Genesis Chapter 8

 

In this chapter we are continuing the story of Noah and his family. Only 8 people exist at this time, Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives.

Verses 1-5

God began to remove the flood waters by creating a wind which stopped the water level from increasing and began to decrease. 

The ark came to rest on the top of the mountains of Ararat. Some believe that because the ark was made with pitch (which is a sealer) on the inside and the outside that it is well preserved somewhere in the snow and ice of those mountains.

In the 10th month on the ark, the tops of the mountains became visible.

Verses 6-12

Noah releases a raven and it went to and fro until the waters dried up from the earth. Then Noah sent a dove, but it returned. 7 more days and it returned with an olive leaf. 7 more days and it did not return.

Verses 13-22

Noah and his family were on the ark 377 days according to verse 14. God told Noah, his family and the animals that they could leave the ark. 

Noah worshiped God. God promised Noah that He would never again strike down every living creature.

There is still judgement just like in the day of Noah but Revelation 3:20 says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me. 

Everything that God does is for His purpose and according to I Peter 5:10, we serve the God of all grace.

God gave grace to Noah and his family and he continues to give grace to us as well.

Genesis Chapter 7

  

This chapter tells the story of the flood the entire earth and that only 8 people were safe in the ark. (Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives) Also, a pair of each of the animals were also safe in the ark.

Verses 1-5

God told Noah the flood was going to begin in 7 days and it would rain continually for 40 days and 40 nights.

Verses 6-24

Noah was 600 years old when the earth was flooded. 

In verse 9 it says that the animals went in two and two unto Noah. They came to him. He didn’t have to go after the animals. There were animals that normally kill or eat other species and they lived in harmony on the ark.

Once Noah and the animals were on the ark, God shut and sealed the door. Noah knew that he could not save himself and relied on God to save him and his family. John 10:9 in the New Testament says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” In God’s plan the door always represents Jesus.

The flood represents judgement to all mankind and all living creatures that died in this flood.

The waters remained on the earth for 150 days. This is an explanation of fossils that have been found all over the earth. Fossils are the remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sand and mud under ancient seas, lakes and rivers.

We see in this chapter that God is love in His protection of Noah and his family but He is also a God of justice when it comes to disobedience. Just like any parent would be with their child. But God offers us a way to be saved from our own sin through Jesus Christ. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.

Because of our sin God sent us a way of escaping just like He did Noah and his family through His son on the cross, who paid for all our sin. All these events that we are studying in these books of the Bible will eventually lead to the cross.

Genesis Chapter 6

  

In this chapter we will study how wicked the world had become. Noah, his wife Namath, their sons and their wives were the only ones on the ark during the flood. 

Verses 1-7

The “sons of God” and the “daughters of men.”

What does sons of God mean? Are these men or some other being?

Verse 5 says that God saw the wickedness of man on earth was great. It doesn’t say God saw the wickedness of any type of being was great. 

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. 

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God.

In the family generations we studied in chapter 5 we see the line of Seth being the line of the faithful which I believe are the sons of God. They were marrying the line of Cain from chapter 4, who rebelled against God. 

Their children were known as the Nephilim

The blending of these two lines caused wickedness to run rampant here on earth. Only 8 people were being faithful to God. Noah and his family.

Verses 8-22

God told Noah he was going to destroy man and beast in a global flood and for him to build an ark.

God told him the exact materials to use: gopher wood and covered with pitch. 

God also told Noah the exact dimensions that Noah would need to get his family and all the animals on this ark. (A pair of every kind of animal) 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Make a roof for it and finish the ark within 18 inches of the top. Put a door inside of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. The ark was the equivalent of 500 to 550 boxcars on a train.

Noah was instructed to begin gathering food for his family and the animals.

Noah obeyed God. 

In the previous chapters we have seen that obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings a cursed life. 

God was merciful to Noah and his family because of their faithfulness. The ark was God’s plan for their salvation.

God has been merciful to us as well not only in our obedience but even when we have let Him, ourselves and others down because of His goodness towards us. 

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

This scripture tells us that just as God provided for Noah and his family to be rescued then. God has continued to provide a way of salvation for us today.