Summary

Torrential Rain Word on the Week 2nd November 2024.
We were taught, “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain” – but no-one foresaw the deluge that hit the Valencia region this week. Perhaps it would be more correct to say it was warned by the weather forecasters but toned down by the authorities.
When the warning of catastrophic flooding finally came through the smartphones the floodwaters arrived moments later. The instinct to escape meant people got into their cars and headed out of the city. This proved their undoing as the heaviest of the rain was inland. The oncoming flood waters swept the vehicles on top of each other, blocking the roads, and drowning many in the torrent.
It has been reckoned a year’s rainfall came to east Spain in 8 hours on Tuesday night! Global warming heated the Mediterranean Sea to much higher than normal temperatures. This affected the normal induction processes which gathered up a large amount of moisture from the sea, transporting it towards Spain. On meeting the colder air above the land the rain clouds released their load with cataclysmic effects.
There has been comment of flood waters reaching Biblical proportions. The Noah flood which is often referred to, came as an act of judgement after much disobedience. The Godly line from Seth was in danger through inter-marriage with Cain’s line (Genesis 6 verses 1 and 2).
The times were not dissimilar to our own. Scripture records, ‘The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time’(Genesis 6 verse 5).
Noah was a righteous man and ‘he walked with God’. He, his three sons and their wives were chosen to enter the ark Noah was commanded to build for their salvation as well as the animal and plant life (Genesis 6 verses 9 to 22).
Forty days of rain in addition to water from springs caused the global flood. When the face of the world had been washed clean the flood receded and Noah and those in the ark came back to dry land. Noah built an altar to worship the Lord (Genesis 8 verses 18 to 19).
Jesus anticipated a return of human behaviour to the pre flood time. He said, ‘In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man’ (St Matthew 24 verses 38/9). Be prepared! Trust in Jesus.