HBS & DwJ Podcast

Our scripture will be coming from:

Genesis 8:20-22 KJV
[20] And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
[21] And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
[22] While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Now it is time for our verse break down:

Genesis 8:20
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Literally, “a high place” - probably a mound of earth, on which a sacrifice was offered. There is something exceedingly beautiful and interesting to know that the first care of this devout patriarch was to return thanks for the signal instance of mercy and goodness which he and his family had experienced.

This is the first altar mentioned in Scripture​—​though it is not the first blood sacrifice, see Genesis 4:4. When Noah was commanded to save pairs of animals in the ark, more clean animals were spared than unclean ones, as found in Genesis 6:19, 20; 7:2, 3.

Perhaps the act of sacrifice noted in the verse before us has been intended from the beginning, provision for it having been made by keeping more of the appropriate animals alive. We are not told what differentiates clean animals from unclean ones at this point in history, but Noah somehow knows the difference.

Now do you see why Noah took seven of the clean beasts and only two of the unclean?

He is now offering the clean beasts as sacrifices.The first thing that Noah did when he came out of the ark was to build an altar to the Lord and offer a sacrifice, a burnt offering, to Him.

That burnt offering speaks of the person of Jesus Christ. It was offered on the basis of acceptance before God and of praise to God in recognition of Him. Without doubt, this was one of the things that caused God to be pleased with Noah at this particular time.

Genesis 8:21
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

The writer, Moses, uses figurative language to describe God’s response to the sacrifice. Since God is a Spirit, as we read in John 4:24, we need not assume that God smells things the same way we do or has a literal, physical heart.

Nevertheless, we understand such language. The same manner of figurative language is used when Scripture speaks of the, hand and arm, of the Lord found in Deuteronomy 4:34, 5:15, 7:19, etc.

This kind of figurative language is known as (an·thruh·pow·mor·fuhk) anthropomorphic. The point being made is that God accepts the offering. Moses will use the same kind of language later to describe the sacrifices and burnt offerings that the new nation of Israel will be commanded to present to the Lord.

But we may wonder to what end God accepts Noah’s offerings. In later times, burnt offerings will atone for sin found in Leviticus 1:1–9, and to ordain the Aaronic priesthood found in Exodus 29.
Some suggest that Noah’s offerings are for atonement for the sins of all who perished in the flood, but that is not likely.

Ordinarily an offering of atonement is made in lieu of punishment, but those who have perished have already been punished. More likely, Noah’s sacrifice is to purify the earth.

Aaron and his sons will offer burnt offerings to purify themselves for the new priesthood centuries later; similarly, Noah offers sacrifices to cleanse the earth as home to new generations.

Up to this point in the Bible, the ground has been spoken of as being under a curse only twice. The ground was cursed in Genesis 3:17 because of sin. Only with difficulty would humanity be able to make a living from it.

Much later, Noah’s father, Lamech, prophesied Noah to be the one to bring relief from the burdensome toil because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. The question that arises, then, is whether the statement I will not again curse the ground here in 8:21 refers to the flood itself or to the original curse of 3:17.

If the latter, then the prophecy of 5:29 is fulfilled—but then we have to ask why thorns and thistles still interfere found in 3:18, and why agriculture still involves sweat-producing labor found in 3:19. If the reference is to the punishment of the flood, then the promise to not again curse the ground is another way of stating the promise never again to flood the earth.

The reason given, because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth, fits better with the concept that the flood itself was the curse of the ground that will not be repeated. Time will reveal that the flood is not the permanent solution to sin, so repeating it will serve no purpose.

The sacrifice of Christ will be needed to address the heart need and sin guilt of people.
You can just write it down that that is true.

What about your youth?

Was your imagination evil or not?

In our contemporary society we can see the rebellion of youth, and isn’t it interesting to note the direction they have gone?

They have gone in the same direction. Every imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth—and it does not improve.

Genesis 8:22.
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

It has been suggested that the Flood was so extensive that it tilted the earth. As you know, the earth is not straight on its axis. We are off center, if you please. The magnetic center is different from the center on which we are revolving. Something happened somewhere along the line, and it is the belief of many that this is when it took place.

Because the earth revolves like that. that gives us our seasons. It is sort of going around like a wobbly top. You remember that when you were young and would spin a top, the top would run down and get wobbly. That is the way the earth revolves today, and as a result we have the seasons.

Prior to the Flood, man learned the three R’s:
(1) Rebellion against God was realized—it came right out in the open.
(2) Revelation from God was rejected by man. Noah’s witness did not reach them.
(3) Repentance was absolutely repudiated; there was no return to God at all. Men refused the refuge that God provided, and for 120 years Noah had no converts. These are the three R’s.

Men led in rebellion, they rejected the revelation, and there was no repentance on their part. Now as this man Noah comes forth from the ark, he stands in a most unique position. He stands in the position of being the head of the human race again—the same position Adam had.

It is said that we are all related to Adam, but we are closer kin than that: we are all related in Noah. In one sense, Noah is the father of all of us today. Days and years and seasons come about by the rotation of the earth and the tilt of its axis as the planet moves around the sun. These are constant and unchanging.

But sometimes weather can block awareness of those constants. In a strong storm, the sun can be obscured to such an extent that daytime seems like night. One can imagine that the 40 days of rain Noah experienced were difficult to count.

The cloud cover needed to produce such rain probably blocked sunlight almost totally during much of that time. In addition, the months that passed with water high enough to cover the mountains, found in Genesis 7:20, 24, surely resulted in climate change.

Evaporation of the floodwaters would have caused significant cloud cover once again. The earth would have cooled during this time. Perhaps Noah and his family were able to discern a significant change in climate by the end of their time on the ark.

This could have caused concern about where such climate change would lead. This promise in the verse before us allays any such fears. Even when storms are strong enough to obscure the sun for a time, day and night shall not cease.

Climate change may occur, but there will still be summer and winter. In one area the winter may bring snow, but in others the winter is more of a rainy season. Still the seasons change with regularity as the earth continues on its course around the sun.

Even so, the Lord does allow for cataclysmic change​—even outright destruction. The constant change of seasons that allows seedtime and harvest will continue only as long as the earth itself does so.

Peter refers to the Noahic flood as an illustration that God is able to judge the world and that there is coming another destruction, one by fire, found in 2 Peter 3:6, 7. But until that time of judgment, the cycles of the seasons will continue.

