Song - What If Noah...

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

When the LORD saw man’s evil increase1,

And their wicked ways never would cease,

He was grieved to the core,

and said "I'll strive no more2.

With a flood I'll remove this disease.3”

[Verse 2]

But to Noah, who was good in His sight4,

He said "build an ark, and I'll seal it up tight.

Gopher wood rooms within5,

Bring the beasts, two by kin6,

For it will rain 40 days and nights.”7

[Verse 3]

But what if Noah replied,

“Why make a vessel so wide?

If the valley will drown,

I’ll just head out of town,

I'll move up from the flood and I’ll hide”.

[Verse 4]

God's warning was firm and so plain:

“I will send forty days of hard rain.

All that breathes through its nose

will be getting the hose8,

listen to my voice, use your brain!”

[Verse 5]

Noah moved to the hills with a grin,

Said, “The lowlands are soaked in their sin.

If the rivers all swell,

in the highlands I'll dwell,

these slopes are a guaranteed win.”

[Verse 6]

Yet the word had already been sworn:

“Every high hill where life has been born,

under heaven’s whole span,

beast and woman and man9,

shall be covered when judgment is poured.”

[Verse 7]

Noah climbed to a mountainous height,

reaching the top around midnight.

Said “while the highlands will weep,

way up here I shall sleep,

surely here I am out of God's sight.”

[Verse 8]

But the LORD found his camp on the peak,

and said "son, your efforts are weak!

Noah, open your eyes,

for the waters will rise,

build the ark, hear the words that I speak!"

[Verse 9]

The real Noah trembled and heard,

he obeyed God's unbreakable word10.

It wasn't local, he knew,

that God would send the deluge.

He believed every line that occurred.

[Verse 10]

So when Scripture speaks of a great flood,

let it not be dragged through the mud.

If God says “all the earth,”

take that for what it’s worth11.

Trust the Lord, who for us shed His blood.

Background

"What if Noah..." is a satirical jab at those who claim the Genesis flood was a local one. The song, consisting of 10 limericks, proposes an alternative history wherein Noah, upon being forewarned of the flood, also holds the local flood interpretation. Rather than obey the direct command of God, the hypothetical Noah formulates his own plan to escape the incoming wrath: He climbs progressively higher, hoping to flee above the water level before the flood arrives.

Each time Noah settles on a high point, God finds him and reiterates that the flood will be global. But Noah consistently interprets the flood as still local, but a smidge more dangerous than expected. Thus, he climbs higher and higher, until finally he makes it up a mountain. God again tells him this won't work, and gives a final command to just build the ark.

It's left ambiguous whether or not the hypothetical Noah finally took the hint, because the song transitions back to the real Noah, who absolutely did. Noah did not believe the flood was local, and obeyed with fear and trembling. The song concludes we should likewise take God at His word. The local flood interpretation just isn't consistent with Scripture. In fact, while it is obviously modified to fit the lyrical style, the song directly paraphrases several direct quotes from the Genesis flood account - mostly just from Genesis 6. This is speaking only about the pre-flood warnings. A whole other song could be written containing the Scriptures that make it abundantly obvious God followed through - He promised the flood would be global, and it was.

This includes the promise at the end. The rainbow serves as a sign of the Noahic covenant: God would never again judge the Earth with a flood. If the flood was local, that promise has been broken, and God cannot be trusted. By contrast, if the flood was global, the promise was kept, and we can trust God's other promises. That includes salvation by grace through faith in the Risen Son. I had to put this in here, because in my opinion, the value of a Christian song drops dramatically if it doesn't at least hint at the Gospel. It would still have some value in that it encourages reliance on His word, but reliance on His Son is the thing all Christians have in common. Thus, even if they believe something so foolish as the local flood model, any Christian should be somewhat motivated to believe the word, as surely as they believe Christ.

Scripture references

1. Genesis 6:5

2. Genesis 6:3

3. Genesis 6:7

4. Genesis 6:9

5. Genesis 6:14

6. Genesis 6:19

7. Genesis 7:4

8. Genesis 6:17

9. Genesis 6:13

10. Genesis 6:22

11. 2 Peter 1:19

AI usage

This song was produced using Suno.