By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
Summary: Peter continues his message about those who do not believe and work to undermine God’s church. One way they do this is to scoff at the idea that God could flood the whole earth.
So far, in Peter’s letter, he has encouraged us in our faith and railed against false teachers. Here in the third chapter, we see him weave both themes together.
Besides false teachers, Peter is warning us about scoffers. He explains how they use words to throw doubt on God’s truth. As Rich pointed out in his comment on the “Logic & Reason” post, the scoffers “echo the hiss of the snake” in the Garden of Eden.
In Peter’s example, the scoffer is scoffing at the idea that Jesus will return. “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” they scoff (2 Peter 3:4). Like the false teachers, scoffers will also fall under the judgment of God.
For example, Peter brings us back to the beginning of the world. Scoffers ignore the fact that God formed the earth “out of water and by water.” (2 Peter 3: 5) Then, Peter shifts gears. He reminds us that scoffers also ignore another fact; in the days of Noah, God used water to cleanse the entire earth. All of mankind except for Noah and his family, were destroyed by water.
We get to choose what we believe. If we value truth, we check our beliefs against the facts. If we do not value truth, we take the easy path; we believe what we want to believe. If people ignore the fact that God created the earth and can destroy it, then they neither respect the creation nor fear judgment. In the days of Noah, people did not honor God, nor did they fear judgment.
“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.” (Genesis 6: 5-6)
God destroyed mankind with the same tools he had used to create the world; water. This time, God used water to cleanse the earth. Only Noah and his family were saved.
People debate where the water came from for the flood. Perhaps it had never rained on earth before the flood? We do not know. In truth, we cannot know. The only record we have of what happened is in the Bible. But I ask you, does it matter? Does it matter that we do not know exactly where the water came from?
Remember this: Hydrogen and oxygen are two of the three most common elements in the universe. By comparison, every other element is insignificant. If God caused water to form out of existing hydrogen and oxygen, is that so amazing? Is it any more impressive than Jesus turning water into wine (John 2: 1-11)? How about walking on water (Matthew 14: 22-33)?
Think of all the things God has done with water! In the Old Testament alone, he changed water into blood (Exodus 7: 20), he divided the Red Sea (Exodus 14: 21-22), and he made water come out of a rock (Exodus 17: 5-7). Are these things easier than flooding the whole earth? Pick any other miracle that God has done and ask yourself, “Is this more believable than God forming water out of hydrogen and oxygen?”
How God does his miracles is not important. God’s ways are above us (Isaiah 55:9, Job 37:5). The question is, do you believe he does them? If you choose not to believe in the miracles and you say that you believe in God, what kind of god do you believe in?
Application: Believe in God, the God of the Bible, the God of miracles!
Food for Thought: Why is it harder to believe God could flood the earth than Jesus walked on water?
Good devotion brother. To answer your question: I don’t think it is harder to believe that God could flood the earth than Jesus walked on water. Either would take an act of God. One is simply larger in scope and impact. We have to believe in a God who raises the dead. That would seem to fit in this same category. The question Jesus asked Martha in John 11: 25 – 26 reverberates through time to us today.
What we are really asking is: Do you believe God is? And do you believe God can?
Thank you, Rich.
Good scripture reference: “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
What do we believe? Our world has become very lost. People believe all sorts of odd things. More and more are beliefs have become divorced from reality. Like boiling a frog, we (our culture) have been led down the garden path until it is too late to turn back or jump out of the hot water. (Sorry about the mixed metaphors!)
What do you believe?
That is a great question to ask people. Then ask, “How is that working out for you?” The real metric, the measuring stick of success, is peace. Does your belief bring you peace? Do you have confidence in its reality? Is it forced or is it natural? Does it work?
Confused thinking is aggravated by anger and hate. Frustration is an indication that beliefs are not working. Yet we fall into the trap of trying the same thing over and over all the while hoping for a different result.
Thank God for God, and for His Word! Utterly reliable. Supremely realistic. Fantastically truthful. Full of hope and healing.
I’m with Ron. I believe both are true. God can do anything. I’m not the one who can put limits on what He can or can’t do. How much different is it from cleansing the world of sin to washing away the sin from this body. Or how each day is a new blessing. Thank you Jeff for your encouragement to believe.
Sorry j knew this would happen. I’m with pastor Rich.
LOL!
It has me going, too.
I think I’ll go Alpha-Numeric……. R2T2 has a nice ring.
Blessings
Tim,
Thank you! I found this meditation encouraging myself. I can’t count how many times I have gotten drawn into arguments about “How could God do such-and-such?” He is God! We exist only because he allows us too. Awesome! 🙂
12-16-2021, 2 Peter 3:6, Why is it harder to believe God could flood the earth than Jesus walked on water?
Peter looked to Jesus and walked on water. He took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. Matthew 14:22-33
Every believer has received life and the Holy Spirit as our teacher by placing our faith in Christ. From this point on we choose to live our lives in faith, eyes fixed on Him, or lean on our own understanding, apart from Him. Gods Word is full of teachings that are beyond our understanding and accepted by faith as we remain focused on allowing Christ to grow in us.
They are both works of God and equally easy or hard to believe depending upon who we are trusting.
Ron,
Nicely said! I love the reference to Peter keeping his eyes on Jesus, or not. 🙂
Good object lesson for us!
They are both equally believable and unbelievable… Sometimes I think I understand that God can do it all, whatever He wants (letting Him be outside the box). Sometimes I know that God being makes more sense than not but everything He does is so far beyond my imagination that I know but to some degree don’t believe….
Take your example of the flood, it starts with rain, more than any of us have seen. Rivers rising, oceans spreading. First the ground disappears, then the bushes, then the homes of everyone you know, then the tallest trees, hills, and mountains. A world without land or plant or the sight of the sun, until one day God remembers Noah on a boat and it all stops. Is it a beautiful sight or a scary one to see only water and sky in the sunlight? I think a better comparison of what is more or less believable is that God created all of that water, or that He put all somewhere when He was done with it! He drained a planet of water, of its water.
Take creating one tree. The trunk’s shape and coloring, the branches how they move and yet are solid, the sheer number of branches and twigs! How from there can one move onto understanding the leaves that grow on them? Each individual. Reaching for the sun, moving in the wind, holding up against rain and snow. Then think of the flowers, fruits and seeds how they form and grow and spread. What about the root system? Is it not just as complex as the branches! Not to mention absorbing nutrients, exchange of gases, the place it sits in the delicately balanced ecosystem, how it can be used for food, building, and tools.
There’s a point where I suppose I find the difference between belief and faith. I don’t know if I always believe that one being created/did it all by Himself, because I can’t even fathom what that really means. I certainly don’t believe it happened by chance. So I have faith. Faith in the unseen. Faith in the incomprehensible. Faith that my God is bigger than my imagination.
Is anything too difficult for the LORD?
A –
“Where did the water go?” is a great example of getting lost in the weeds. What does it matter? Ours is not to know how God does what he does. Like the magicians in Egypt (Exodus 7: 8-13), they understood how to turn their staves into little snakes or make a little water into blood, but soon God outpaced them. He did things that they could not even imagine doing. And he kept on doing them!
That is the essence of God being God. This universe we live in is simply clay in his hands, or Legos™ if you prefer that analogy.
I’m with A.