Perhaps we should spend more time warning of the coming judgment because of sin rather than worrying about predictions of climate change because of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere!

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Genesis 9:5 KJVS
[5] And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

Genesis 9 opens with God's blessings and commands to humanity as the world resets following the flood. In the previous verse, God commanded humans not to eat the blood of animals, calling the blood the creature's "life." This is one of the first moments in Scripture where blood, specifically, is tied to life.

Later, through moments such as the first Passover (Exodus 12:1–7), and the sacrifices in the temple (Exodus 29:19–21; Leviticus 4:1–21), this reverence for blood will be magnified. The ultimate meaning of this symbol will be fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7).

This verse pivots from an animal's lifeblood to the shedding of the blood of humans. This is a new command for the way human communities should conduct themselves; it is a change from God's requirements for mankind before the flood. Specifically, God will require a reckoning—a dire accountability—when the lifeblood of a person is shed.

God will require that reckoning whether the one who kills a person is a man or an animal. The next verse will reveal that reckoning to be the death of the one who kills any human being. Following the first recorded murder in Scripture, God allowed Cain to live and, in fact, to thrive on the earth.

With this new beginning after the flood, however, God will require death for the intentional, unjustified killing of another person.


Our topic today is:

Earth Dries - Noah Leaves The Ark For A New Beginning Discussion

The floodwaters continued to recede. The tops of the mountains became visible.
Noah sent out birds as a test to see if any dry land was nearby (Genesis 8:6–7). If the birds returned, the assumption would be that they found no place to land and/or make a home. After trying a raven, Noah turned to doves.

First, one returns empty handed. Next, one returns with a freshly plucked olive leaf. The third dove doesn't return, at all. Noah removed the covering of the ark and confirmed that the land was, indeed, dry (Genesis 8:14).

Still, Noah waited to hear from God that it was time to leave the ark. Nearly two months later, God gave Noah the command to leave, along with his family and every living thing aboard.

After a full year on the ark of their salvation, the remnants of life disembarked to begin again (Genesis 8:16–17).

Genesis 8:13
And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

And it came to pass, in the six hundred and first year,....
Of Noah's life, and so the Septuagint adds, in the first month: the first day of the month. It was the first day of the year, New Year's Day, and a joyful one it was to Noah and his family, when they saw dry ground. Which they had not seen for above ten months.

The waters were dried up from off the earth: by the wind that continued to pass over it, and by the sun, which exhaled great quantities of it throughout the whole summer season. It was from the end of the one hundred days, when the wind was first made, and the waters began to assuage to this time. As well as also by their soaking into the earth, and by returning to the cavities and receptacles in it:

and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked.
Not the roof of it, at least not the whole, only a board or two. Though perhaps this was a covering made of skins, that was thrown over the ark, like that which was put over the tabernacle of Moses, and was made of skins, found in Exodus 26:14 where the same word is used as here.

The use of this might be to hang over the window and defend it from the rain. The uncovering of the ark was only putting by, or turning up this covering, that he might be able more clearly to see, out of the window, how things were.

And, behold, the face of the ground was dry; the ground or surface of the earth looked dry. But was not so dry and hard as to bear heavy bodies, or the foot to tread on it, being soft and tender, through the water so long upon it, and had left mud and slime, not yet sufficiently hardened by the wind and sun to walk upon.

This brings us to 261 days, so that the total time of the Flood was 371 days, extending over a year. That also conforms to the statement of Scripture that the Flood was universal; it was not just the filling of a swimming pool—it certainly was more than that!

There have been other discoveries that have revealed something concerning the Flood.

I would like to pass on to you the words of Dr. J. E. Shelley who takes the position that the Flood was universal, that it covered the entire earth: “The most striking example of this is found in the case of the mammoths. These elephants are found buried in the frozen silt of the Tundra, Siberia, all over the length of the Continent of Asia, and in the North of Alaska and Canada.
They are found in herds on the higher ground not bogged in marshes, hundreds of thousands in number.”

He goes on to say that these elephants have been examined and found to have drowned. If they had just gotten bogged down, they would have died of starvation.

“The farther north one goes, the more there are, till the soil of the islands of the White Sea inside the Arctic circle consists largely of their bones mingled with those of sabre-tooth tiger, giant elk, cave bear, musk ox, and with trunks of trees and trees rooted in the soil.

There are now no trees in those regions, the nearest being hundreds almost thousands of miles away. The mammoth could not eat the stunted vegetation which now grows in this region for but three months in the year, a hundred square miles of which would not keep one of them alive for a month.

The food in their stomachs is pine, hawthorn branches, etc. These mammoths were buried alive in the silt when that silt was soft. They and the silt were then suddenly frozen and have never been unfrozen. For they show no signs of decomposition.

Mammoth ivory has been sold on the London docks for more than a thousand years.
The Natural History Museum purchased a mammoth’s head and tusks from the ivory store of the London Docks. This head was absolutely fresh and was covered with its original fur.”

If you doubt the universality of the Flood, here is more than enough evidence to convince you.

Genesis 8:14
And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

Probably only as much of it as would afford him a prospect of the earth around.
Yet for about two months he never stirred from his appointed abode till he had received the express permission of God. We should watch the leading of Providence to direct us in every step of the journey of life.

Genesis 8:15
And God spake unto Noah, saying,

Whether in a dream or vision, or by an articulate voice, appearing in an human form, or by an impulse on his mind, is not certain.

However, the Lord spoke so to him, that he heard him and understood him: it was, no doubt, very rejoicing to him, since he had not heard his voice for a year or more, at least that we read of; and what he said to him was as follows.

Genesis 8:16
Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.

They went forth in the most orderly manner - the human occupants first, then each species, after their kinds, found in Genesis 8:19, literally, according to their families, implying that there had been an increase in the ark.

The Jewish writers observe, that the manner of Noah and his family coming out of the ark is different from that of their going into it. When they went into it, then went the men by themselves,
and the women by themselves, and so continued apart in the ark, the use of the marriage bed being forbidden them, being a time of distress.

But now when they came out they are coupled together, signifying that they were now free to cohabit together.

Genesis 8:17
Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee,....
There is a various reading of the word for "bring forth"; according to the margin, the sense is, order them to come forth; and according to the Scripture, if they will not, oblige them to come:

of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth;
for of each of these there were some that went with him into the ark, and continued there:

that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth,
for which end they were preserved in the ark. It is said, on the earth, not in the ark, which shows that birds and beasts were likely not allowed to couple, and that they did not breed there.

