God’s intention in the Flood may be understood, then, as an act of cleansing or purging, so that a new beginning may be made. It is not simply an act of judgment, but the necessary prerequisite for renewal. The account tells us that God treats sin with utmost seriousness. God does not tolerate evil but has the power and will to destroy it. But the Creator and the Judge of all the earth is also its savior. God will not cut off all life, but for the sake of one righteous soul will save all. And that is not the end. God’s decision to save creation is supported now by a pledge (covenant) to uphold the created order, to stand on the side of life—despite the continuing human inclination to sin. God makes a commitment to the world, to all life, to support it. Through this story of judgment, salvation, and covenant, the author declares that creation is dependent upon God, but also dependable, subject neither to human folly nor divine caprice. Thus the character of God as judge, savior, and sustainer of creation is made known to us at the beginning of the biblical story, and the pattern of God’s response to human sin is laid out, a pattern that will be repeated again and again in ever-new forms throughout the biblical story. (Phyllis A. Bird, The Bible as the Church's Book [Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1982], 99-100; cf. 1 Enoch 10 and the Theme of Purging Mirroring 1 Peter 3:19-21 and the Purging Effects of Water Baptism and my book “Born of Water and of the Spirit”: The Biblical Evidence for Baptismal Regeneration [For those who want a free PDF, email me at ScripturalMormonismATgmailDOTcom])
