Similar to the Arabian Nights, the account of Noah and his family depicts the ideas of destiny, fate, and predestination intertwined hence falling into the canon of epic hero tales. Epic heroes in literature are mythical characters divine in nature, mostly with assistance from supernatural beings, and demonstrate superhuman abilities that help them achieve great things. Like other epic hero tales, Noah’s story of the ark demonstrates someone with paranormal powers in a quest for glory or deadly defeats. Destiny in literature is the outcome of actions achieved through participation, therefore determined by human action. Noah is a hero since he was ordered by God to build an ark to save his family and other creation. Destiny is demonstrated in Noah’s story when God intended to cause floodwater that would perish everything on earth apart from Noah if he was to build an ark as directed by God (Genesis, 6:9). Therefore, the destiny of Noah and his family was to be saved if he was to build an ark and observe his covenant with God.
Fate in literature is a concrete course of events predicted by supernatural powers or God, unlike destiny determined by human actions. In the story of Noah, the fate of non-believers is perishing, whereas for Noah, it was salvation, and nothing could change the course of events. The concept of predestination delineates the events that occur from God’s will concerning the eventual fate of the individual soul. Predetermination surfaces in the story of Noah and his family, when it rained flood and life was destroyed as predicted apart from Noah as the signed covenant. Moreover, it was predetermined from eternity that those who would not believe in God would experience His wrath and not be saved.
Reference
The Bible. (n.d). Including Old and New Testaments New King James Version. Web.