It is a question with some, how the creatures, which were only in Asia at their coming out of the ark, could spread themselves all over the earth.

Particularly how they could get into islands, and especially into America.To which it may be answered, that this might be done by many of them, by swimming over narrow seas, for some wild creatures will swim whole days and nights together, when they are forced to it; and by men's carrying others in vessels to distant and different parts, on one account or another, either for profit or pleasure.

And especially, what is it the power and providence of God cannot do, who could not be at a loss for ways and means to replenish a world in all the parts of it He had made desolate, when it was His pleasure?

Most creationists think the earth entered an ice age after the flood. This would make the sea level lower than it is today. If the average sea level was lowered by only six hundred feet, all the major continents would be connected by land bridges. Animals could easily migrate to any continent.

Genesis 8:18
And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:

And Noah went forth,....
Being obedient to the divine command, and no doubt with great pleasure in his countenance, and with a heart full of thankfulness for so great a deliverance:

and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
in all eight persons, and no more were saved in the ark, as Peter observes, 1 Peter 3:20 and the Arabic writers say,Noah and his sons built a city near the place where they came out of the ark, and called it Themanin, giving this as a reason of the name, we are eight, that is, who have escaped;
The earth being dried of the waters, there were then only eight people in Armenia, from whence all mankind sprung.

Genesis 8:19
Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth,....
All went out, not one was left, and they went out.

after their kind;
not in a confused disorderly manner, mixing with one another; but as they went in by pairs, male and female of every sort, so they came forth in like manner, or, according to their families.

By which it seems as if the creatures did breed in the ark, and had their families of young ones.
went forth out of the ark; everyone with his mate, in order to procreate and multiply upon the earth.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Matthew 11:28 KJVS
[28] Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Jesus has made an extraordinary claim and now He makes an extraordinary offer to all who hear Him.

He claimed in the previous verse to be the only one who knows God the Father and to be able to reveal the Father to anyone He chooses (Matthew 11:25–27).

Now He makes an invitation: if you're struggling and tired, I can give you relief. Here is the implication. Jesus' Jewish listeners were engaged in a mighty struggle to know God the Father.

Their religious leaders had placed enormous burdens on them (Matthew 23:4), and they were laboring to carry those burdens in hopes of being approved by God.

Jesus has just said that He can reveal His Father to anyone, and He immediately offers rest to everyone who is weighed down. Jesus is not talking about physical rest, necessarily. The following verse will describe it as rest for the soul.

The path to the Father through Jesus is not one of weary labor and heavy work. Jesus' earlier analogy about the path to life being narrow and "difficult" (Matthew 7:14) is entirely separate, and speaking from a different perspective.

From the view of the world, following Christ means taking on difficult circumstances and giving up worldly pleasures.

From the view of eternity—of salvation—following Christ means giving up the impossible task of carrying our own sin.

Christ does not say it here, but the gospel will reveal that Jesus is offering to carry the burden and do the work in order to lead those who come to Him—those who are "yoked" to Him—to the Father (Matthew 11:30; John 6:29).


Our topic today is:

The Rains Cease Discussion

Because the biblical account is a reliable record of earth history, it is to be expected that these milestones would be significant in correlating the prominent geological features preserved in the rock record.

For example, we are told that the onset of the Flood was triggered by the breaking up of the fountains of “the great deep.”

This would imply a violent beginning to the Flood, as springs or fountains of water burst forth to spew vast quantities of water and perhaps other material onto the surface from deeper inside the earth.

Furthermore, because this subterranean water and other materials bursting forth is mentioned first in Genesis 7:11 and 8:2, this may suggest that the majority of the water for the Flood came from that source and perhaps helped to supply the waters that are referred to as falling through “the windows of heaven.”

The springs of the great deep were likely the trigger that ultimately resulted in the continental-sized break-up of the earth’s crust.

The bursting forth of subterranean waters would probably produce tsunamis (granting the ocean depth was sufficient) and would therefore seem to also imply that the Flood began with catastrophic means.

Thus, this description of the onset of the Flood provides clues as to where we should look in the geological record for the pre-Flood/Flood boundary.

Of course the issue of pre-Flood sedimentation needs to be discussed.

Rivers, such as the Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel (Tigris), and Euphrates (Genesis 2:11–14), would have been carrying some sediment for about 1656 years from the Creation.

It is also possible for other smaller catastrophes to have occurred during this time (e.g., volcanoes).

This raises an interesting question: were these sediments disturbed and/or redistributed during the Flood or were they buried in situ?

Another milestone with geological implications is day 150.

At this stage of the Flood, we are told that the Ark came to rest in the mountains of Ararat. This implies that modern mountain-building, at least in what we now call the Middle East, had begun (see also Psalm 104:8–9).

Furthermore, if our current understanding of mountain-building is correct, the formation of the mountains of Ararat required the Eurasian Plate, African Plate and Arabian Plate to collide with one another (perhaps with some contribution from movement of the Indian Plate).

The springs of the great deep were likely the trigger that ultimately resulted in the continental-sized break-up of the earth’s crust.

The biblical account also indicates that on day 150 the springs of the great deep were stopped and the windows of heaven were closed, so from then on the waters began to steadily recede.

Therefore, we might expect to see in the geological record evidence of a transition, perhaps from larger scale sediment layers to smaller scale geologic effects, as well as higher concentration of basin, abyssal plain, and continental shelf sedimentation.

Yet another milestone is day 314.

By this time during the Flood event, the biblical account indicates that the water had receded from off the continental land surfaces sufficiently for the surface of the landscape to essentially be dry, at least in the areas as far as Noah could observe.

Then, finally, by day 370 the earth’s continental land surfaces were dry.

Thus, it can be noted that the recessional stage of the Flood (when the waters were retreating) lasted about five and half months, while the Flood’s inundatory stage (when the waters were rising) lasted exactly five months.

The recessional stage lasted almost the same length of time as it took for the water to overtake the earth globally.

The Flood event finished with another two months needed to complete the drying process.

After the Flood ended on day 370 (with the command for Noah to exit the Ark), it would seem that the hydrological cycle had already been re-established.

This is indicated by the rain clouds through which Noah saw the rainbow, and the set times for seedtime and harvest in accordance with the seasonal cycle of rain (Genesis 8:22; 9:12–17).

Of course, other milestones throughout the Flood account could be highlighted, but these are most relevant to geological and weather processes, and should suffice for this brief overview.

