NOTE:  After much “chewing” on a verse of scripture from Eve’s encounter with Satan in the Garden of Eden, I wrote a devotional that is posted on the website for this week entitled “Embellishments”.  It was a point of clarification that I didn’t want to “fall through the cracks” as we digest these chapters together. 

I’ll begin with the answer to one of Jan’s questions posted concerning this week’s assignment.  She asked about the women that Cain and Seth took as their wives.  Where did the women come from? In the Believer’s Bible Commentary written by William MacDonald, I found the following explanation for Chapter 4, verse 17 that deals with this question.  “Cain married his sister or other blood relative.  As mentioned, Genesis 4:3 allows time for a population increase, and Genesis 5:4 specifically states that Adam had sons and daughters.  Marriage of close relatives was not forbidden then (nor was it genetically risky).”

Now for a few comments regarding Chapters 7 and 8:

I want to address the ark.  Back in Chapter 6 when the dimensions of the ark were given, it seems that although we don’t know for sure the exact length of a “cubit” or perhaps these measurements are unfamiliar to us, we can use a plumb line of familiarity to understand its size.  This I thought to be interesting as I gathered the information from the Ryrie Study Bible.  “Its carrying capacity equaled that of 522 standard railroad stock cars (each of which can hold 240 sheep).  Only 188 cars would be required to hold 45,000 sheep-sized animals, leaving three trains of 104 cars each for food, Noah’s family and “range” for the animals.  Today it is estimated that there are 17,600 species of animals, making 45,000 a likely approximation of the number Noah might have taken into the ark.”

Chapter 7 begins with God calling Noah and his family to enter the ark. Some translations read in verse 1, that God directed Noah to “Go” into the ark while another reads, “Come”….like a gracious invitation.  

Then God lists of the “kinds” of animals to include on the voyage.  If you read closely the first few verses of Chapter 7, you will note that there were more clean animals included on the journey than unclean.  It appears that the clean animals might be needed for food purposes and/or sacrifices (which are exactly what happened when Noah’s family emerged from the ark) therefore, more were required.

I was amazed at verse 4 when I read, “Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights……”  Whoa!  All these animals to collect and only seven days to do accomplish the goal?  When I think of the time it must have taken to build the ark, well, let’s see.  Noah is mentioned in Genesis 5:32 as being 500 years old.  When he entered the ark, he was approximately 600 years old.  At the most it took 100 years, but that hasn’t been firmly established.  But to gather all these animals, male and female in seven days??  Okay, I’m human and I’m wondering how the goal will be accomplished on time.  HOWEVER…God has it all under control, as usual.  Did you read in verse 9 what the animals did???  “Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.” (Emphasis mine)  What a God we serve!  God knew the timeframe….God knew the limitations of man…God fixed a potential problem….the animals walked up to the ark and I can see Noah checking them off the list!

Jan, I wish I knew the answers concerning the calendar dates.  I don’t think they were using our current calendar, but here is some information that might help with clarification.

Concerning the flood and the days of endurance aboard the ark:

1.     7 days, the time between Noah entering the ark and the beginning of the flood

2.    40 days, actual rain time

3.    150 days, from the beginning of the rain until the waters decreased and the ark rested on Mt. Ararat

4.    224 days, from the beginning of the flood to the mountains coming into view

5.    40 days, from the time the mountains were viewed until the raven was sent out (raven did not return..a scavenger, this animal would have no problem being among carnage or perching on slimy surfaces.)

6.    7 days, from the raven to the first dove being sent out (dove returned, a clean animal that will not feed on “death”)

7.    7 more days, sent dove again…this time dove returned with an olive leaf!

8.    7 additional days, dove goes out again not to return

9.    314 days from the beginning of the Flood until Noah removes the covering (possibly the door) of the ark

10.  371 days total from the beginning of the Flood until the earth was dried.  Noah and his family emerge from the ark!

In verse 15 of Chapter 8, I love what it says, “Then God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.”  He further instructs them to set the animals free to “move along the ground---so they can multiply….”  What a beautiful scene from scripture.  God appears to be reaching down and extending his hand to Noah and saying (as we have with small children), “Come on out, it’s okay…I’m here!”

Noah’s first action?  He built an altar and sacrificed some of the clean animals to thank the Lord for His mercy and saving grace.  The sacrifice was pleasing to the Lord and, as a result, God made a covenant with Noah.  Scripture tells us in verse 21, “The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: ‘Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even through every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.  And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done’.”  Verse 22 refers to the fact God would provide regular seasons as long as the earth endures.  More of the details of this covenant are written in Chapter 9.

I know that I asked each of you to write about your thoughts and feelings about being aboard a floating animal farm with only seven other people for what we’ve discovered is over a year!  Jan, thanks for sharing the adventure on the rocking cruise ship.  I can only imagine what that would feel like…I’m sure the ark rocked and rolled quite a few times over the period of the initial forty days and nights. 

The word you would choose to analyze Chapter 8, once again Jan used “hope”….looking around at the earth in its newness, yet with all the devastation and loss of life would be a feeling not soon to be forgotten.  God sparing the faithful to carry on His work would direct me to use the word, “mercy”…protection from destruction through God’s compassion towards the faithful.  Mercy is being spared from judgment or harm.

Next Week’s Assignment:  Read Chapter 9 and write all you can find about the Noahic Covenant (Genesis 8:20 – 9:27).  I am going to use the next couple of weeks to discuss the covenants God has made up to this point.  There have been three covenants thus far.  The Edenic Covenant, the Adamic Covenant and now the Noahic Covenant.  You might see what you can find on these covenants, but if you have questions about any of the material covered to this point, please let me know.  We will take breaks, if needed, and reflect on the scripture we have read to this point.

Father, thank you for watching over these faithful servants as they read and study your Word.  Open their minds that they might understand the treasures within each verse of scripture.  Enlighten me with knowledge to lead them and purge anything that would hinder your voice from being heard and followed.   In Jesus’ name, Amen!