Chapter 7 – The Flood Waters Prevail
Vs. 1-5 (Gathering the creatures)
God instructs that one pair of (ceremonially) unclean animals be taken, but “by sevens” of the clean animals. The presence of this differentiation in the text is interesting, as we have not yet been told of any religious laws that would identify animals as clean or unclean. Genesis was almost certainly first written in a Jewish context that would have been familiar with Mosaic Law. This means that the reader would have understood what clean and unclean meant—but how would Noah?
There are at least a couple of possible explanations. One is that God somehow had communicated this to Noah in a way that the Bible doesn’t disclose to us. Noah obviously had a healthy relationship with Yahweh (see 6:9), so it is reasonable to believe this could have been communicated to Noah in some manner. There is another possibility as well, which has to do with how the animals made it onto the ark. Verses 8-9 (and also 16) seem to tell us that Noah did not have to go on safari and round up all of the animals. Rather, God gathered the animals and brought them onto the ark to Noah. If this is the case, the gathering of the various animals may have been the means by which God communicated to Noah which were clean and which were unclean. The ones that came by sevens were the clean ones, and the ones that came only as a pair were the unclean.
Vs. 6-16 (The Flood Begins)
Verse 6 gives us another age marker for Noah: six hundred years when the flood began (compare five hundred at 5:32). We tally eight people who came into the ark: Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their four wives.
Verse 11 interestingly gives us a specific date to mark the beginning of the flood. It is not a date that we can anchor in an historic timeline, but it is specific nevertheless by giving a month and day in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life.
The language in verse 11 gives us a picture of the reversal of God’s original creation. In Genesis 1 God brings order from chaos, separating waters above the firmament from those below, and gathering the waters below so that dry land is secured (see 1:6-10). Now it is like the chaos returns. The waters above the firmament are turned loose upon the earth, as are the waters on the earth. It is as if God is de-creating.
Verse 12 (also 17) tells us that the rains came for forty days and nights. To the seasoned Bible reader, the number forty is not surprising. Quite consistently the number comes with an implied message. Whether it is forty days or forty years, the number suggests a time sufficient to accomplish an intended purpose. How long did Jesus need to fast in the wilderness to accomplish his spiritual training? Forty days. How long did the descendants of Abraham need to wander in the desert to learn trust in the Lord? Forty years. How long did it need to rain to accomplish the judgment of God? Forty days.
Vs. 17-24 (The Waters Prevail)
If you have ever stood by and observed the effects of a heavy and long-lasting downpour, you know the helpless feeling of watching waters rise toward and beyond destructive levels. In such a case you know there is nothing you can do but watch as the waters claim all that is in their way. This is the feeling conveyed in this passage. The waters were coming to claim the entirety of the known earth, and no one could do a thing to prevent it. The phrase is repeated in this section of text, “the water prevailed.”
With the prevailing of water came death, both human and animal. Such loss of life can provoke deep feelings in us, which is actually good. It is a sign that we have not lost a sense of compassion. The writer of Genesis does us a favor in this regard. It does not take away our sadness or anger over such loss. It does, though, remind us who holds ownership of the life that is taken. Verse 22 includes the language “in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life.” This phrase is not coincidental. It reminds us that God is the original and continual giver of life. Life is His. We are joyful when He gives it, and we regret when He takes it away. But even in our regret, we are faced with the uncomfortable truth that God has the right to do His will with that which belongs to Him—even life itself.
Ultimately we are told that the waters of the flood prevailed on the earth for 150 days. Noah and his family may have wondered if the rest of their lives would be spent on a floating zoo. But…
Chapter 8 – God Remembered Noah
…God remembered Noah (8:1). The language of “God remembering” tells us of God’s faithfulness, offering hope in the face of judgment or hardship. God remembered Abraham by rescuing Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:29), remembered Rachel by opening her womb (Genesis 30:22), and remembered the covenant with Abraham when his descendants were enslaved in Egypt (Exodus 2:24). God remembers Noah, and therefore will not leave him abandoned on the high seas.
Vs. 2-5 (God recreates)
Once again God separates the waters. The waters prevailed for 150 days, after which we are told that the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. After another 2.5 months we are told that the tops of (surrounding) mountains became visible. If we are keeping a running total of the time on the ark, we are about 7.5 months along at this point.
The modern location of Mount Ararat is in the easternmost region of Turkey, just west of the border of Armenia and just north of the northernmost tip of Iran. It is a beautiful, snowcapped volcanic mountain that can be seen prominently from the surrounding region. The dominant height of this peak would make the location congruent with the Genesis account.
Vs. 6-12 (the Raven and the Dove)
In due time (40 days), Noah opens the ark that had been safely sealed by God. The picture we have is of the ark resting on the exposed peaks of a mountain range, yet with water still covering the lowlands (the “face of the land,” NASB). Noah sends two birds in sequence: a raven, then a dove. It can be noted that, according to Mosaic Law, the raven is an unclean animal while the dove is clean. This appears to have no bearing on this text, though, other than to highlight the different natures of the birds. The raven is sent first, and goes flying about over the remaining water and the exposed land. The raven is a bird that will scavenge, and thus eat on carcasses left from the flood. It is possible that Noah, being able to see it fly, uses the raven as a gauge to determine how far from the ark land is exposed.
