Inspirational Quotes by Ken Ham

“You can research and easily find about 200 Flood legends without extensive research. Dr. John Morris of the Institute for Creation Research has done this.7 So has Japanese researcher Nozomi Osanai for her Master’s thesis at Wesley Biblical Seminary.8 In fact, I’ve done this too! Though there were more, I read over 200 flood accounts when researching a family book that I co-authored with Laura Welch on flood legends (The Flood of Noah, Legends and Lore of Survival, Master Books, 2014).”

“The discussion following will focus on the debate over these two primary alleged resting places, Cudi and Ararat. Key verses in the Scriptures need to be consulted before proceeding: Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen (Genesis 8:4–5). The tops of the surrounding mountains were seen 74 days after the ark landed in the mountains of Ararat. This gives the impression that the mountain the ark landed on was much higher than the others. So the obvious choice is Mt. Ararat, which today towers excessively over all the other mountains in the region.”

“No one was innocent in the sight of God anyway. Now imagine the cannibalism, rape, murder, child sacrifice, and so on. Yet God was patient. He gave a 120-year countdown to the Flood (Genesis 6:313) and even sent a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:514).”

“Methuselah, being raised by a godly parent, Enoch (who walked with God and was translated to heaven without death), was surely righteous as well (Hebrews 11:53). His death surely preceded the Flood unlike what is portrayed in the unbiblical movie Noah with Russell Crowe and Darren Aronofsky. Some have suggested that Methuselah died immediately before the Flood and hence a seven-day mourning period was in order. This possibly makes sense of why Noah was given seven days until the Flood came (e.g., Genesis 7:44”

“There is a misconception that children are innocent of sin, but this is not true. They can be wicked, violent, corrupt, and have evil thoughts all the time. Parents often concur that this is true! This is why parents are so important when training their children. But we know from the Bible that all were corrupt, evil, violent, and so on. This includes children. And children can further develop these habits from their parents if not trained in righteousness. If the Word of God was not impressed upon children, then false humanistic views were impressed upon the kids (Deuteronomy 11:1918)!”

“In a world full of wickedness and violence, did it ever worry Noah about the danger his family would be in during the trials of building the ark? Noah was righteous and standing against that wicked world. One would think he was a “target” or perhaps his family was a “target” for evil motives and possibly murder. But consider this wonderful verse of assurance given to Noah: But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark — you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you (Genesis 6:18).”

“How many children were alive at the time of the Flood? When a civilization becomes evil, who usually pays the price first? It is the children and babies. How many ancient cultures killed or sacrificed children? Far too many! In the Bible, we find evil people like Pharaoh of Egypt trying to kill baby boys through the midwives when they were born.”

“The primary reason is because of the eyewitness accounts of ark sightings in recent times. B.J. Corbin wrote a book on the search for Noah’s ark, which is helpful to anyone wanting to find out the details of various expeditions on Ararat. The book also discusses Mt. Cudi, the other proposed site. In the preface of the second edition, Corbin states: The only major reason to consider Mount Ararat is because of the few documented eyewitnesses. . . . There is a number of intriguing statements from individuals who indicate that there may be a barge-like or boat-like structure high on modern day Mount Ararat. These statements are really the primary basis for the search on Mount Ararat.11”

“Ancient historians like Josephus the Jew, Berosus the Chaldean, Hieronymus the Egyptian, Mnaseas, and Nicolaus of Damascus (Josephus even mentions these last four) discussed a powerful flood that occurred in their past. Ancient Greek historians like Xenophanes, Herodotus, Eratosthenes, and Strabo all commented on fossils being from a significant water event in the past (not always to the extent of biblical proportions but they understood the point).”

“For those familiar with creation, you may also be familiar with a particular scientific model that has dominated creation circles for about 50 years. This model has been denoted as the canopy theory or canopy model(s). In this science model, there was supposed to be a canopy of water (solid, liquid, or gas) that may have surrounded the earth from creation until its alleged dissipation at the Flood. The reason for this model was to try to explain a better atmosphere prior to the Flood and possible health benefits for man, animals, and plants. After all, man before the Flood was living to great ages. So this model was proposed based on the “waters above” in Genesis”

“Even in some older literature, such as in the writings of Byzantine historian Philostorgius in the fifth century, Ararat was suggested as the ark’s landing site. After the 13th century a.d., more sources affirm this mountain as the landing site.”

