Genesis
7-8 the Flood
After 120 years of building the ark it was
time to board taking two of every kind of animal, male and female and the fowl
of the air by sevens, both male and female to replenish the earth after the
flood.
It took
seven days to fully load all the animals and fowl, afterward the door was shut
and the floods began vs. 10.The only human occupants were Noah, his wife, and
their three sons and their wives for a total of eight people to repopulate the
earth. Noah was 600 years old when he entered the ark.
Verses
11 & 12 shows that the rain continued for forty days and forty nights plus
the fountains of the deep were broken up.
The Amplified says the fountains of the
great deep were broken up and burst forth, and the windows and flood gates of
the heavens were opened.
This is the first mention of
rain in Scripture. Genesis 2:5-6 states that the whole earth was watered by a
mist as God had not yet caused it to rain. There are those who dispute a
worldwide catastrophic flood that covered the entire earth, opting for a more
localized flood, stating that there couldn’t possibly be enough rain or water
from beneath to cause such a phenomenon, and scientists are still debating how
much water it would take and where it came from.
We need to take God’s word
as truth, believing it by faith. 1 Cor.1:27-29 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty. And the base things of the world, and the things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought
things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence.
In other words, contrary to popular belief, we simply do
not have all the answers for God hath not chosen to reveal them unto us.
No
matter how much water it took, nor where it came from, it was sufficient to
cover the entire earth. Vs.17-20 states that the waters prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth…and rose fifteen cubits upward (one cubit is
estimated from 17 to 21 inches, so taking an average of 18” times 15 =
approx.221/2 feet above the mountains). Verses 21-23 every living creature that
was not aboard the ark—died. Virtually every culture on earth has some
variation of a catastrophic worldwide flood.
·
Verse 24 the waters prevailed on the earth
150 days after the waters stopped. 150 divided by 30 days = 5 months. 5 months
after the flood stopped.
·
Ch.8:4 on the 17th day of the
seventh month the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat [in Armenia].
·
Three months later, on the first day of the
tenth month the tops of the mountains were seen.
·
Ch.8:7 another 40 days and Noah opened the
window and sent forth a raven which flew to and fro until the waters dried up
from the earth.
·
Ch.8:8 a dove is sent forth and returns
having found no dry ground.
·
Ch.8:10-11 another 7 days and the dove sent
out again, returning with an olive branch. But they stayed another seven days
before sending the dove out again; this time not returning.
·
Noah, his family and all the fowl and animals
on the ark lived together until the waters abated and dry land appeared so Noah
and the occupants of the ark could touch dry ground to replenish the earth.
·
Calculating from when Noah entered the ark at
age 600, 7:11 until he left it, at age 601 8:13-14, he stayed in the ark 1 year
and 10 days, until God told him it was safe to leave the ark 8:15-17.
Ice Age
There
are numerous suppositions concerning the Ice Age or multiples thereof. However,
Scripture only touches on the subject one time, in Job 38:29-30. Out of whose womb came the ice? And the
hoary frost of heaven, who has given it birth? The waters are congealed like
stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. Amplified Bible
We know
there are glaciers all over the world and typically an Ice Age would cover
approximately 30% of the land mass. However, to assert a worldwide Ice Age
would be an extreme stretch on the imagination as it simply is not supported by
Scripture. The typical argument is that “it takes water to make ice”, therefore
since the world was covered with water in Noah’s day there must also have been
an age of ice at the same time. However, the fact that the waters receded after
only 1 year and 10 months, and the land was dry seems to refute that
hypothesis.
Surely
when Moses left the ark, after 1year and 10 days, if the whole earth were
frozen, the Lord God would have mentioned it. That appears to me to be a trifle
bit of information to omit absentmindedly. Don’t you agree? The passage in Job
28 could very well have been a localized situation as opposed to global.
Remember also that Job 38 are the words of the Lord God in His chastisement of
Job.
An altar to the Lord God
This was a major event in
Noah’s life as well as the lives of his family, so Noah built an altar to the
Lord God to worship Him, and when the Lord God smelled the burnt offerings of
every beast Noah offered, He accepted it and pronounced a covenant with Noah
which stands to this day.
Recalling the past events, I
suspect Noah’s offering was in regards to several facets:
·
Worship as the Lord of Lords, the Supreme God
of gods.
·
Prayer of thanksgiving for sparing their
lives from eternal destruction.
·
Prayer and thanksgiving for God’s provision.
·
Recognition of God’s boundless love for His
creation, particularly mankind.
·
God’s righteousness in destroying the wicked.
Faith Building Practice and Review
1. How
many years did it take to build the ark?
2. How
long did it take to populate the ark with all the animals, fowl and humans?
3. How
long did it rain upon the earth?
4. How
old was Noah when he entered the ark?
5. How
old was Noah when he left the ark?
6. How
long was the ice age upon the earth?
7. What
type of winter clothing and gear did God provide for the polar ice caps during
Noah’s day?
8. How
long was Noah’s stay on the ark?
9. What
insights do you have in regards to the altar Noah built?
10. How
much water did it take to cover the mountains?
11. Where
did the water come from?
12. How
deep was the water above the mountains?
Knowing God
A brief [not complete; add
to the list] synopsis of the persona of God. Circle each attribute of God as
illustrated in this lesson. Explain and designate the verse or passage.
·
Love
·
Gracious
·
Merciful
·
Righteousness
·
Longsuffering
·
Gentleness
·
Faithfulness
·
Compassionate
·
Forgiving
·
Friend
·
Anger
·
Sovereignty
·
Provider
·
Redemptive
·
Remnant lover and provider
The ultimate goal of Bible
study is to know God and not to merely memorize Bible trivia. As you study,
identify the attributes of God. For instance: make a note when you read of God
extending His forgiveness or compassion, and remember how He has done the same
for you
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