After the raven, Noah sends a dove. Unlike the raven, the dove is an herbivore. Specifically, it feasts on grains and seeds (with the exception of small insects). It will take longer for the dove to have a source of food from the now-recovering earth. The first venture of the dove reveals no place for it to rest, so the dove returns. After seven days Noah sends the dove again. This time it returns with a fresh olive leaf, an indication that the plant life necessary to sustain them is now being restored. After another seven days, Noah sends the dove again. This time it does not return, communicating to Noah that the land is now habitable again for humans and animals who must rely on plant food.
Vs. 13-22 (Exiting the Ark)
Once the waters have fully returned to their proper place and the ground has dried, Noah and the other ark passengers return to life on land. We may notice that the language used for God’s instruction here is very similar to the language of Genesis 1. After a “de-creating” event of judgment, God is “re-creating” with the hope of a created order that will exist in consonance with God’s moral design.
In verses 20-22 we find Noah presenting an offering to God, and God making a promise to Himself that the creation would not be cursed in the manner that has just happened. The offering presented by Noah was of “every clean animal and clean bird,” which in hindsight helps us see the provision God made by bringing the clean animals “by sevens” into the ark. (We can imagine God’s warning: “Noah, if you only have two of them, don’t sacrifice them!”)
The promise of God in verse 21 has produced differing opinions regarding what is transacted. Some have interpreted this as a reversal of the original curse of Genesis 3:17-19. While the text could be read in that way, this conclusion also faces problems. The first observation is that the promise here seems to be only forward-looking. “I will never again curse the ground on account of man…” (NASB) does not say anything about reversing what is already done. Further, the conclusion does not seem to align with experience nor with other scripture. We continue to struggle with the uncertainties of an earth that produces thorns, thistles, earthquakes and other destructive expressions. Regarding scripture, the apostle Paul clearly sees the reversal of Genesis 3 as a future event we anticipate, describing the whole of creation as continuing to groan for its renewal (see Romans 8:19-22). A better conclusion is to see this as God, recognizing the ongoing evil in the human heart, agrees to not repeat this kind of all-encompassing judgment upon creation.
A Brief Timeline:
Month 2, Day 17 – Flood begins
Month 7, Day 17 – Ark rested on Ararat
Month 10, Day 1 – Mountaintops are visible
(+1 year) Month 1, Day 1 – Water is completely receded
(+1 year) Month 2, Day 27 – Earth is dry
Chapter 9 – Creation Restored
Vs. 1-9 (Dietary Adjustments)
The first thing we find in this new chapter of life is permission for humanity to consume flesh. There does not seem to be an obvious reason why God makes this allowance. While we might speculate regarding the reason, the text tells us nothing explicitly. What does seem clear is that the peaceful relationship between humanity and the animal realm has declined (v. 2). One qualification remains clear: even in the consumption of animal flesh, there must be respect for life. This is observed by the prohibition of consuming flesh with its blood present. As stated previously, in God’s eye life is in the blood, and life belongs to God.
Vs. 8-17 (The Covenant with Noah)
In this passage, God makes known to Noah and his sons the promise God makes with Himself. The promise is a further expression of what we saw at the end of chapter eight. As we read further through the Old Testament, we will notice other covenants being made (with Abraham, with David, etc.). What we may find interesting here is the absence of any requirements on behalf of Noah and his descendants. Usually with covenants we are given promises and expectations for both parties. Here, it is solely about God’s promise to not bring a universal flood as judgment upon creation. God even sets a reminder for Himself, which we might find interesting because of how we usually understand God as all-knowing. Again, as is typical, there is a sign to go with the covenant. In this case, the sign is the bow that God sets in the clouds. When God sees the bow (and by implication when we see it), the covenant is remembered.
Vs. 18-28 (The Human Saga Continues)
Verse 18 picks up again the ongoing account of generations. We are reminded of Noah’s three sons, and given an extra detail: Ham’s line would produce one named Canaan. It is like the writer of Genesis is giving us a hint of something yet to come. We can already anticipate the direction the narrative will take, knowing that eventually the Canaanites will be opposers of the descendants of Abraham in the Promised Land. More immediately, we will find that Ham himself will be cast as a negative character.
The event lacks much detail, but offers enough to communicate why preference will be given to the lineage of some sons over another. Noah, having raised the fruit of the vine, has enjoyed the fruit in the form of some wine. Having done its work, the wine dulls Noah’s senses and causes him to put himself in a disgraceful position. Ham finds his father exposed, but rather than honoring his father by covering him, goes to tell his brothers, perhaps to make jest of their father. Shem and Japheth are set in contrast to Ham by making the honorable choice regarding Noah. When Noah awakens and realizes what has transpired, he offers curse upon Ham and Ham’s descendants (specifically Canaan), and blessing upon the descendants of Japheth and Shem. Such curses and blessings will be seen in subsequent texts in the OT.
The story of Noah’s generation ends with an accounting of Noah’s years, totaling 950.
The Winding Path 