Genesis 8:1
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

God’s covenant with Noah brought provision and protection in the midst of severe judgment.
The remnant was preserved and God initiated steps toward reestablishing the created order on earth.The waters subsided. God used the wind to dry the ground; evaporation returned water to the atmosphere.

Genesis 8:2
The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

The passages which let out the subterraneous waters in great quantity upon the earth, and the clouds of heaven, which poured down water upon it like spouts, were stopped from sending forth any more, as they had from the first of the flood unto one hundred and fifty days from thence.

And the rain from heaven was restrained:
This seems to confirm what has been before observed, that after the rain of forty days and nights it ceased not to rain, more or less, though not so vehemently, until the end of an hundred and fifty days, and then it entirely ceased.

Genesis 8:3
And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

Or "going and returning"; they went off from the earth, and returned to their proper places appointed for them; some were dried up by the wind, and exhaled by the sun into the air: and others returned to their channels and cavities in the earth, or soaked into it:

and after the end of the hundred and fifty days, the waters were abated;
Or began to abate, which days are to be reckoned from the beginning of the flood, including the forty days' rain. From the time of the ceasing of it. So that there were from the beginning of the flood one hundred and ninety days. Six months, and ten days of the year of the flood now past.

Genesis 8:4
And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

That is, five months after the flood began, and when the waters began to decrease; for this is not the seventh month of the flood, which lasted only five months, but of the year.

the mountains of Ararat.
These were in the region of the Caucasus, also known as ancient Urartu, where the elevation exceeded 17,000 feet.

Genesis 8:5
And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

The decrease of the waters was for wise reasons exceedingly slow and gradual - the period of their return being nearly twice as long as that of their rise.

in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen;
not the tenth month of the flood, but of the year, the tenth from when the rain began.

Genesis 8:6
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

It is easy to imagine the ardent longing Noah and his family must have felt to enjoy again the sight of land as well as breathe the fresh air. And it was perfectly consistent with faith and patience to make inquiries whether the earth was yet ready. We could say that this is the beginning of the end of the Flood. Notice what Noah does:

Genesis 8:7
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

The smell of carrion would allure it to remain if the earth were in a habitable state.
But it kept hovering about the spot, and, being a solitary bird, probably perched on the covering.

Genesis 8:8
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

Frankly, Noah becomes a bird-watcher. He sends out these two birds, the raven and the dove. Seven days after he had sent out the raven, as in Genesis 8:10.

to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
for the dove is a creature that delights in cleanness, flies low, and goes far off, so that if it returned not again, he might conclude that the waters were gone off the earth. But being a sociable creature, and familiar to men, and especially loving to its mate, if they were not gone off, it would certainly return again.

Genesis 8:9
But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

It being a creature that feeds upon seeds it picks off from the ground, and loving cleanness, it could find no place where it could alight, and have food to live upon, and retain its cleanness. For though the tops of the mountains were clear of the waters, yet they might be muddy and filthy with what the waters had raised up in them, or left upon them.

And therefore it returned to Noah again, and not only like the raven unto the ark, but into it:
for the waters were on the face of the whole earth:
there was no place dry, and so neither food nor footing for this creature. Which was an emblem of a sensible sinner, who finds no rest in anything short of Christ; not in worldly enjoyments. Nor in external duties, not in hearing, reading, praying, fasting, nor in external humiliation and tears. Nor in the law, and in the works of it; nor in natural descent, nor in education principles, nor in a profession of religion, and subjection to ordinances.

Only in Christ, where it finds rest from the burden and guilt of sin, and the tyrannical power of it.
From the bondage, curse, and condemnation of the law, and from a sense of divine wrath and fear of it.

And though not from afflictions, yet it finds rest in Christ amidst them:
then he put forth his hand and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark:
she hovered about it, and got near the window, which Noah opened and took her in; Which may represent the gracious reception sensible souls meet with from Christ, who apply to him; He kindly embraces them, and they find room in His heart and affections, fulness of everything they want, and security from all danger.

Genesis 8:10
And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

As he had stayed seven days between the sending out of the raven and the dove, so he stayed seven days more after he had sent out the dove, and it returned to him, waiting patiently for his deliverance, and the signs of it.

Though he could have been glad to have known its near approach, for which he made the experiments: and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; probably the selfsame dove he had sent out before.

Genesis 8:11
And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

It having been out all day delighting itself in a free air, and perching upon the trees, but yet not finding sufficient food, or a proper lodging, it returned to Noah at the evening for food and dwelling in the ark:

and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off:
which might easily be done, and even an "olive branch", as the word sometimes signifies, and is by some rendered; for it being now the summer season, young branches sprouted out, which being tender, were easily cropped.

so Noah knew the waters were abated from off the earth:
by this he perceived not only that they were gone off the mountains, but the lower grounds, at least the hills on which olive trees delight to grow; and yet that they were only abated, and not entirely gone off, since the dove returned to him:

This dove sent out the second time, and returning, may be considered as an emblem of a Gospel minister, comparable to a dove, for the dove like gifts of the Spirit of God, by which he is qualified for his work, and for his simplicity, harmlessness, meekness, and humility;
The olive leaf in its mouth may be an emblem of the Gospel, which is from Christ, the good olive; is the Gospel of peace, which an olive branch is a symbol of, proclaiming and publishing peace and reconciliation by Christ;

And as that is ever green, the Gospel always continues, and is the everlasting Gospel, and which was brought, and more fully and clearly dispensed in the evening of the world;
And by it, it is known that the waters of divine wrath are assuaged, and the people of God may be assured they will never return to come upon them.

Genesis 8:12
And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

After the dove had returned: and sent forth the dove; the same dove again: which returned not again unto him any more:
the earth being dry, it found rest for the sole of its feet, sufficient food to eat, and a proper place for its habitation; and liking to be at liberty, and in the open air, chose not to return to the ark, even though its mate was there:

I want you to see a great spiritual truth that we have here in the eighth chapter in this account of the raven and the dove.

After Noah had spent over a year in the ark, he sent forth a raven, and the raven never came back. But the dove kept coming back and even brought in its beak a little bit of greenery, an olive leaf.

I do not know why the dove and olive leaf have always been symbolic of peace, but they are.I cannot qu ite see that that is exactly the message of the dove ...

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Romans 5:1 KJVS
[1] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Romans 5 begins a new section of Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. He has finished his argument, in chapters 1—4, that nobody can be made right with God by following the works of the law of Moses. This "justification" is impossible by works, because nobody follows the law well, let alone perfectly (Romans 3:10, 23).

