toward Christians. No one was willing to take his serious, they all thought that he was just a stupid God believer... I have herd it said many times on here that there isn't enough water on earth to cover the whole planet. I can't believe that I have to explain this event. I guess once you are an atheist you stop learning because after all you know everything already. You are about to hear a scientific explanation on the flood. It's a theory so take it as one and not scripture. God is the Greatest of all scientific minds. Everything He does has science behind it. This happened when the earth looked a lot different than it does today. It was smaller and there was only one land mass.. (Surely you have heard of the continent of Pangaea)..The mountains had not been built to their present elevations. (Don't fail me now I am still speaking of a science, plate tectonics). Ok now the flood.. Lately there is a lot of talk on sudo-science programs of the killer asteroids coming to get us. Couldn't God have brought a moon sized body close enough to earth to pull up a tide large enough? Science tell us that we have been struck several times in the history of our planet.. It amazes me that a stupid Christian, a believer, has to explain these simple things to such intelligent people as an atheist say they are.... Jim

Answer 4

Um really sorry but how dumb is your question - if dealing with floods was this easy not so many people would die worldwide because floods can and do come so fast that people have very little warning.

I know it wasn't strictly a flood but the tsunami struck so fast a lot of people died - in biblical times i doubt people would have wondered about the difference as to how the water got there whether it was a tsunami or rainwater to them it would have been a flood. These days we have good weather warning systems but in biblical times there was nothing like that.

Not to say that I believe in the flood myth as told in the bible, but I do think it is possible that there was a large body of water that flooded the Mediterranean that became part of the mythology of the area - in fact there is scientific data to support the theory that there was a large flood in the biblical area around the correct era.

Answer 5

It rained for forty days and nights. If someone had grabbed a boat, it would still have to have provisions. How many people today have enough food to last for their family for forty days if the electricity went out?

Also, if I remember correctly, there were storms. The Earth also gushed forth water. Noah spent years building the Ark.

Answer 6

At the time of Noah, it did not rain.
The earth was watered from the ground.
People thought Noah was crazy.
The people in the time of the ark had 120 years to change their evil ways. The people chose to keep on being wicked. If you have ever been in a "flash flood", you would know that the water rises fast.
Remember, with God, all things are possible.
Watch the weather for proof of God.
The Rapture will be your greatest proof.
Peace out.
:)

Answer 7

The waters came from above and below like never seen before, worse than any tsunami or hurricane and many people don't escape those.

Genesis 7
11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Answer 8

God shut the door before the rain started. They had a chance to believe Noah and get on the boat, but they would not. They wanted proof.

Answer 9

They probably didn't see it coming and thought that a flood of such magnitude was impossible....even so some probably did build their own boats, but as far as we know Noah had a long time to prepare because God told him to prepare. the others were not warned

Answer 10

Well, think of it like now. If it kept raining and raining, and your neighbor built this huge boat and kept telling you that it was the rain that ended the world? What would you do? Probably tell him
to get it off your driveway because it was blocking you car.
Point is, most people deny anything that upsets their world.
They wait till the last second and then act. I do it also.
Human Nature.