My question is about the ancient Biblical character of
the historical flood story. Was Noah, a colossal example for rejection, a
failure or success?
He was a man travelled throughout his land prophesying
the coming of heavy rain and flood. He preached for 120 years. But none believed
him; none followed him; none accepted his theory of rain and flood and none
entered his ark to escape the flood. Was he a failure?
Whatever may be our answer, the basic question we have
to answer is, ‘what really is success?’
The Biblical story goes like this.
Seeing the earth filled with sin, God decided to
destroy the whole living beings with flood. To cause flood, He would open up
the casements of the sky and heavy rain would fall on earth. This rain would
continue for 40 days and 40 nights causing great flood. The water would rise
above the highest mountain drowning everything living and non living on earth.
Thus God had planned to wipe away all sinful living creatures from this earth.
God further instructed Noah, a righteous man before God, to build an Ark as He
directs that would float above the water. Every living creature that entered
the Ark before the rain started would escape the flood.
The construction of the Ark took days 120 days during
which Noah, tried to warn the people about the coming natural calamity and
offered an entry into his Ark to escape the flood. But none listened to him. So
the final day came. Noah and his children along with their family and two of
every living creature except man entered the Ark. The door was closed. Rain
started. Flood occurred and the whole living creatures outside the Ark died.
The earth was covered by water for 40 days and 40 nights effecting geological
changes.
Let us look back into the historical incident event by
event.
1.
Noah was a wise man who got a revelation about an unprecedented natural
calamity. He might have been divinely inspired as the Bible says or might be a
wise scientist which was a race species at the time. He prophesized about rain
and flood. Rain was a never before natural phenomena at that time. It never
rained before. Mist wetted the earth. So his prophesy was hard to believe. His
science was foolishness to the people. But he believed in what he said. He had
a faith in his conviction. His faith in his vision was not dependant on other
people.
2.
Noah decided to build a huge Ark that would float on waters to escape
the flood. Even flood was a fantasy to the people. How could they believe that
an Ark would help them escape a fantastical flood? Noah engaged many men to
build the Ark. Noah gave the measurements and directions to build it. But even the
workers did not share the prediction. Many workers till today are like this.
The entrepreneur has a great vision. Many may work for him for salary. But they
never try to share his vision. The result is that they will never share the joy
of the final success of all their combined effort. Noah tried to impart his
vision in his workers and all the people around him. But they continued to
reject him. The workers were paid for their effort. But they failed to stand
with their leader. Hence they failed to enjoy the victory.
3.
During the period between the construction of the Ark and the coming of
flood, Noah tried to teach the people about his wonder revelation. He spoke
convincingly. He took utmost effort to communicate with them. He hoped to turn
the attention of at least one person to the impending natural calamity. But all
his theories of rain, flood and the Ark was rejected. He continued his effort
to teach the people for 120 years. On the last day, as raindrops started
falling down, he stood alone. He thought for a moment, “Am I a failure or a
success?”
This is a repeated story in history. Galileo
also spoke a truth about the universe. The then Church, political leadership
and the people jeered at him. They rejected Galileo. During the time of Noah,
all social systems and individuals rejected the theory of rain and flood.
4.
The rain fell, flood occurred. Noah and his family of eight members
entered the Ark, still believing in the revelation and the way of escape they
have prepared. Water drowned reptiles, animals, men and women, birds and the
highest mountains.
Noah had a rare revelation about the coming natural
calamity. He tried to warn and teach his own people. He was rejected.
He prepared a plan of escape from the troubled days.
None shared his plan. Even his workers whom he paid rejected all his ideas.
Still he held on to his vision. He could get no
partners, no followers, no ‘likes’, no ‘forward’, no ‘share’. Still he believed
that he is right, because he was right.
The rain and the flood happened. He could save none
except himself and his family.
Was he a success or failure?
He was a success to every detail.
Success is not measured by the number of followers.
Success is measured by the fulfillment of the vision.
Let a thousand reject us. If we can fulfill our
vision, we are a success.
Fulfilling vision is fulfilling the purpose of life. Fulfilling
the purpose of life is success.
Further
reading:
How Noah overcame the
troubled days? @ http://professorjacobabraham.blogspot.in/2013/03/how-noah-overcame-troubled-days.html
Professor Jacob Abraham
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