God’s not just upset with humanity. He says, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them" (Genesis 6:7).
Wait a minute. The BEASTS? The creeping things? Did the bunnies and the beetles do something wrong? What's their sin?
That’s the question posed in The Midrash of Philo, a collection of interpretations and expansions on the Torah, attributed to the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria. Now, Philo lived a long, long time ago, around the first century CE, and he was deeply influenced by Greek thought. He tried to reconcile Greek philosophy with Jewish tradition, which made for some fascinating interpretations.
So, back to the animals. Why them? The Midrash of Philo asks this very question: "Why God, after having threatened to destroy mankind, says that he will also destroy all the beasts likewise; using the expression, 'from man to beast, and from creeping things to flying creatures;' for how could irrational animals have committed sin?"
It's a fair point, isn't it? Animals act on instinct. They don't have free will in the same way humans do. So, why punish them for humanity's wickedness?
There are many interpretations, of course. Some say it's about the interconnectedness of creation. That humanity's sin corrupted the entire world, and everything had to be cleansed. Others, and this is a common thread in Jewish thought, suggest that the animals suffered because of humanity. Our actions ripple outwards, affecting everything around us. If humanity is corrupt, it impacts the natural world, too.
Think about it: if humans are violent and destructive, they might also mistreat animals. They might overhunt, destroy habitats, and generally disrupt the balance of nature. So, in a way, the animals are paying the price for human sin. Not because they themselves are guilty, but because they are victims of human actions.
This idea resonates even today, doesn't it? We see the consequences of our actions on the environment all the time. Pollution, climate change, deforestation… These aren’t just abstract problems. They affect the animals and plants that share our planet.
So, perhaps God's decision to include the animals in the flood wasn't about punishment, but about a complete reset. A chance to start over, with a new covenant and a renewed sense of responsibility. Maybe it was a tragic but necessary consequence of humanity's failure to care for the world God created.
What do you think? Does this explanation sit well with you? Or does it still feel unfair? Maybe that’s the point. Maybe the story of the flood isn’t just about divine judgment, but about forcing us to confront the consequences of our choices and the responsibility we have to protect all of creation, not just ourselves.