Party in the Tub

by Terri Kammerzell

Truth of Genesis Ministry Partner

"Photo Credit: Dan Lietha"

Tomorrow (December 5) is “Bathtub Party Day.” Although you might likely have never heard of this one before, it actually has more of a following than some of the other novelty “holidays” I’ve written about this year. In fact, a simple Internet or social media search will bring up quite a number of results, including opportunities to save at dog spas, past celebrations that range from puppy-cute to adult-questionable (please use a safe search filter!), and even some Sesame Street throw-back scenes with Ernie and his rubber ducky. You’ll also find ideas to celebrate on your own, generally around the principle of lingering in a relaxing tub rather than taking a shower.

My favorite “bathtub party” images have always been those that represent happy animals on a boat, depicting a twist on the Noah’s Ark account of Genesis 6-9. However, these images are absolutely just that—fanciful twists on a very real and not-so-happy historical event. Often the scenes are also missing dinosaurs, reflecting a further misunderstanding of the truth of the Bible’s account of events. So, the question is . . .

Could dinosaurs really have been on the ark?
Yes. Because dinosaurs are really reptiles, they started out small and many continued growing their whole lives. God could have brought young dinosaurs to the ark, two of each kind, who would have survived the Flood with Noah and his family.

This might bring up some more questions, so let’s do a little review:

When were dinosaurs created?
Dinosaurs are land animals, so we have no reasons to believe that they were created at any other time than on Day 6 of Creation Week.

What is a “kind”?
In the first chapter of Genesis, we see the phrase “after his/their kind” used ten times. We see this phrase repeated three more times in Genesis 6:20 when God is instructing Noah about the ark. Both in the Creation account and in the Flood account, some skeptics challenge that there were too many animals either for Adam to name in one day, or for Noah to carry on the ark. However, in terms of biological classifications, “kind” is the equivalent of either genus or family, not species. So, not only did Adam really only have to name about 2,500 animals (which was doable even in as little as four hours),

Noah only had to accommodate a few thousand animals, which also was easily doable with the large dimensions described in Genesis 6. In fact, if you’ve never been to the Answers in Genesis Ark Encounter in Kentucky, it is worth a visit! You can see firsthand just the magnitude of the ship, and also how the animals—including dinosaurs—could have been compartmentalized and stowed for the journey. In fact, most dinosaur eggs were no bigger than a standard football, and God could easily have brought younger animals on board, not full-grown versions.

Was it a happy journey?
This is the real problem with the happy “bathtub party” style of the children’s pictures often portrayed in Noah’s Ark drawings. Not only are the animals completely out of proportion to the size of the boat, but they seem like they are on a pleasure trip across a calm sea with sunny weather. My friend, cartoonist Dan Lietha, points out in his presentation,  "Stop Mything the Boat", the dangers of portraying Noah’s Ark in such a fashion. In reality, a straightforward reading of Genesis 6-9 describes quite vividly the horrific storm and its purpose, which was to wipe the earth clean of sin. Many, many human beings and animals lost their lives as a result of God’s judgment of the sin and depravity that had infested the earth.

If dinosaurs were aboard the ark, where are they now?
After the Flood, the earth’s environment had completely changed. Some dinosaurs may have eventually died out due to lack of proper nutrition. Others may have been hunted for food or sport. Still, others may have posed a threat (real or perceived) to growing human communities whose bravest warriors fought and killed the beasts in order to preserve their families and legacies. We read stories about dragon legends from many cultures, and these were likely referencing real dinosaurs.
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Indeed, we can be certain that our God is not in the business of deceiving us. We can read His Word and take as true that He created all the animals during Creation week, that he brought two of each kind to Noah’s Ark, and that only the occupants of that vessel survived the Great Flood. Whether you celebrate in your tub tomorrow or not, you can give praise to the One Who made you, the dinosaurs, and all the other kinds of animals.

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/animals/dinosaurArk.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!

This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.