The sinking of Numenor - a lesson to whom?

[Macalaure]

Originally Posted by alatar

I think you mean that it was the Faithful that saved the Faithful. If the Valar were involved, there'd be some floating island involved . Manwe's eastward wind was to slow the progress of Ar-Pharazon (or at least to give his rowers something to do). This same wind pushed the Faithful to safety; sure, but if they were still on Numenor, no wind would have pushed them across so far a sea.

Umm, but...

Thus the fleets of the Númenóreans moved against the menace of the West; and there was little wind,...
...
For a wind arose in the east and it wafted them away;

...the wind was still or even came out of the east. I agree, of course, that the decision to be on the ships instead of on Númenor saved them. Without the special wind, however, that would very likely not have been enough.

Originally Posted by alatar

"My ways are not your ways, and I like drowning things."

Exactly.

Well, my nice little theory stands and falls with what Eru was thinking, which is the case with every theory about the destruction of Númenor. Sadly, that's guesswork entirely.