"And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights." Genesis 7:12
That's almost a month and a half that it rained. I get tired of the rain after just a day or two, can you imagine having it rain non-stop for 40 days? With all the rain, would night and day have looked much different from each other? It must have been a great relief to those eight people when the rain finally stopped and the sun peeked back out.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Genesis 7:11
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month - on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened." Genesis 7:11
Verse 10 tells us that the floodwater came to the earth after 7 days, and now verse 11 is specifying the month and day that the waters came. It tells us that it didn't just rain, but that springs of water came from the deep below bringing even more water to the surface. Both Bible Ref and Bible Study Tools suggest there was a great underground ocean as well as a canopy of water encircling the globe that were let loose to flood the earth.
Verse 10 tells us that the floodwater came to the earth after 7 days, and now verse 11 is specifying the month and day that the waters came. It tells us that it didn't just rain, but that springs of water came from the deep below bringing even more water to the surface. Both Bible Ref and Bible Study Tools suggest there was a great underground ocean as well as a canopy of water encircling the globe that were let loose to flood the earth.
Genesis 7:10
"And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth." Genesis 7:10
So after a week of bringing the animals into the ark, the flood starts. Does this mean it started raining or does it mean water suddenly burst forth and covered the land? I don't know.
The commentary from Bible Ref notes that the Hebrew word for "earth" used in this verse is often used for a region instead of the entire planet, so there are some that say that the flood only destroyed the regions that were inhabited by mankind.
The National Center for Science Education has an article arguing that the flood was only a local flood using scientific evidences derived from rocks and fossils left behind. BioLogos agrees that it was only a local flood saying that we should interpret the flood story through the lens of the ancient Hebrews. This article points out pretty early on that Christians have three options when scientific discoveries in God's creation seem to conflict with our interpretations of God's word. We can abandon our faith in favor of the science, deny the scientific evidence to keep our interpretation, or reconsider our interpretations of scripture - the science might not actually disagree with the Bible, but rather our interpretations of it. Evidence for God uses the scriptures to argue in favor of the local flood.
On the opposite side of the argument CBN has an article with scriptural evidence (including words from Jesus) that the flood was a global event. Likewise, Creation Ministries International also argues for a universal flood stating that such a flood would account for the rocks and fossils that cover immense areas. Don Stewart spells out a clear argument for the universal flood pointing out that about 1600 years before God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply so there could have been several hundred million people on the earth by the time Noah built the ark and they probably wouldn't have stayed confined to the Mesopotamian valley.
The Amazing Bible Timeline with World History summarizes both sides into 7 short bullet points. Both sides seem to have valid points and some convincing arguments. Personally, I think I still lean towards the global flood, but whether the flood was a global event or just local event it is not the breaking point for my faith. Either way, God told Noah he was going to wipe out humanity except for him and his family and he did.
So after a week of bringing the animals into the ark, the flood starts. Does this mean it started raining or does it mean water suddenly burst forth and covered the land? I don't know.
The commentary from Bible Ref notes that the Hebrew word for "earth" used in this verse is often used for a region instead of the entire planet, so there are some that say that the flood only destroyed the regions that were inhabited by mankind.
The National Center for Science Education has an article arguing that the flood was only a local flood using scientific evidences derived from rocks and fossils left behind. BioLogos agrees that it was only a local flood saying that we should interpret the flood story through the lens of the ancient Hebrews. This article points out pretty early on that Christians have three options when scientific discoveries in God's creation seem to conflict with our interpretations of God's word. We can abandon our faith in favor of the science, deny the scientific evidence to keep our interpretation, or reconsider our interpretations of scripture - the science might not actually disagree with the Bible, but rather our interpretations of it. Evidence for God uses the scriptures to argue in favor of the local flood.
On the opposite side of the argument CBN has an article with scriptural evidence (including words from Jesus) that the flood was a global event. Likewise, Creation Ministries International also argues for a universal flood stating that such a flood would account for the rocks and fossils that cover immense areas. Don Stewart spells out a clear argument for the universal flood pointing out that about 1600 years before God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply so there could have been several hundred million people on the earth by the time Noah built the ark and they probably wouldn't have stayed confined to the Mesopotamian valley.
The Amazing Bible Timeline with World History summarizes both sides into 7 short bullet points. Both sides seem to have valid points and some convincing arguments. Personally, I think I still lean towards the global flood, but whether the flood was a global event or just local event it is not the breaking point for my faith. Either way, God told Noah he was going to wipe out humanity except for him and his family and he did.
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Genesis 7:9
"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.
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.
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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