Standing Firm, Even When You're the Only One
Before we get into the account of the flood, let's quickly look at what brought it about. Genesis 6:5 says that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” This is amazingly strong language. EVERY intention; ONLY evil; CONTINUALLY. This wasn't a case where people's bad decisions outweighed the good, this was a case of there only being bad decisions made. In fact, it was so bad that only Noah “found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8). Genesis 6:9b continues to tell us that “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” We currently live in a world full of wickedness. But, for as wicked as this world is, I would like to think there is more than one whom God could consider righteous and blameless. Everyone else in Noah's day was ONLY doing evil CONTINUALLY...every other person! Yet, Noah stood fast and firm in his walk with God. Noah didn't use the wickedness of the world as an excuse to live with the same evil intent and neither should we. Noah remained rooted in God and so should we. There may come a time when we are the only one left standing and if it does, we must stand firm!
Obey Completely
Sometimes when God speaks to us, He simply gives us guidelines. But sometimes when God speaks to us, He gives specifics. In Genesis 6:14-21, we see God give Noah some very specific details. God told Noah what to build (ark - Genesis 6:14), what wood to use (gopher - 6:14), what to include (rooms - 6:14), what to cover it with (pitch - 6:14), the blueprints (300 cubits x 50 cubits x 30 cubits - 6:15), how to cover it (roof - 6:16), how high the roof should be (one cubit above - 6:16), how to enter (door - 6:16), where to put the door (in its side - 6:16), how many decks to have (three - 6:16), who to bring (Noah and his family - 6:18), what to bring (two of every animal, bird, creeping thing - 6:19, 20), which gender each animal should be (one male, one female - 6:19), what else to bring (every sort of food that is eaten for Noah and the animals - 6:21). I would say that this is pretty specific. God didn't just tell Noah to build and ark. God told Noah HOW to build the ark. As I said, sometimes God is specific and sometimes He's not. The key is what we do with what God tells us. Perhaps the most important verse for us is found at the end of the chapter. Genesis 6:22 tells us, “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” Genesis 7:5 says, “And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.” Noah did everything exactly the way that God commanded him to. We need to be equally obedient.
Genesis 7
Two by Two, Right?
Even many unchurched kids have some familiarity with the account of Noah and the flood. The movie “Evan Almighty” was based around this biblical account. Most people could probably tell you that there were two of every animal (one male, one female). That is the case, right? Well, not exactly. Genesis 7:2 actually tells us that God commanded Noah to take seven pairs of all clean animals (male and female) and one pair of all unclean animals (male and female). Genesis 7:3 also includes birds among those that Noah was to bring seven pairs of with him on the ark. It's easy for us to understand why Noah needed to bring a male and female of every animal - so they could procreate once off the ark and replenish the earth with their species. Why, though, did Noah need to take extra clean animals? We must remember what clean animals were used for: sacrifice. In fact, if we skip ahead to Genesis 8:20, we see that after exiting the ark, “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”
God Fulfills His Promises
In Genesis 7:4, God told Noah, “For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” In Genesis 7:17a we read, “The flood continued forty days on the earth.” In Genesis 7:21-23, we read “21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.” God did exactly what He said He was going to do. People make promises and break them just as quickly, but God never breaks His promises!
In Genesis 7:4, God told Noah, “For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” In Genesis 7:17a we read, “The flood continued forty days on the earth.” In Genesis 7:21-23, we read “21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.” God did exactly what He said He was going to do. People make promises and break them just as quickly, but God never breaks His promises!
Further Proof of the Flood #1 - Various Accounts
Did you know that there are accounts of a great flood from many different cultures all around the world? Some of these cultures never heard of the Bible but still have similar accounts. Is this a coincidence? I don't think it is a coincidence at all. I think that it's further proof that the flood actually occurred. I know that some of the elements have changed in the various accounts and some have added their own false gods into their accounts and such, but I believe that they all have the same origin: the account of the flood from the passage we're studying today. If they come from the same flood, then why are there differences? Have you ever played the game “telephone” in your life? That's the game where someone whispers a phrase into someone else's ear, who in turn whispers it into someone else's ear and so on until it goes around the circle. Usually what the last person hears is not at all the phrase that started. I believe that this is what happened with regard to all these flood accounts too. I believe the truth is what we read in the Bible. I believe that the truth in these other accounts have been distorted over the years. But the fact that they have the same basic elements indicates authenticity in my opinion. In searching out some of the other accounts online, I found a website that seems to do a good job of compiling and comparing some of the various accounts. I haven't read them all but from what I did read, it's truly quite compelling. I encourage you to see for yourself (Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the organization or website attached to the following link and I have only looked at the compiling of flood accounts. I am in no way promoting or supporting any theological viewpoints or positions held by anyone with regard to theology as I have not researched that aspect of this organization or website.) http://www.nwcreation.net/noahlegends.html
Further Proof of the Flood #2 - Whale Bones
A friend of mine tipped me off to this news a couple of months ago. I will provide a link to the story (I just pulled up one account during a google search, but you could certainly find many others) but first let me briefly share the key element of the story and why I think it's important. The bones of 75 whales were found in theAtacama Desert in Chile Queensland Australia
A friend of mine tipped me off to this news a couple of months ago. I will provide a link to the story (I just pulled up one account during a google search, but you could certainly find many others) but first let me briefly share the key element of the story and why I think it's important. The bones of 75 whales were found in the
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