Entering Into The Ark And Beginning Of The Flood Series

November 5, 2013

Commentary on the Book of Genesis

By: Tom Lowe

Lesson I.D.5: Entering into the Ark and Beginning of the Flood. (Gen. 7.6-16)

Genesis 7.6-16

6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

Commentary

6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

This passage begins by repeating what was recorded in the previous section concerning Noah’s entrance into the ark along with his family and the creatures.

The date of this event is recorded in the eleventh verse: “In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month.” It happened when Noah was six hundred years old. He had completed the great task which the Lord had given him to do. The animals were gathered into the ark and the supplies needed to feed them and Noah’s family had been put away. There could be no doubt in Noah’s mind that everything was ready and that now was the time for God’s judgment on Man, when the Lord’s mighty hand shut the door to the ark. God shut the door to keep him safe and secure in the ark, but also to keep all others out. They didn’t know how long they would have to live in the ark, but God knew, and that’s all that mattered. David expressed this view very well when he said, “The course of my life is in Your power . . .” (Ps 31.15). One year and ten days later, the same God opened the door and invited them to come out to live on His freshly cleansed earth—“Then God spoke to Noah, "Come out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons' wives with you” (Ge. 8.15, 16).