Ever since we started the renovations at our place in the country, it has always been a treat to go sit on the back porch and soak in the beauty of the Texas countryside. I can sit out there in the morning and listen to the birds awakening with the dawn and then enjoy the croaking of what must be ten thousand frogs and crickets in the evening. It is peaceful, quiet, and still – the way I long for my heart to be in the midst of the chaos of life. And it is in those quiet moments – when I am "still and know that He is God" – that God speaks to me and calms the storm within. That is what I want to share with you in these posts. I want to share my view from the back porch. Some of my posts will reflect a few of the things I have learned in my journey through life. Some will simply be statements of what I see in our culture and how we as Christians should respond. I teach a Bible study class each week to an extremely eclectic group of adults and some of the posts and videos I share will be taken from those lessons. I have no delusions of profundity but rather I hope to cause you to think, to laugh, to ponder anew your life as Christ would have you live it. Furthermore, I hope this will be a conversation and not just a monologue. I would love to hear your thoughts, hopes, fears and anything else you would feel comfortable sharing with me. It's wonderful to relax here on the back porch enjoying the view, so pour yourself some coffee (or the beverage of your choosing) and let's talk.
Joseph’s life was a roller coast full of severe ups and downs. He went from being the favorite son to the slave of Ishmaelites. Sold as a slave to an Egyptian official, he rose in responsibility and power to the head of the officials household. After being falsely accused in a “me too” situation he was thrown in prison. However, in prison his organizational skills earned him a similar position as the one given him by his former employer. Still, he was in prison for years. Only when Pharaoh needed a dream interpreted was he able to get out of prison. That led to Joseph being put in charge of all of Egypt.
All of these events led to Joseph being in a position to help his family avoid the ravages of famine. It also led to Joseph’s brothers fearing for their very lives as they remembered that they were the ones who sold him into slavery in the first place. However, Joseph reminded them that God had been with him through all of the trials and successes of his life. And God is with us as well.
God’s “withness” is all that we need to meet the challenges of life. He is Emmanuel – God with us and if He is with us, who or what can possibly be against us. Through Him we are more than conquerors.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, September 28, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is How Great Is Our God: Passing the Faith Along. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/how-great-is-our-god-old-testament-digital-study-guide/. Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
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We begin our study of Big Stories from the Old Testament with a look at the Big Flood. However, before exploring Noah and the flood itself we need to look at the concept of “myth.” In our culture the term “myth” implies something that isn’t true like the myth of unicorns or that the earth is flat. However, a myth by definition is nothing more than a story. Quite often ancient myths contained supernatural elements and more often provided explanations of how certain things came to be. Creation myths abound in ancient history and they are often accompanied by flood myths – stories of world-wide floods and those chosen to survive them. Of course we have our Creation Myth (capitalized intentionally) and we have our own Great Flood Myth.
The difference between our Biblical “myths” and the myths of other cultures lies in the distinction between two Greek concepts embodied in the Greek words “mythos” and “logos.” In the centuries just prior to Jesus’ incarnation discussions among the Greeks revolved around stories which were simply stories – mythos – and stories which were verifiable, rational, statements of truth – logos. In John 1:1 the apostle removes all doubt as to where the “stories” of Jesus fall in the discussion of mythos vs logos. He said that in the beginning was the Word (logos) and the Word (logos) was with God and the Word (logos) was God. In other words, the Biblical “Myth” is the True Myth – the True Story – of God’s creation and redemption of the world.
So yes, the Creation as recorded in Genesis is a myth – a story or account – but it is the True Myth or story of how the world began. Furthermore, the Great Flood myth, also seen in Genesis, is the True Myth of the how the world was cleansed by a world-wide flood in which Noah, his family, and the animal kingdom were saved in an ark. And in Jesus we find the Logos – the Word – who is the verifiable truth of God who not only confirms the True Myth, but also provides salvation through the cleansing of His blood – blood shed on an ark we know as the Cross.
Therefore, we see in the Great Flood and the Ark of Noah a type for the salvation we know in Jesus. In Biblical interpretation a type is an Old Testament person, thing, or event which is divinely created and established by God as a direct foreshadowing of a New Testament reality. Peter compares the flood to the cleansing waters of baptism. The ark is where Noah and his family found salvation from the flood just as we who are “in” Christ find salvation in Him. God said in the True Myth of the Great Flood that One would come who would bring salvation to the world.
In the 9th Chapter of Genesis we find God’s promise to never destroy the world by flood again. However, floods – not wordwide, but localized – are very much a part of our world. However, the same God who provided salvation in the Great Flood also provides salvation in the floods of the life; in the storms of life; in the wildfires of life. In Isaiah 43:1b-3a we read:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
When you pass through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
He is still our ark of Salvation!
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, September 14, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is How Great Is Our God: Passing the Faith Along. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/how-great-is-our-god-old-testament-digital-study-guide/. Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
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From The Back Porch 