Jars of Clay – Flood

Jars of Clay initially started as a Contemporary Christian band, migrating towards the rock genre over their career.  Their name derives from the NIV and ESV translation of 2 Corinthians 4:7.  They began their career in 1993 and released 11 albums alongside many EP’s.

They won several awards, including five GMA Dove’s, three Grammy’s, and five Broadcast Music Incorporated awards.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Jars-of-clay-flood-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

This song borrows from the account of Noah and the flood in Genesis 6-9 to contrast our sin-stained lives that lead to spiritual death with “your” liberation.  Who is “you”?  The hints that point us to God are the mention of 40 days and the Biblical term “sin”, making it difficult for us to interpret differently.  Without these two pointers, this song would be ambiguous.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

This song aligns with God’s inspired Word.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-4: Jars of Clay uses a rain metaphor, drawing inspiration from Genesis 7:12 to describe guilt and shame, leading to eternal separation from God (Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43, Romans 6:23, Jude 1:7, Revelation 14:11, and Revelation 20:10).

[Chorus]

Lines 1-8: Draws from the same Genesis 7:12 reference to contrast drowning in sin and asking God for rescue (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24).

Side Note: Contrary to popular belief, the flood lasted longer than 40 days and 40 nights.  According to Genesis 7:11, the flood started on “on the seventeenth day of the second month” when Noah was 600. Genesis 8:13-14 tells us that on Noah’s 601st year, “by the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry”.  This is a little over a year, with the number of days dependent on which calendar the author of Genesis 7 and 8 used.

[Verse 2]

Lines 1-4: Provides more ample evidence that my interpretation of Verse 1 and Chorus are correct.  The dead giveaway is the first line: “downpour on my soul”.

[Verse 3]

Lines 1-4: This combines previous concepts given in Verse 1, Chorus, and Verse 2 with God taking away tears (Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 7:17, and Revelation 21:4).

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers should be quick to see the various flood references and its connection to Noah, understanding that Jars of Clay expressing a deeper meaning.  This is similar to the popular David and Goliath image that uses a real-life event to explain a figurative concept.  Namely, that they are drowning in their present lifestyle and need God to help them.

My only criticism is that unbelievers may not know what the word “sin” means, that it’s making mistakes as opposed to breaking God’s laws and commandments.

Score: 9/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God by modeling life before and after God’s rescue.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Jars of Clay’s Flood is inspirational.  It uses Noah’s account of the flood to communicate God’s rescuing us from our guilt, shame, and sin, bringing glory to God.  Unbelievers should easily arrive at the same conclusion, though perhaps misunderstanding lawbreaking for error.

This song inspires, but is probably not appropriate for corporate worship.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Flood (listen to the song)

Artist: Jars of Clay

Album: Jars of Clay

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 1995

Duration: 3:32

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.