We usually think of him as just relieved, planting vineyards, maybe a little… tipsy. But imagine being Noah. You’ve just survived the unimaginable. The entire world, wiped clean. You, your family, and a boatload of animals are all that's left. Talk about pressure.
Well, the Book of Jubilees gives us a glimpse into that moment, a peak into Noah's heart. It's not quite the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) but it's considered canonical by some denominations and provides a fascinating expansion on the stories we know. What does it tell us?
It starts starkly: "And the Lord destroyed everything from off the face of the earth; because of the wickedness of their deeds, and because of the blood which they had shed in the midst of the earth He destroyed everything." It’s a blunt reminder of the devastation, the reason for it all. A complete reset.
Then, Noah turns to his sons. And this is where it gets really interesting. "And we were left, I and you, my sons, and everything that entered with us into the ark." Pause for a moment. Can you feel the weight of those words? The enormity of their survival? They are, in essence, the new Adam and Eve, tasked with rebuilding civilization.
But Noah isn't exactly optimistic. He continues, "and behold I see your works before me that ye do not walk in righteousness; for in the path of destruction ye have begun to walk." Ouch. Talk about a parental disappointment. After witnessing the destruction of the entire world, his sons are still messing up. It seems humanity's proclivity for trouble is, sadly, irrepressible.
And it gets worse. "and ye are parting one from another, and are envious one of another, and (so it cometh) that ye are not in harmony, my sons, each with his brother." Internal strife, jealousy, disharmony. Sound familiar? It’s the same old story, isn’t it? Even after a global catastrophe, human nature remains stubbornly, frustratingly… human.
So, what do we take away from this little snippet from the Book of Jubilees? Perhaps it's a reminder that starting over, even with a clean slate, doesn't guarantee a better future. It’s a call to action, a challenge to confront those deeply ingrained flaws within ourselves and strive for something… more.
Because, as Noah clearly saw, simply surviving isn’t enough. We have to learn to live together, in righteousness, and in harmony. And maybe, just maybe, avoid another flood.