This article is part of a series of articles that
resulted from my time preaching through the book of Genesis. The commentary on
the passage is my own, resulting from hours of research and exegetical study.
It is my intent to draw a biblical theology chapter by chapter through the book
of Genesis that places the events of the narratives into the broad picture of
the entire Bible, demonstrating the progressiveness of theology and the
sufficiency of every Word of Scripture. It is my prayer that these articles are
helpful to those seeking a better understanding of the book of Genesis and of
the Bible as a whole. The sermon series and other resources can be found at
www.fbcroxana.com.
Noah was a
man of faith. He believed the Word of God that heralded a coming judgment upon
the earth due to the widespread depravity of mankind upon the earth. His faith
led him to obedience, building the ark that God commanded him to build. Having
completed the ark, the time had come to enter it by faith and entrust his life
and his family’s life to God.
Then the
Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I
have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. 2 You shall take
with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the
animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; 3 also of the
birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the
face of all the earth. 4 For after seven more days, I will send rain
on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of
the land every living thing that I have made.” 5 Noah did according
to all that the Lord had commanded him.
Out of
millions, if not billions, of people inhabiting the earth, only Noah was found
to be righteous. The whole population of mankind had turned away and abandoned
the worship of the one true God. God told Noah that there was but one week
remaining until he judged the earth by sending rain for 40 days and nights to
kill all life upon the earth. He commanded Noah to take the animals (seven of
every clean kind and two of every unclean kind) that life would be preserved.
6 Now Noah
was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth. 7
Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the
ark because of the water of the flood. 8 Of clean animals and
animals that are not clean and birds and everything that creeps on the ground, 9
there went into the ark to Noah by twos, male and female, as God had commanded
Noah. 10 It came about after the seven days, that the water of the
flood came upon the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s
life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day
all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky
were opened. 12 The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and
forty nights.
Noah, his
family, and all of the animals entered the ark a week before the rains. How
they must have been mocked by those passing by. But in faith in the Word of
God, Noah and his family entered the ark and prepared for what was to come.
After they had been inside for seven days, the Flood came upon the earth. The
water came from above and below at the same time, and the rain continued for
forty days and forty nights.
13 On the
very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s
wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, 14
they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird
after its kind, all sorts of birds. 15 So they went into the ark to
Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. 16 Those
that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him;
and the Lord closed it behind him.
Noah and
his family and the animals all entered together, and were safe inside the ark,
being shut inside by God and brought through the Flood by His protection.
17 Then the
flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up
the ark, so that it rose above the earth. 18 The water prevailed and
increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the
water. 19 The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that
all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. 20
The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. 21
All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and
every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; 22
of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the
spirit of life, died. 23 Thus He blotted out every living thing that
was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to
birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was
left, together with those that were with him in the ark. 24 The
water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.
The waters
increased throughout the forty days so that the water level was fifteen cubits
(approximately 22 feet) higher than the tallest mountain. The water stayed upon
the earth for one hundred and fifty days so that nothing survived except for
Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark.
Application:
Just like
Noah, we are called to believe the Word of the Lord. God has made it known that
every person will be resurrected to face Him on judgment day, and all will be
condemned as guilty of sinning. But God has provided an ark of salvation by
sending His Son, Jesus Christ, who died, taking on the punishment that was
meant for sinners in order that they would be counted righteous before God. He
died, taking upon Himself the judgment of God on behalf of those condemned. To
be saved from the wrath of God, you must believe that Jesus did this and
entrust yourself to God on the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus. Whoever
believes in the name of Jesus will be saved and will never be condemned.
God will
rescue His saints from the day of His wrath, and will bring them safely before
His throne holy, blameless, and beyond reproach. Here is the hope of the
church. Let us cling to it. Let us remember Jesus, who died and who was raised.
Let us remember that He has gone before us in order to prepare a place for us.
Let us keep our eyes fixed on the things that are above where Jesus is. Let us
yearn for that day when He will return and gather us unto Himself that where He
is, we may be also.
Conclusion:
God kept
Noah and all those with him on the ark safe through the forty days and nights
of turmoil as the rains were coming down and the Flood was rising. He kept them
safe for the one hundred and fifty days that the waters prevailed upon the
earth. Likewise, He will preserve His saints until He brings them safely before
His throne.
Read Chapter 8
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