Union Church Bible Study Genesis Genesis Chapter 7 Theme: Noah, his family, and the animals enter the ark; destruction of all flesh and the salvation of those in the ark. Union Church Bible Study

Genesis 6:11-12 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Come – very interesting

Genesis 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Come – very interesting

Noah

Noah’s Ark Many skeptics don’t believe that all the animals would fit in the ark. Many of them don’t know how big the ark was or how many animals there were. There is a question on the cubit, how long is it? From elbow to tip of fingers. Can be from 18 to 25 inches.

Noah’s Ark Most animals are smaller than a sheep. You take the babies, not full grown adult animals.

Noah’s Ark If the cubit was 25 inches

Noah’s Ark

Noah’s Ark Design is very interesting, the dimension ratio is a perfect ratio in ship design. The center of gravity is in the middle of the ark. There is the weight of the ark pushing down and the buoyancy is pushing up. Creating a draft of about 15 cubits – interesting.

Noah’s Ark If it starts to tip, buoyancy will couple with the gravity and the ark would right itself.

Noah’s Ark Incredible stable proportions. Could right itself at almost 90 degrees. A perfect design according to naval architecture people.

625 feet at the 25 inch cubit

Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Come – very interesting

Matthew 11:28 “Come thou ….” This is the same invitation that the Lord Jesus gives today to all mankind: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come – very interesting Come is also the call that God gives John in Chapter 4 of Revelation – interesting parallel. This chapter opens with an invitation, an altar call: God says “come, Noach, you and all your household…..come into the Ark”. Noach may have built the Ark, but God prepared it all. And, it wouldn’t be the last Ark of refuge that God would prepare. This was a very exclusive invitation that was issued; only those whom God chose could come in. This invitation even included an RSVP……Noach had to respond, he had to act. Sitting and doing nothing was death. What was the dividing line between those who received the invitation and those who were denied….those who were chosen and those who were not? Noah = rest

Hebrews 11:7 Why was Noah righteous? It was by faith, just as later on Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith: “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. From the beginning, all throughout the OT, and right on to Revelation, Grace has always been the only way to a right relationship with the Lord. The Hebrews believed that, just as we believe it. This dynamic was set up for the sole purpose of getting us to believe that, for the Christian, the Bible begins at the book of Matthew. That the OT is obsolete. That the Torah is now abolished. And, that the Jews were ditched by God in favor of the gentile Church. None of which is so

The Gospel message is delivered right here: That the gaining of God’s type of righteousness… is accomplished by faith and trust in Yahweh. Abraham trusted God, and so God says He will consider that trust as the reason to GIVE the designation of righteous to Abraham. That is EXACTLY what happens when we trust in Jesus. The word we used for this is grace. Noah didn’t earn his righteousness and we don’t earn ours; he and we simply received grace. That part of the equation has NEVER been any different from the beginning of the world until today. So, it is high time that the wrong-minded Christian doctrine of demanding we choose the Law or choose Grace, be put to rest. That choice was never put before us by the Lord. There are many here who do things to please the Lord and receive the Lord’s Blessings. Sabbath, Food Laws, Trying to obey the commandments, We don’t do these things to earn our salvation, that is a free gift from God. We do them to please Him.

Noach’s Invitation “…come into the Ark…” Invitation came with RSVP Inaction meant death The dividing line between those who are invited and those who are not: Righteousness Noach was called “righteous” Tzaddik = righteous Yeshua is our modern-day Ark and our invitation is the same Come into the Ark Ramban: He again commanded him that he and all his household come into the ark. This is why He said to him at first: thou, and they sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. He thereby informed him that on account of his merit alone they will be saved since He did not say, “Ye [in the plural] I have seen righteous before Me.” He said Thee I have seen righteous in this generation

Bad Theology! RIGHTEOUSNESS O.T. is about “works” righteousness N.T. is about “faith” righteousness Bad Theology! Common thoughts in Christianity!