“There are several canopy models, but they all have one thing in common.3 They all interpret the “waters above” the expanse (firmament) in Genesis 1:7 as some form of water-based canopy surrounding the earth that endured from creation until the Flood. Then God said, “Let there be a firmament [expanse] in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament [expanse], and divided the waters which were under the firmament [expanse] from the waters which were above the firmament [expanse]; and it was so (Genesis 1:6–7).”

“Believe it or not, the secularists have even succeeded in passing laws that forbid the freedom of teaching about the global Flood in the state classroom or by state-sponsored places for fear of getting fired and sued! Sounds ludicrous, but this has occurred!”

“The necessity for a water-based canopy about the earth is not directly stated in the text. It is an interpretation of the text. Keep in mind that it is the text that is inspired, not our interpretations of it.”

“Also, the Bible does not explicitly say that it was only due to the water’s recession (which all sides agree is indeed a factor) as to why mountaintops were seen. The text says “the tops of the mountains were seen” (Genesis 8:5). This involves two things: water level (1) and visibility (2). This second factor that is often overlooked is the conditions that may affect visibility. The warmer ocean water (which is expected from the Flood with continental shifting, rising basalts from the mantle, and possibly some nuclear decay would surely generate heat and volcanism) gives off vapors and mists that form low-lying fog and clouds. Hence, visibility would likely be rather low. Genesis 8:5 may well be discussing the state of visibility and atmospheric condition regarding clouds and fog from the heated ocean just as much at it discusses water level.”

“Using the shorter cubit (18 inches), Noah’s ark would have been about: • 450 feet (137 meters) by 75 feet (22.9 meters) by 45 feet (13.7 meters) Whereas using the longer cubit of about 20.4 inches, Noah’s ark would have been about: • 510 feet (155 meters) long by 85 feet (25.9 meters) by 51 feet (15.5 meters)”

“For example, expositor Dr. John Gill in the 1700s said: The lower part of it, the atmosphere above, which are the clouds full of water, from whence rain descends upon the earth; and which divided between them and those that were left on the earth, and so under it, not yet gathered into one place; as it now does between the clouds of heaven and the waters of the sea. Though Mr. Gregory is of the opinion, that an abyss of waters above the most supreme orb is here meant; or a great deep between the heavens and the heaven of heavens.6 Gill agrees that clouds were inclusive of these waters above but that the waters also extend to the heaven of heavens, at the outer edge of the universe. Matthew Poole noted this possibility as well in his commentary in the 1600s: . . . the expansion, or extension, because it is extended far and wide, even from the earth to the third heaven; called also the firmament, because it is fixed in its proper place, from whence it cannot be moved, unless by force.7 Matthew Henry also concurs that this expanse extends to the heaven of heavens (third heaven): The command of God concerning it: Let there be a firmament, an expansion, so the Hebrew word signifies, like a sheet spread, or a curtain drawn out. This includes all that is visible above the earth, between it and the third heavens: the air, its higher, middle, and lower, regions — the celestial globe, and all the spheres and orbs of light above: it reaches as high as the place where the stars are fixed, for that is called here the firmament of heaven Ge 1:14,15, and as low as the place where the birds fly, for that also is called the firmament of heaven, Ge 1:20.8 The point is that a canopy model about the earth is simply that . . . an interpretation. It should be evaluated as such, not taken as Scripture itself.”

“In Genesis 1, some have attempted to make a distinction between the expanse in which the birds fly (Genesis 1:2018) and the expanse in which the sun, moon, and stars were placed (Genesis 1:719); this was in an effort to have the sun, moon, and stars made in the second expanse. This is not a distinction that is necessary from the text, and is only necessary if a canopy is assumed.”

“waters above” can’t be referring to a long-gone canopy that dissipated at the Flood and still be present after the Flood. This is complemented by: The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained (Genesis 8:2) Genesis 8:2 merely points out that the two sources were stopped and restrained, not necessarily done away with. The verses above suggest that the windows of heaven remained after the Flood. Even the “springs of the great deep” were stopped but did not entirely disappear, but there may have been residual waters trapped that have slowly oozed out since that time, clearly not in any gushing spring-like fashion.”

“Another oft-used argument is that pillow lavas should be found on Mt. Ararat if it formed underwater. For those unfamiliar with pillow lavas, they are formed when a volcanic eruption occurs underwater. The lavas that come in contact with water cause it to harden quickly in masses that look “like a pillow.”