Human beings can only be declared righteous and escape God's angry judgment on our sin by faith in what He has done for us through Jesus' death, meant to pay for our sin, and His resurrection, which secures our justification (Romans 4:24–25).

Now Paul turns a corner, to describe what we have gained in being justified by faith. It's true that we have escaped the wrath of God, but being righteous before God means so much more than just not being punished for our sin.

Before jumping into these benefits, it's important to remember that Paul is writing to Christians. That is the context of his comments in this section, which should not be misunderstood. Paul's use of the term "we" in this passage is not universal—it does not apply to all of the entire human race.

He is describing what is true for those who have trusted in Christ's work for our salvation. This is made explicitly clear by his explanation of faith and belief in the prior passages. Paul is not saying all people everywhere have peace with God, only those who, as he and his readers had done, have believed in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.

It's also helpful to notice that Paul describes this act of being justified by God, of becoming a believer, as something in the past. For those who are Christians, that transaction is complete. Our status before God will never again be in doubt. Paul does not describe a process, or a future event. Eternal salvation is accomplished once, and forever, when a person comes to faith in Christ.

Paul begins by showing that those who have been justified in God's eyes have peace with God. Paul does not mean by this that we feel peaceful, that we experience no anxiety. He means that we are right with God. We are at peace with God from now and through eternity.

This is possible only "through our Lord Jesus Christ." In Christ, God has made a permanent peace with us. And since He is the one who made it, it is peace that can never be lost.

Our topic today is:

Flesh Destruction And Ark Salvation Discussion

This passage points to a very specific day in the life of Noah for the beginning of the flood. Scholars have suggested many possible reasons this date might be significant.

The most obvious one may be that including a specific date for the beginning of the flood gives the report authenticity. In short, the flood is not a myth. It began on an actual day in the history of the world.

On that day, the Creator began to destroy much of what He had made and nearly all of the wickedness sinful humanity had made on the earth.

Now, in verse 12 we're told for the first time that it rained for 40 days and nights. The Bible credits Noah with obedience to God (Genesis 6:22; Genesis 7:5). That obedience is a key part of the story here, as the flood begins.

At the very beginning of this chapter, Noah is given the command by God to board the ark. Common sense says it would take time to finish loading the ark with all the animals and last-minute supplies.

According to verse 4, God had given Noah seven days' notice. This verse shows how Noah's obedience was, once again, critical to success. On the very day they finished boarding the ark, the flood waters arrived. Any delay would have been catastrophic.

On the day the flood started, apparently, the small company of humans and huge contingent of animals, birds, and insects entered the ark. Whether this meant every animal, or, more likely, the last of the animals which had been boarding, the text does not specifically say.

The human men are named here again: Noah and his three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Each man had a wife, who is not named. Together, these eight people would restart the human race in the new beginning God would establish after the flood.

It important to remember that Genesis claims a supernatural work of God in gathering and delivering these animals to the ark. God wanted to save a representative of every kind of beast, every kind of livestock, every kind of "creeping thing" (which would include insects), every kind of bird, and every kind of winged creature.

As some have noted, such a collection of predators and prey, of large animals and small, could never have occupied such a space together if God had not orchestrated it for the purpose of preserving animal life on the planet.

The repetition of this information is also part of the story. A theme of Genesis is God's ability to make good on His promises. Earlier parts of this story describe what God is predicting, later ones describe those events happening exactly as God said they would.

Rather than simply saying, "animals went on the ark," Scripture emphasizes the details. This highlights the idea that God's will, and His knowledge, are specific. Most of this information is not new, but the Bible often repeats details in order to make a point.

God's will, and His knowledge, are specific. When He says something will occur, it occurs exactly as He predicted. Verse 16 also makes a very specific, very important point about how the ark was sealed in preparation for the flood.

The closing of the ark is specifically credited to God Himself. This symbolism will become crucial in our understanding of God and salvation. This is important for two reasons.

First, this act emphasizes that it is God who is saving life from judgment. And, it serves as a reminder of God's promise to preserve those He has saved. Both to Noah, and to us, this is a symbol of God's ability to keep those He has saved.

Second, and of critical importance, is the fact that the door was not shut by Noah. When every life meant to be saved had boarded the ark, God shut Noah and all who were with him inside. Their security wasn't earned by something Noah had done.

Noah was not the one who decided when the door would be shut, or when the opportunity for salvation would be lost to those outside. All of these are exclusively God's prerogative.

Although the waters destroy everything on land, they do not prevail, over the ark. We were told in the previous verse that the boat floated high above its original place on the ground.

Now we're told that it floats on the surface of the water. The ark and its inhabitants were on the move. It's worth noting that the ark is actually not a "boat." There are no oars, sails, rudders, or other controls mentioned.

It has one purpose: to float above the destruction, and let God take care of the rest.

Genesis 7:11
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.

The water came from above and from below. As well, it is believed by some Scientists, and rightly so, that the waters came with such force from the Earth, that it would have taken only a few days to have cut the Grand Canyon and other such similarities.

Genesis 7:12
And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

The literal Hebrew translation is, “And there was violent rain...”.

Genesis 7:13
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;

This verse shows that on the day the rains began, Noah and his family entered the Ark.

Genesis 7:14
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.

They, Noah and his family, went into the ark; as did all sorts of beasts and cattle, reckoned one hundred and thirty sorts, by some one hundred and fifty, including serpents: Supposed to be scarce thirty sorts; not one sort of creature was left out, though ever so small, and despicable.

If divided into nine sorts, and reckon them up to be one hundred and ninety five in the whole. Bird of every wing, let their wings be what they will; some, are winged with feathers, others with skin, as bats.

Genesis 7:15
And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

The Lord gave these animals the instinct to do what they did.

Genesis 7:16
And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

The contrast between the two names of the Deity is most vividly presented here. In this one Verse, both “God” and “LORD” are used. It is “Elohim” Who commands Noah about the beasts
It is “Jehovah,” the Covenant God, Who ensures his safety by closing the Ark behind him.

Nothing can more fully express the Believer’s perfect security in Christ than those words, “the LORD shut him in”.

Genesis 7:17
And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

Wherever it was that Noah built the Ark, the flood waters reached it, and it began to float.

What is the scientific, historical evidence for the Flood?

