Tom

Why did God ask Noah to preach all those years he was building the ark and then just have him build one ark? If the future is open to God then He would not have known how many people would be saved and would maybe have needed many more arks. Yet He only had Noah build one AND still asked Noah to plead with the world didnt He? Seems that He knew there would only be the eight that would be saved doesnt it? God still gives us the chance to repent even when He knows the end from the beginning.

The ark certainly could have fit more than eight. Much more. Why would there only being one ark mean God knew there would only be eight people? Why not nine? Or twenty nine?

Also, if many people had responded to Noah's preaching, the flood need not have happened, just like Nineveh was not destroyed.

Tom, you're missing Aaron's point. God knew only 8 people would enter the Ark, so He gave Noah instructions to build an Ark big enough for 8 people and the animals. Conservative estimates make the Ark about the size of football field. Considering all the animals and supplies that were on board it is clear there wasn't enough room for a lot people. The idea God didn't know many people would get on the Ark isn't supported by the size of the Ark.

I didn't miss Aaron's point. I pointed out the ark could have accommodated many more than 8 people. Your assertion that it's clear there wasn't enough room for a lot of people isn't clear at all. There certainly was room for more than 8.

The point is that God obviously knew not very many people would choose to board the Ark. Otherwise, He would have instructed Noah to build a much larger Ark or more than one Ark.

Or stopped the flood from happening. Once you enter into speculation involving different things happening, all sorts of things are possible. In the case of Nineveh, where many repented, God did the equivalent of stopping the flood.

Also, knowing that "not very many people" would enter the boat is not the same thing as knowing exactly 8 would enter it.