Genesis 7: 1 – 24
Things aren’t the same!
7 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. 2 You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; 3 also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” 5 And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him. 6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth. 7 So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, 9 two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark— 14 they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in. 17 Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.
Today we are going to take a look at the ‘Great Flood’. You and I live on this side of the flood. Things aren’t the same. Here are just a couple of these differences.
We read in Genesis 2:4-6 that a mist (dew) watered the earth. To scientists this meant that an atmospheric layer of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozonated air once covered the earth. This firmament/atmosphere was where part of the water came from. This would cause the earth to have a more temperate climate. There weren’t any temperature extremes. The earth’s climate would be mild and tropical. The falling of the firmament caused a reorganization of the atmosphere.
We read in Genesis 7:11 the fountains of the deep were oceans and underground water. Part of the floodwaters came from this source. The oceans were shallower and the mountains were smaller before the flood. After the flood the mountains rose and the ocean basins deepened.
The whole earth was then covered by water. This deposited great amounts of silt and sediment. The earth had great tidal surges. The soft sediment was eroded by the fast moving water. There were great canyons and valleys formed in a relatively short amount of time (weeks, days, not millions of years).
Let’s take a look at how it happened.
7 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. 2
We now see that the long period of activity required in chapter 6.22 is over and the time has come for Noah and his family to take refuge in the ark. Again the reason is stressed; it is because Noah is the only one of his generation to be acceptable to God through his faithfulness and his faith in God.
Now our Father God Yahweh gives more detailed instructions. In the previous verses He had stated that two of every kind of creature must enter the ark, so that their kinds might be preserved. Now He deals with the more practical element that it is necessary for more to be preserved of the ‘clean’ animals, and also of the ‘clean’ birds, which are both suitable for food and sacrificial offerings. This was clearly necessary or else the family would be unable to offer sacrifices to God until there would be time for the clean animals and birds to breed sufficiently.
2 You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female;
Already it is clear that there are distinct types of animals and birds considered suitable for sacrifice and for eating.
3 also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.”
The number of days given for getting all the living creatures aboard is seven, the number of divine perfection, God’s perfect time. The world began in seven ‘days’, now preparations for its decease will also take ‘seven days’.
As with Cain, so now the world are to be driven from the ‘face of the ground’, but this time with more finality, for they will be ‘blotted out’. The seven days was needed in order to get all the living things into the ark in readiness for the Flood, and it would seem to have taken up the whole time, for once they were in ‘on that very day’ the Flood came
Please notice the significant our Holy Creator God states - ‘I will cause it to rain -- I will blot out’. In chapter 2.5 when God was mentioned as ‘causing it to rain’ on the earth it was, by inference, to bring for man the means of survival. Now God will cause it to rain to bring judgment on man. Previously it had brought life. Now it will bring death.
5 And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him.
This comment finalizes the last section and introduces this one. Once again Noah’s obedience is highlighted, contrasting him with the corruption among the remainder of mankind. In verses 1-4 our Holy Father God has given His instructions, now in verses 5-9 we have Noah’s obedience in the fulfilling of those instructions.
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth. 7 So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood.
There is as yet no rain, but in full obedience Noah and his sons carry out the task of entering the ark and they take their wives with them. This links the sons in obedience with their father. It was as well they obeyed promptly. Although they were not to know it there would be more than rain in the cataclysm to come.
8 Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, 9 two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.
The emphasis here is on the fact that the creatures were in pairs, both male and female. I believe it is mentioned in order to stress God’s determination to repopulate the earth. Previously it had been ‘two of every sort’, compared with ‘two and two’ here.
10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.
As God had declared, so it was. Once His time was fully completed, the waters of judgment came.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
The description here confirms that there was more to it than rain. Waters flooded up as well as down. The seas rose as well as the rains falling. Huge tidal waves swept over the land to combine with the continual torrential rain from the heavens.
13 On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark— 14 they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.
Our Precious Holy Spirit teaches us all a valuable lesson in these verses, In order to memorize or get the message down pat in our minds you will notice that He repeats the truth that He wants us to absorb. So in 6.19-20 we have the Creator’s command to take creatures of all kinds into the ark, in 7.2-3 we have the command from God to take in seven pairs of clean creatures, in 7.7-9 we have the obedience to this command but shown as included in the fulfillment of the total command which is brief in summary form, and in 7.14-16 we have the final declaration of the fulfillment of the Creator’s plan in detail which ties in with the original command. This continual repetition stresses that these, and only these, survive the catastrophe and that the plan is to replenish the earth. The danger with such a horrific deluge was that attention might be on the dreadful flood, but the continual repetition ensures that the listener is kept very much aware of the survivors. As every good teacher knows, repetition of what is important aids the memory of his hearers.
Then our Holy God shut him and his family in’. Thus God tenderly ensures the safety of His servant. The thought is not that Noah left the blocking of the gap to God, but that God Himself ensured that what Noah had done was strong enough and safe enough for the ordeal ahead. In the end their security depended not on what Noah had done, but on the faithfulness of God, Who would watch over them in what was to come. They were safe because they were safe in His hands.
17 Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.
This is a masterpiece of build up about the Flood. ‘The waters grew deeper --- the waters prevailed and increased with great abundance --- the waters prevailed in great abundance and all the high mountains (or hills) under the whole heavens were covered’. This is repetition with a purpose. Each step is an increase on the previous one as the listeners and readers are gripped by the expanding cataclysm. Furthermore we even see the gradual movement of the ark, as it is first lifted from the ground, then borne up on ‘the face of the waters’ which have replaced the ‘face of the ground’. Then finally we have the fact that all the high mountains (or hills) are under water. The listeners and readers are carried along step by step with growing involvement.
21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.
Thus the writer stresses in detail in terms of what he has previously said - ‘all flesh died’ (6.13, 17), ‘all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life’ (6.17), ‘every living thing that was on the face of the ground was blotted out’ (6.7; 7.4). His repetition demonstrates the fulfillment of God’s every threat. Noah’s world would have to begin anew.
24 And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.
There was no let up. The Flood continued in its intensity. Imagine being in the ark. What would you thoughts be? Being hit with tsunamis left and right and thrown about for forty days and nights. Do you think you were getting any sleep? Were things breaking which needed emergency work? It surely wasn’t a nice boat ride.