Genesis 7:18
And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

Probably pertains to the fact that the scoffers flattered themselves that it would abate, and never come to extremity; but still it increased, and prevailed.

Genesis 7:19
And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

Those who dwelt upon the tops of the loftiest mountains perished equally with those who lived in the deepest valleys. There was no difference.

Many who live upon the mountains of morality think themselves secure from the judgment of fire that is now coming, and pity the certain fate of those who live in the depths of vice.

But without Christ, all will perish.

Genesis 7:20
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
Above the highest mountains.

Many Scholars believe that before the flood the tallest mountain in the world was approximately 10,000 feet or less. “the great deep being broken up” changed much of the topography of the world, making huge canyons and, at the same time, huge mountains.

Genesis 7:21
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

The fish were not destroyed, but others that had animal life in them, of which motion was a sign upon the earth were. Excepting those that were in the ark. This general destruction of the creatures, as it was for the sins of men, whose they were, and by whom they were abused, and is expressive of God's hatred of sin, and of his holiness and justice in the punishment of it.

So, on the other hand, it is a display both of the wisdom of God, in causing a decrease of the creatures, in proportion to the decrease of men, who now would not need so many.
And of the goodness of God to those that were spared, that so the beasts of the field, especially the wilder sort, might not multiply against them, and prevail over them, see Exodus 23:29. Except those in the ark.

And the number of them is supposed to be as great, if not greater, than of the present inhabitants of the earth, by those who are skillful in the calculation of the increase of men. It is thought it may be easily allowed, that their number amounted to eleven billion. And some have made their number to be eighty billion.

The Apostle Peter calls them, the world of the ungodly, 2 Peter 2:5.

Genesis 7:22
All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

Not one wave of that judgment reached Noah; he was absolutely safe. Noah could not perish because the Ark could not perish. The Ark could not perish because Jehovah was in the Ark.
In effect, the Ark was Christ.

Therefore, God was in Christ, reconciling man unto Himself.

Genesis 7:23
And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

Only those who are “in Christ” are saved. There are no exceptions [Jn. 3:16]. On the other hand, there have recently come from the press several books by men whom I consider to be pseudo intellectuals and pseudo theologians. They take the position that the Flood was local, that is, that it was confined to the Tigris-Euphrates Valley.

In other words, it was sort of a big swimming pool and that is about all. The Genesis Flood absolutely demolishes that thought altogether, and I am sure that you realize that the Scriptures make it very clear that the Flood covered the whole earth.

God said that the entire earth was going to be destroyed by the Flood. “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Gen. 6:13).

The human family had already gotten to North America, and the animals were certainly there—nobody would argue that point for a moment. But if you say that the Flood was not universal, then you have someone besides Noah starting the human family over again—and that is just not the way the Word of God tells it. You are on the horns of a dilemma, as I see it: you either have to accept the Word of God, or you have to reject what it says.

To my judgment, to attempt to make a case for a local flood is actually, in the long run, to reject the Word of God. The Holy Bible makes it very clear that it was a universal flood. “And every living substance was destroyed . . . and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.”

Genesis 7:24
And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Which is to be reckoned not from the end of the forty days' rain, but from the beginning of the flood.
For from the seventeenth day of the second month, when the fountains of the deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, unto the seventeenth day of the seventh month, when the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat, and the waters decreased, were just five months, or one hundred and fifty days.

Until which time the waters increased yet more and more, even after the forty days' rain.
So that it seems there was a continual rain afterwards, or otherwise it is not so easy to account for the increase of the waters. In other words, for a period of approximately half a year, for five months, the waters prevailed on the earth.

The Genesis Flood not only answers the question of its being a universal rather than a local flood, but it also answers this question of uniformitarianism. There are those who take the position that there was no such thing as a great convulsion or catastrophe like the Flood.

Peter makes it very clear that we should expect such scoffers. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Pet. 3:3–4).

The scoffer has always been a uniformitarian, but you could not very well hold that position and accept the integrity of the Word of God at this particular point.
This is very important to see.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

2 Peter 1:3 KJVS
[3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Some Christians struggle with sin, spiritual weakness, and apathy.

Are such people missing something?

Have they been left unequipped by God?

What have we not been given in order to lead the life God calls us to?

Peter's answer is simple: We're not missing anything. We are fully equipped. But we have a choice about whether or not we'll really use those spiritual tools. This requires effort on our part.

How are we equipped?

It didn't happen naturally. We weren't born with it. We didn't earn it through hard work or good behavior. For those in Christ, God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.

Like salvation, all of this was ours when we came to know God (through faith in Christ of course). As Peter will make clear, knowing God, the source of all life, is the only path to being fully equipped to live as GOD calls us to do.

And how does He call us?

By His own glory and goodness, meaning "moral excellence." Jesus sets the standard for what is good and glorious, calls for us to follow, and fully equips us to make the journey.

Our topic today is:

Passengers In The Ark – All That GOD Commanded Discussion

In verse 16, God has told Noah that He would put an end to all the people on the earth. This is due to their violence and evil (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:13).

After making this grave announcement, God gives Noah instructions about how to build an ark (Genesis 6:14–16).

Those directions included the materials Noah should use, the dimensions of the ark, and the features it needed to have. This verse, now, is actually the first time that God reveals how He will destroy all life.

God will bring a killing flood to wipe out everything that breathes. All land-dwelling life will die. In some sense, this is God taking His creation back to a very literal "reset."

In the beginning, God transformed the earth by bringing land and animals out of the water. In the flood, He will send the earth, at least symbolically, back into the state it was in prior to man's creation.

This must have been overwhelming for Noah to hear. God is going to judge mankind by destroying almost all people. That judgment will wreak havoc on the animals and the land, as well. Beyond that, only Noah and his family will survive, and only by constructing a massive ark.

Indeed, it's overwhelming for us to consider, all of these millennia later. God is planning to exercise His authority as Creator and Lord of all the universe by delivering justice against human sinfulness and violence.

As the following verses will reveal, God will also demonstrate His grace by saving one human family and two of every animal so that created life will continue.

Verse 17 summarized God's plan to wipe out all land-dwelling life on earth with a flood.
Before that, God had given Noah instructions on building the huge ark which would carry man and animals to be spared.

Here, God specifically tells Noah that he and his family alone would be saved from the flood. In doing so, God uses a word which will become important for God's people forever: covenant. This term implies more than just a simple contract, or agreement. It carries the idea of a pledge and a promise.

