"Male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah." Genesis 7:9
This continuation of verse 8 tells us that male and female of every kind of animal entered into the ark. And for the third time in scripture it is saying things are happening just as God had commanded Noah. When push comes to shove, Noah is obeying and continues to obey the word of the God of everything.
I wonder about the choice of the word used for "God" in the account of Noah. So far it's been a pretty even split between the words Elohiym and Yahweh. When Lamech names Noah (5:29), when God is talking in the first part of chapter 6 (6:3, 6, 7, 8), and again when God commands Noah to enter the ark (7:1) it uses Yahweh, the Hebrew name of God that means "the Great I Am." While Elohiym, the word that means "gods" or "almighty God," is used when describing the followers of God (6:2, 4) and when talking about God in the later part of chapter 6 (6:9, 11, 12, 13). In 6:22 when scripture tells us Noah did everything just as God commanded him and again in the verse we're looking at now (7:9) when the animals entered the ark as God commanded it uses Elohiym, while in 7:5 where scripture repeats that Noah did everything as God commanded it uses Yahweh.
Maybe scripture is telling us that Noah didn't just obey some great impersonal power in the sky, but that he had a personal relationship with his God and obeyed that familiar presence by his side. Yes, God is the almighty God, creator of the universe down to the tiniest detail, but he is also something we can have a familiar, personable relationship with.
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Genesis 7:8
"Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground," Genesis 7:8
Noah and his family have entered into the ark and now the story turns to the animals.
Noah and his family have entered into the ark and now the story turns to the animals.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Genesis 7:7
"And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood." Genesis 7:7
Now Noah and his family are seeing the physical benefit to obeying God. The ark is the way of their salvation from the floodwaters that are destroying everything they know.
Some times we don't understand how obeying God will help in a situation until years later when the crisis hits and salvation comes from our previous obedience. We may not hear a voice giving us instruction like Noah did. So how do we listen for his instructions to know what to do? Is reading and studying the Bible enough? If we pray will we hear a voice reply?
Why did God seem to talk to the people of the old testament with an audible voice, but seem silent now? Maybe he didn't talk to everyone. Did any of Noah's family hear God or did they just know what Noah told them?
God, however you choose to talk to me, please open my ears and mind so that I can hear and comprehend your words. Amen.
Now Noah and his family are seeing the physical benefit to obeying God. The ark is the way of their salvation from the floodwaters that are destroying everything they know.
Some times we don't understand how obeying God will help in a situation until years later when the crisis hits and salvation comes from our previous obedience. We may not hear a voice giving us instruction like Noah did. So how do we listen for his instructions to know what to do? Is reading and studying the Bible enough? If we pray will we hear a voice reply?
Why did God seem to talk to the people of the old testament with an audible voice, but seem silent now? Maybe he didn't talk to everyone. Did any of Noah's family hear God or did they just know what Noah told them?
God, however you choose to talk to me, please open my ears and mind so that I can hear and comprehend your words. Amen.
Genesis 7:6
"Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on earth." Genesis 7:6
Now the destruction God told Noah about has come. It doesn't say how old Noah was when God first told him about the coming flood or how long he had to prepare, but he was six hundred when the waters finally came.
Now the destruction God told Noah about has come. It doesn't say how old Noah was when God first told him about the coming flood or how long he had to prepare, but he was six hundred when the waters finally came.
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