Building: Evidence for the Flood and God's Faithfulness

"For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. … Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days." Genesis 7: 17- 24

Listen to the song, Build, Now Build on our music page!

Genesis seven tells us that the waters rose until “all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered,” and the song written by R. D. Fierro echoes that same truth.  The song, Build, Now Build says, “Then the waters will increase. The mountains won’t be seen.” So today we can  ask an important question:

Does the physical world around us bear witness to the kind of catastrophe Genesis describes?

Contrary to the critics the answer to that question is a clear, yes, the physical world does bear witness. That doesn't mean every geologist will interpret evidence the same way. But it does mean that the facts we can observe in the rocks, in the fossils, and in the shape of the land are entirely consistent with the historicity of the Biblical flood account. In fact, when we look carefully at the kinds of features spread across the world—vast sedimentary layers, cleanly stacked rock strata, marine fossils high in mountain ranges, enormous valleys and channels carved by water, and fossils preserved by rapid burial—we see evidence that is very difficult to explain by ordinary slow processes alone.

(Or listen to the podcast Build, Now Build Pt 2)

Genesis 7 says the waters increased greatly, lifted the ark, covered the mountains, and destroyed all air-breathing land life outside the ark. Build, Now Build reinforces that same sequence. Noah was told to build because judgment was coming. The waters increased. The ark kept life safe. And then, after the waters declined, life on land was preserved through Noah and his family. So, if that account is actual history, we should expect to find large-scale geological effects.

One of the first lines of evidence is the existence of enormous sedimentary rock layers that extend across whole continents. Sedimentary rock is formed from material that has been moved, sorted, deposited, and then compressed. When we find immense sheets of sandstone, shale, and limestone spreading across huge regions, the obvious question is: what kind of force could move that much sediment over that much area? Ordinary streams and local storms do not normally lay down continent-wide blankets of sediment. But the movement of vast quantities of water, carrying vast quantities of sediment, is precisely what the Flood account would lead us to expect.

When sedimentary layers stretch across large parts of continents, they testify to water moving on a scale far beyond what we normally see today. And when those sediments were buried under additional water-laden material, the pressure would have compressed them rapidly into layers that later hardened into rock. That fits naturally with a global flood in which the world was not merely rained upon but overwhelmed by moving water. These formations could only have arisen if vast quantities of dirt and sediment were deposited by enormous hydrological forces that spanned the continents. And we can see another line of evidence in places like the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon displays layer after layer of rock stacked one on top of another. In many places the boundaries between layers are remarkably clean. The layers do not look like surfaces that sat exposed for long periods, being carved, weathered, rooted through, burrowed through, and churned up before the next layer arrived. If one layer had formed and then remained exposed for thousands or millions of years before the next layer was deposited, we would often expect to see irregular erosion surfaces, deep weathering, animal burrows, root systems, and biological disturbance between the layers. Geologists call that kind of disturbance bioturbation. But where layers are cleanly laid one upon another, with relatively sharp boundaries, it suggests that one sediment package followed another quickly enough that there was little time for erosion or living organisms to make a ragged boundary. In a flood framework, that is exactly what we would expect—successive pulses of moving water laying down successive layers of sediment.

And that also fits the rhythm of the Genesis account. The passage says the waters rose and increased greatly. The song says, “The hundred years passed and the waters increased.” It presents a real historical sequence: warning, building, rising waters, preservation, and then the decline of the waters. If those waters were moving sediment on a global scale, we would expect widespread layers, rapid deposition, and clean contacts between many layers. And that’s exactly what we see.

A third line of evidence is the presence of sea creature fossils high in mountain ranges, including Mount Everest. The highest rocks on Everest are fossil-bearing marine lime stones. They contain remains of creatures that lived in shallow marine environments. That is an astonishing fact. The fossils are not evidence that fish swam around a mountain peak. They are evidence that the rocks now at extreme elevation were once marine sediments and were later lifted upward. That’s especially striking because the creatures associated with those marine lime stones were shallow-water sea creatures. The rocks were formed in a marine setting and later pushed up to the roof of the world. From a Biblical perspective, that is consistent with the Flood covering the mountains and with great earth movements during and after that catastrophe. If those mountains had been raised and then exposed for vast ages before the present, we would reasonably ask why delicate fossil evidence survived erosion so clearly. The preservation of marine fossils at such heights is powerful testimony that the surface of the earth has undergone enormous upheaval.

That brings us to a fourth line of evidence: the great valleys and channels carved by enormous flows of water. There are deep valleys, canyons, and scoured landscapes all over the world that bear witness to catastrophic erosion. The Biblical Flood did not only involve waters rising; it also involved waters receding. As water drained from continents, enormous quantities of water would have moved rapidly across the land, cutting valleys, transporting boulders, stripping soil, and carving channels.

That reminds us of the story of J Harlen Bretz and the Channeled Scablands of Washington state. Bretz proposed that immense floodwaters had carved the coulees, channels, potholes, and dry falls of eastern Washington. At first many geologists rejected the idea because it sounded too catastrophic. But after decades of additional evidence, geologists came to recognize that Bretz was right: immense floods had carved that landscape. Bretz’s work is a helpful reminder that catastrophes can do enormous geological work very quickly. He was not arguing to support Noah’s Flood, but his vindication showed that geologists had underestimated the power of massive floodwaters. Bretz thought a regional flood had carved the Channeled Scablands, but this is not the only possibility. A global flood and its recessive stage would have carved these features as well. Catastrophic water action is not fantasy. It is observable, measurable, and now accepted in cases where the evidence demands it.