God says that He will establish His covenant with Noah. In this case, God wants Noah to understand that the Lord is obligating Himself to save Noah and his family from the coming destruction. The purpose of God using this language is trust.

A covenant is a very solemn, serious obligation. Its worth is only as good as the person making it.
At the same time, it implies that the one making the covenant is staking their entire reputation on upholding their end of the bargain.

So, when God tells Noah He is making a covenant with him, it implies the most absolutely binding, serious kind of commitment. If Noah cannot place his trust in a covenant from God, he can't place his trust in anything.

God's covenant with Noah—and through Noah with humanity to follow—will be further developed in the coming chapters.

God has revealed to Noah that He will wipe out all land-dwelling life on earth with a great flood. The reason for this is the pervasive wickedness of mankind (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:11–12). He has given Noah instructions about building an ark, a huge structure meant to float while carrying men and animals.

Most importantly, God told Noah that he and his family would be saved from the flood by entering the ark. In doing so, God says he will make a covenant with Noah. This implies the most serious, solemn kind of promise. Here, God gives Noah a truly remarkable command: Bring a pair of each kind of animal with you in the ark.

For those in the modern era, particularly those in the west, we may be so familiar with the story that the enormity of this command doesn't affect us. And yet, it must have sounded daunting to Noah.
Not only is he being tasked with building an enormous box, but he has to put an enormous number of animals into it!

Fortunately, God will later suggest that the animals will come on their own (Genesis 6:20). As we will see in the next verse, though, God's command was motivated by God's desire to preserve the good creation that He had made for future generations. This, again, shows God's plan to preserve humanity.

Rather than simply obliterate life, and the human race, God graciously provides to help heal from this catastrophe. This command is universal: Noah will bring two of every kind. Just a few verses from now, God will provide more specific instructions regarding "clean" animals, which will require seven pairs each (Genesis 7:2).

In verse 19, God commanded Noah to bring into the ark with him and his family a male/female pair of every kind of animal. Now God expands and clarifies the command.

First, the animals will include birds, insects, and every other kind of land-dwelling animal.

Second, all of these animals would come to Noah to be kept alive. These creatures would have been necessary to re-populate and replenish the land ravaged by the upcoming flood. With the addition of the detail that the animals would come to him, Noah's impossible task of building the ark and collecting the animals becomes a little less impossible.

God would exercise His supernatural authority over the animals to direct specific pairs to come to the ark to be saved from the flood. Noah isn't being asked to scour the earth capturing unwilling animals. He's being asked to prepare an ark for the ones which come to him. That's still daunting, but much more within the abilities of one man.

We see in this command that God's response to the great wickedness of humanity is not simply to destroy all life, but to preserve life, as well, for a new beginning. The flood is not an act of revenge, but of drastic healing.

God's last instruction to Noah in this extended passage has to do with the practical matter of food. In addition to building the ark and planning for all the animals that will come to the ark to be saved, Noah must consider what food will be necessary for the journey. He and his family will need to acquire and store every kind of food that the animals, birds, and insects will need to eat, and they will need to stockpile enough of it to last for the duration of the trip.

As with other parts of the story, specific details are not given. We don't know what specific kinds of foods were to be brought. All we know is that God's covenant promise to save Noah and his family would require Noah to accept certain responsibilities. Among these are the need to build, plan, store, schedule, and do all the work necessary to be prepared when the floodwaters came.

In this passage, God has given Noah a colossal set of tasks. He is to build a container longer than a football field and taller than a four-story building. He is to make room inside for pairs of every kind of insect and animal. He is to prepare food for his family and these animals. And, the reason for this is so that those inside the ark can survive God's upcoming judgment on a wicked human race: a catastrophic flood of water.

Given all of that, this verse is remarkable in and of itself. Noah demonstrates his faith in and submission to God by simply obeying. He did everything God had commanded, and he did it "just as" God commanded it. We are given very few details in this passage. Surely, Noah was told more in person than we are in this passage.

And yet, there is no doubt that Noah would have had many, many questions and concerns. But, despite these, he acts according to the commands of God. We were told in the beginning of this section (Genesis 6:9) that Noah was a righteous, blameless man who walked faithfully with God.
This verse is evidence of that profound faithfulness.

Genesis 6:17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

Having provided instructions for the ark, God now identifies its purpose: the judgment He has decreed will take the form of a devastating flood.

The scale of the destruction parallels the scale of the sin, verse 13 indicates that violence and evil had become universal, and the verse at hand prescribes a universal flood as the remedy.

Scholars debate whether the term all flesh should be taken to mean that the flood was to be global, covering the entire earth, or regional, confined to one specific part of the world.

The latter interpretation emphasizes the fact that judgment is pronounced on and targeted at humanity.

And at this point, humans seem confined to a specific area of the world, signifying that all human life can be destroyed by a flood that affects only that region.

In either case, the scope of the devastation to come is clear; God intends to wipe out the entire human race, with just a few exceptions.



Genesis 6:18
But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

The term covenant, appearing here for the first time in the Bible, is used in a way that specifically distinguishes faithful Noah and his family from the rest of the human race that will be destroyed.

Covenant means “contract.” This covenant implies that obedience to a sovereign ruler; in this case God; will result in protection and provision.

The terms of the agreement presuppose that Noah, as a servant of God, must follow the command to build and enter the ark; the implied reward is protection from the (deh-lyooj) - deluge, which Noah receives as a result of his obedience.

The explicit terms of the Noahic covenant are listed in Genesis 8:20–9:17.



Genesis 6:19
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

The terms of Noah’s obedience to God’s covenant continue, now regarding the plan for preserving animal life.

These instructions cover the full range of creatures.

“Two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.” Noah was not a Frank Buck who went out “to bring ’em back alive.”

He was not a big game hunter. He did not have to go after these animals—they came to him.

Animals in danger will do that.

When an animal is in danger, they will come to man.

At the time of the Flood, I do not think Noah had any problem at all, for the animals all came to him.



Genesis 6:20
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

It will be physically impossible for Noah to capture a mating pair of each and every species.

The fact will leave room for another miraculous display of God’s power as He will compel healthy representatives to come into the ark.

The note that the animals will come in pairs of male and female reflects their purpose of repopulation.

These instructions are further clarified in Genesis 7:1–3.

Skeptics who doubt the truth of the biblical narrative question the ark’s ability to accommodate eight humans and representatives of all animal species of land and air.

They generally approach the question by noting the number of species extant today and arguing that Noah’s ark was not big enough to hold them all.

