Noah and the narrative of the Flood is one that we’re taught as young children, but a darker understanding of it takes hold as we get older. God caused the earth to flood, killing nearly every human being. Opponents of the Church often point to stories like this to show the inconsistencies between the God of the Old Testament and the Christ of the New Testament. What they forget is that humanity had become so corrupted by sin that everyone killed by the flood was evil. It wasn’t an act of vengeance but an act of justice. Could God really be just if evil went entirely unchecked? Rather, God rescued this one faithful family and established Noah as the forebearer of Christ and all the renewed humanity to come. The Flood was an instrument of justice, but it was an even greater instrument of cleansing and repentance.