Sages Place Emphasis on Doing God’s Commands Motivation was not to gain, but to obey out of gratitude Often taught that Grace is a N.T. era dispensation Choosing Law or Grace is a false proposition! This is a manmade doctrine, designed to separate Jews from gentile Christians

“Work Their Way to Heaven” Hebrews Did Not Try to “Work Their Way to Heaven” Early Hebrews understood righteousness Had to be a gift from God E.P. Sanders: “Paul and Palestinian Judaism” Mishnah Rabba Bereshith Why was Noach saved? 1. Noach found Grace in the eyes of theLord 2. Through the cleanness of They Hands 1st Use of the word Grace in Genesis…Not in the N.T.

Grace: Unmerited Favor Pre – Jesus, were the Israelites to Work their way to Salvation? NAS (Gen 15:6) Then he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Noah didn’t earn his righteousness, it was given by Grace … same as us today! Matthew 7:13 through Matthew 7:14 13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Law of first mention: Genesis 24:54-55 54And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. 55And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. 1 Peter 3:20 20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Genesis 7:2-3 2Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. 3Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. Some argument among rabbis, some will say that there were two pair, of unclean animals, as in the pairs mentioned for the clean. Making four of the unclean and 14 of the clean. Many people answer the question how many of each animal did Noah take on the ark = 2 I’ve even heard people ask as a riddle How many of each did Moses take on the ark People who read and study the Bible will with pride say 7 of the clean and 2 unclean But the correct answer is most likely 14 of the clean and 2 of the unclean. Note definite article for the pair again allusion to 14 clean animals.

Two by Two? Some animals were to consist of 7 pairs Clean animals 7 pairs Unclean by two Clean means ritually pure Unclean means ritually impure Clean for Sacrifices Kosher common word for “Clean” food The Hebrew word sheba’ for seven is “seven sevens” eluding to pairs. It is a word used as a multiple. We find the root used in Dan 9:24 for the 70 weeks prophecy Lays out all end time prophecy timeline “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” Two = sh’nayim twofold, both, couple, double, second, twain. More definite word in its definition.

Biblically, What is Food? Food is only what is normal and usual to eat For a Hebrew non-Kosher meat is not Food Bible is from a Hebrew cultural view Until the flood, eating meat was akin to cannibalism Eating another “living creature” was not in their minds

Key question will emerge: How did Noah know which were “clean” and “unclean”? These were ceremonial distinctions set forth in Leviticus! Noah must have known what was clean and what was unclean. God must have told him what the difference was.  The distinction between clean and unclean animals was not an innovation established at Sinai but is seen as early as Noah. Clean and unclean may have been given in Eden, before the Levitical laws.

Genesis 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. Seven = sheba’ same word as vs 2 as a multiple of seven, the implication here is a week. The actual word for seven is shib’anah or sheva = seven (not used as a multiple) For seven days the world could have knocked at the door of the ark, and frankly, they probably could have come in—God would have saved them. All they had to do was to believe God.

Noach and Family Board the Ark After boarding, will be 7 more days until the Flood The fate of everyone on Earth was sealed when the door closed This pattern will be played out again in the near future (Matt 24)

Genesis 7:5-7 5And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. 6And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. 7And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Methuselah had just died. This would have been the 10th of Cheshvan aka (Bul) about 2350 BC about 1650 years from creation

Genesis 7:8-10 8Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, 9There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. 10And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. You wonder what they were thinking, what is going to happen. This would have been a very interesting 7 days on the ark.

Genesis 7:11-12 11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. This was the 17th of Cheshvan aka (Bul) about 2350 BC about 1650 years from creation.

Mountain Tops under 25 feet of Water God closed the door to the Ark Noah was saved Could Noah have lost his salvation – gotten out of the Ark? Fountains of the deep. May have been from hell, very hot water, This is a belief of many rabbis. Fish were saved because they went to the oceans, or the Med. All theological arguments were over at this time.