The fifth line of evidence is the fossil record itself. Fossils do not normally form when an animal or plant dies on the surface. In ordinary conditions, oxygen, scavengers, bacteria, weather, and decay, destroys remains very quickly.

Fossilization requires the right conditions: rapid burial, mineral-rich sediment, and protection from oxygen and scavenging. The fact that fossils are found all over the world means that those burial conditions existed all over the world. A local event might produce local fossils. But a world filled with fossil-bearing sedimentary rock layers is consistent with a world that experienced widespread catastrophic burial. Genesis tells us that the Flood destroyed land life outside the ark. The fossil record shows us billions of once-living organisms buried in sedimentary layers around the globe.

When we put those lines of evidence together, the picture is compelling. Vast continental sedimentary layers point to moving water on an immense scale. Cleanly stacked layers point to rapid succession rather than long exposed intervals. Marine fossils on the world’s highest mountains show that sea sediments have been raised to tremendous elevations. Deep valleys and channels show that enormous water flows carved the land. And fossils everywhere testify to rapid burial under sediment.

All of that fits beautifully with the Biblical account. It also fits with the message of Build, Now Build. The song says, “For the earth I’ll curse, but by an ark mercy convey.” That is the point. The Flood was real judgment in real history, but God also provided real mercy. Noah did not save himself with cleverness. He obeyed God’s word. The ark was God’s appointed means of deliverance.

Furthermore, the song also says, “Wood had kept them safe in the flood. As now our saving comes from Christ’s blood.” That is where the historical and theological truths come together. The ark was made of wood and carried Noah through judgment. The cross was made of wood, and on it Christ shed His blood so that all who trust Him may pass from judgment into life.

That is why the historicity of the Flood matters. If the Flood is reduced to myth, then we lose the force of the warning and the wonder of God’s mercy. Jesus and the apostles treated the days of Noah as real history and as a warning for future judgment. Genesis gives us the foundation: sin is real, judgment is real, obedience matters, and God saves those who trust Him. The rocks and fossils do not replace Scripture, but they do support the truth that Scripture records events that occurred in space and time. Christians should not be embarrassed by the Flood account. The Bible says the waters covered the mountains. The song says the mountains were not seen and later were seen again when the waters declined. And geology shows us a world marked by sediment, fossils, uplifted marine rocks, and vast erosion features. Those are exactly the kinds of things we would expect if the Flood was a real global catastrophe.

We are not claiming that every geological detail is simple or that every scientist agrees with a Biblical interpretation. But we are saying that the evidence is not hostile to Scripture. In many ways, the evidence is what we would expect from Scripture. The world looks like it has been covered by water, buried by sediment, lifted by earth movements, and carved by immense flows as those waters receded. The lesson is not merely geological. It is spiritual. Noah heard the word of God and acted on it. He built because God had spoken. The song says, “Build, now build,” and that command carried both warning and hope. The same is true for us. God has spoken in Scripture. He has warned us about judgment, and He has provided salvation through Jesus Christ.

This subject is so important for families, churches, and students. Many people know the story of Noah, but they have never been taught that the story can be defended. They have been told that science disproves the Flood, but they have not been shown geological evidence that supports large-scale, rapid, water-driven catastrophe. They have seen fossils in museums, but they have not been reminded that fossils require rapid burial. They have seen pictures of canyons and mountains, but they have not been asked what kind of water and earth movement could produce those features.

Christians can be confident without being arrogant. We can look at the Bible, look at the world, and see that they are not enemies. The same God who inspired Scripture also made the earth. Properly understood, the creation bears witness to its Creator and to the truthfulness of His word.

The Flood account is not a disposable story. It is part of the foundation of Biblical history. It teaches us that God sees evil, judges sin, preserves His purposes, remembers His people, and provides salvation. The geological evidence gives us reasons to take that history seriously. Build, Now Build gives us a memorable way to carry that truth in our hearts. And the center of that truth is mercy. Genesis tells us the waters rose. The song tells us the ark kept them safe. But the greater message is that God provided a way of rescue. Noah and his family passed safely through judgment because they entered the ark God commanded Noah to build.

God has provided a greater ark in Christ. The wood of Noah’s ark points forward to the wood of the cross. The Flood reminds us that judgment is not imaginary, and the ark reminds us that grace is not imaginary either. God’s mercy is real. The call of the gospel is real. And the safest place in the universe is not a structure made by human hands, but the salvation God has provided through His Son.

 The Bible’s flood account is not unsupported legend. It is a historical account that is reinforced by major lines of geological evidence: continent-wide sedimentary deposits, rapid layering, marine fossils in high mountains, catastrophic erosion, and worldwide fossilization by rapid burial. These facts should encourage believers to stand confidently on the truth of Scripture and to point others to the greater rescue found in Christ.

We hope that the lessons in this Bible in Song series help people see that Scripture is trustworthy from the very beginning. Genesis gives us real history, real theology, and real hope. And songs like Build, Now Build help us remember that truth in a form we can carry with us and share with others.

Christians should not merely be familiar with Bible stories. We should be equipped to defend the truth behind them. Noah and the Flood are a prime example. The story is often dismissed, but the world around us contains powerful evidence of catastrophic water action and rapid burial on a massive scale. When we teach that evidence carefully and connect it to the gospel, we help people see that the Bible is not fragile. It is firm, reliable, and worthy of trust.

Listen to the song, Build, Now Build on our music page!

Excerpt from (the podcast Build, Now Build Pt 2), by Anchored by Truth from Crystal Sea Books.