The biblical account, however, takes the opposite approach: only those animals who travel on the ark will survive the flood.



Genesis 6:21
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

As a final instruction, Noah is commanded to stock the ark with supplies for his family and the animals.

Comparing Genesis 7:11 with 8:3–14 indicates that they were in the ark for more than a year.

Noah is now to do something very practical.

It took a lot of hay in the ark to feed these animals.

Some people are going to say, “But some of those animals ate meat. They would eat each other!” I do not think so.

Up to the time of the Flood, apparently both men and animals were not flesh-eating.

They just did not eat flesh; there were no carnivorous animals.

We are told of a day in the Millennium when the lion and the lamb will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox (see Isa. 11:6–7).

That could certainly come to pass, for that probably was the original state of the animals in the first place.



Genesis 6:22
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Now aware of the forthcoming reality of the annihilation of the human race, Noah proceeds with God’s intricate instructions.

The action God intends to take is unprecedented, and we wonder if this quickens the pace of construction.

We don’t know.

This part of the story merely concludes with a simple statement of Noah’s obedience.

Just as he has distinguished himself throughout his life by his righteous conduct, he now distinguishes himself by his full and unquestioning obedience to God’s commands.

This aspect of Noah’s story is highlighted in Hebrews 11:7, part of a listing known as the Faith Hall of Fame.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Proverbs 10:17 KJVS
[17] He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

The person who listens to godly advice (Proverbs 9:9) gives themselves a better likelihood of success and longevity than those who ignore wisdom. Those who follow Christ's teachings can enjoy a truly meaningful life now (John 10:10) and eternal life beyond the grave (John 10:28).

The person who refuses to be corrected (Proverbs 9:7–8) and continues the wrong path through life sets a bad example. In many cases, others will be tempted to follow that pattern. For that reason, Scripture warns against becoming close with those who hate God and His truth (Proverbs 13:20).

Though the truths contained in God's Word offer forgiveness and life (1 Corinthians 6:9–11), the people defined as "scoffers" (Proverbs 1:22) make a litany of excuses for rejecting that message. This comes in the form of false accusations of contradiction, misleading criticisms, rejection of biblical morality, or claims of irrelevance.

Some simply reject the Bible because it exposes their sin and makes them uncomfortable (Ephesians 5:11–13; 2 Peter 1:19; Psalm 119:105). Unfortunately, many self-labelled "experts" with little legitimate knowledge of the Bible ridicule it and substitute faulty human reasoning in its place. Seemingly educated, or not, such critics of the Bible lead others astray.

Our topic today is:

Noah's Ark Building Instructions Discussion

In the previous verse, God revealed to Noah that He would destroy all of humanity for their violence. What other details were given, we don't know. For our purposes, this is all Scripture has revealed. Now, God launches into specific instructions to Noah, describing exactly how to build the ark.

Once again, what's recorded here in the Bible is not likely a complete transcript of God's discussions with Noah. Rather, it tells us the bare-bones basics of what this man is learning from God. Even with the instructions to follow, the text does not provide every detail needed to complete the construction of an ark.

It does show us, though, that God's directions to Noah were very specific. God cared that Noah execute the construction of this craft according to God's particular plan. Strictly speaking, God does not tell Noah to build a boat. He tells Noah to build an ark. It's possible that the word ark meant "box" or "chest."

This same term is used to describe the vessel used to carry the Ten Commandments by Israel after leaving Egypt (Exodus 25:10–16). In reference to the "ark" built by Noah, there is no mention made of sails, or oars, or a rudder. This craft is meant to float, not travel.

The dimensions given to Noah in the following verses describe a giant rectangular box. At one point in history, skeptics laughed at the idea of such a craft being seaworthy.

Now, however, the proportions of large cargo ships are extremely similar to the outlines of Noah's ark. Noah is told to build it with gopher wood, a material we aren't entirely sure of. Some scholars believe this is actually a reference to cedar, or cypress, while others think it might be from a now-extinct tree. Either way, it's a substance appropriate for a craft built for this purpose.

Furthermore, Noah is directed to make rooms (or "nests") inside the ark, as well as to seal the spaces between the wood with pitch both inside and outside of the structure. It should be noted that, in the context of the story, it's unlikely that Noah was expected to build this ark only using his own two hands.

Just as the owner of a company can be said to have "built" something, when much of the labor is done by others, it seems reasonable to assume Noah used the help of his sons, and probably others, to construct this ark.

In this passage, God has informed Noah of His plan to destroy the entire human race, except for Noah and his family. God has also begun to describe the "ark," a large wooden box, which Noah is to use to preserve his family and certain animals from the flood.

A cubit is a measure of length equal to approximately 18 inches, or about 46 centimeters. A cubit was traditionally thought to be the length from a man's elbow to the tip of his fingers with his hand extended. While that may sound vague to modern ears, it was not uncommon in ancient days to use body parts as measuring sticks.

The concept of universal, objective measurements (such as the modern meter) was simply not practical at that point in human history. Using 1 cubit = 18 inches = 46 cm, the craft God describes to Noah would be about 450 feet (137 meters) long,

75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high. This would make the ark 1-1/2 times as long as an American football field. Or, slightly longer than a regulation FIFA soccer field. It would have been somewhere around as tall as a 4-1/2 story building. Even by modern standards, if this was a ship, it would be a big ship!

Despite the size, there's no reason to think Noah could not have constructed this ark.
God nowhere orders Noah to use only his own two hands. So, as with any other project, it's common sense to assume Noah had help from his sons, and probably others, in constructing this massive vessel.

This would be no different than a contractor or business owner "building" something through oversight of others.

Here, God concludes His very general instructions to Noah about how to build the ark.
In the previous verses, Noah was instructed to make the ark about 450 feet (137 meters) long, 75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high.

This is based on the traditional length of a cubit, as the distance from the top of the finger to the elbow: approximately 18 inches (46 centimeters). For materials, Noah is told to use "gopher wood,"
which is an unknown material. Some scholars think this was either cedar or cypress. Now God tells Noah to construct a roof with an opening of about 1 cubit all the way around the top.

In addition, the ark would have three decks and a single door on one side of it. This door would presumably need to be large enough to accommodate the entrance and exit of all the animals who would be making the voyage with Noah and his family. Once again, the details given here are not meant to tell us, the reader, how to construct our own ark.

They are general summaries of the specific instructions given by God to Noah.