An Absorbing Log

EXPLORER Richard E. Byrd made five Antarctic expeditions from 1928 through 1956. By keeping a diary and accurate logbooks, he and his teams were able to determine wind drifts, prepare maps, and obtain considerable information about the continent of Antarctica.

Byrd’s expeditions illustrate the value of keeping a log. In a log, or logbook, a record is compiled of the details of a voyage or a flight. This information can later be used to review what took place or to analyze information that can be useful for future trips.

The Scriptures provide an absorbing account of the Deluge in the days of Noah. That global Flood lasted more than a year. In preparation for the Deluge, Noah, his wife, and their three sons and their wives spent 50 or 60 years building an ark​—a huge vessel with a volume of about 1,400,000 cubic feet [40,000 cu m]. Its purpose? To preserve some humans and animals through the Flood.​—Genesis 7:1-3.

In effect, the Bible book of Genesis contains what might be called Noah’s log of what took place from the beginning of the Flood until he and his family left the ark. Does it contain anything of significance for us today?