Eleven Events Lasting Forty Days and Nights 1. Noah's flood (Genesis 7:4,12,17; Genesis 8:6) 2. Jacob's death (Genesis 50:3) 3. Moses in the mount (Exodus 24:18) 4. Moses again in the mount (Exodus 34:28; Deut. 10:10) 5. Spies searching Canaan (Numbers 13:25; cp. forty years, ) 6. Moses fasting (Deut. 9:18; cp. Deut. 9:9-11) 7. Elijah's flight (1 Kings 19:8) 8. Ezekiel lying on right side (Ezekiel 4:6) 9. Nineveh's judgment (Jonah 3:4) 10. Christ fasting (Matthew 4:2) 11. Christ's post-resurrection ministry (Acts 1:3)

Genesis 7:13-14 13In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; 14They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. Birth order is not used here, Shem listed first, however not the firstborn.

Genesis 7:15-16 15And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. Birth order is not used here, Shem listed first, however not the firstborn.

Genesis 7:17-18 17And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. 18And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. This would be the 27th of the month of Chisleu about 2350 BC about 1650 years from creation (18) The same wording is used in Genesis 1:2, which may show that this was a universal flood and there was a universal flood before Adam (2 Peter 3:6).

Genesis 7:19-20 19And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. 20Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. The language is not consistent with the theory of a partial deluge. Why 15 cubits? The draft of a 30 foot high ark would have been about 15 cubits.

Fountains of the Deep Wasn’t just rain that caused flooding Underground cavern filled with water burst upward The Abyss? Greek “abbussos” Emptied to hold Satan during the 1000 year kingdom.

Genesis 7:21-22 21And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. Population expert Thomas R. Malthus discovered human populations have tended to increase geometrically with time. That is, world population tends repeatedly to double itself at equal increments of time.   These doublings would carry us back in history from today to around 2150 B.C. Ramban: After having said, And all flesh perished, and having said, whatever was in the dry land, died, Scripture continues to say, and blotted out, meaning that the bodies dissolved and became water,

Genesis 7:23-24 23And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. 24And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. The 150 days is pointed out here. ??

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. Revelation 9:5 This is the fifth trumpet judgment it is also the first of the three woes, The bottomless pit is opened, and out of the smoke locusts come upon the earth and they have the power of scorpions. They are commanded not to hurt the grass or green things or trees, but only to torment people that do no have the seal of God in their foreheads. Because of this men will seek death but not be able to die, they will not be able to kill themselves.

There are several traditions among many ancient cultures that tell of a worldwide flood.

Promise never again – Noah could rest assured that this would not happen again. It must have bee universal because God said it would never happen again. There have been many localized floods, even happening now. But not a universal flood.

Why do we think there was a universal flood Why do we think there was a universal flood? If something dies it usually rots and goes back into the earth. Fossils are formed when conditions change with suddenness and pressure. Mammoths suffocated, had subtropical vegetation in their mouths.

Two major theories of flood, Canopy theory is one. Landmark book on subject is Genesis Record.

Rock upheaval thru compression. Horizontal compression.

Very high mountains and mountain ranges.

Only one ark, everybody didn’t build their own ark Only one ark, everybody didn’t build their own ark. You got into Gods ark or you died. Only had one door, a narrow door. All in the ark are saved. There will be a day when the door will be closed. The first thing to be noted in connection with the ark is that it was a Divine provision. Observe now that God revealed to Noah His own designs and ordered him to build a place of refuge into which he could flee from the impending storm of judgment. In the next place, we note that Noah was commanded to make an ark of gopherwood (Gen. 6:14). The material out of which the ark was built teaches an important lesson. the truth, that life comes out of death, that life can be secured only by sacrifice. Before the ark could be made, trees must be cut down. That which secured the life of Noah and his house was obtained by the death of the trees. Into this ark man was invited to come. He was invited by God Himself, “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark” (Gen. 7:1). This is the first time the word “come” is found in the Scriptures, and it recurs over five hundred times in the remainder of the Bible. The ark was a place of absolute security.

Union Church Bible Study Genesis End Genesis Chapter 7 Union Church Bible Study