Typing for Two: January 2 ~ Tivet 6 ~ Genesis (B'reshiyth) Chapter 7

Tivet is the Biblical month, B'reshiyth is the original or Hebrew word for our English word Genesis meaning "Beginnings".

THE FLOOD ~ GETTING IT STRAIGHT

First let me put the record straight ... Noah took 7 clean male and female animals and 2 unclean male and female animals into the ark. What? You might say, that's not the story I heard in Sunday School ... 2 x 2's right? Wrong! Genesis 7:2-3 Of 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. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

That meant Noah had to know what was clean and unclean ... as we learned in Genesis 1 God is a God who makes distinction between holy and unholy, clean and unclean and between light and darkness and He wants us to as well as a nation of priests (See Leviticus 10:10, Exodus 19:6, I Peter 2:9 and Revelation 1:6, 5:10 for my basis of this thought).

Leviticus 11 contains God's description for what he finds clean and unclean, for what was created for food and what he did not create for food. Noah knew this even before Sinai so these weren't just laws for the "Jews", but for all people that are called by His name to do His will. Something to consider ... as I tell my family, this is God's best and I want God's best in my life. His dying on the cross did not change an unclean animal into a clean one, but these things are for another discussion ... just something if you are reading this blog to consider and think about ... back to Genesis 7.

And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. Genesis 7:5

V'ahyahas Noach k'kol ahshehr tzuahhu Adonai - "asah", he did, fashioned, accomplished, made, produced, labored, worked about anything the LORD told him to ... he was busy about God's work!

Can I put my name there? ___________ v'ahyahas k'kol ahshehr tzuahhu Adonai ... am I doing all which he instructs?

I do feel at a disadvantage to Noah though (7:6), afterall he had 600 years to get it right! Sometimes I feel if I had more time I could get it right ... it's like raising children ... the first one you have NO clue it seems, the second one (while they are all different) might be a little easier and I feel if I had another one I might get it a little more right and so on ... by the 10th child I should be much better at parenting right? Well for anyone with more than 2 children out there who may be reading this you can correct me on my thinking ... but I feel sometimes if I just had more time I could do it better ...

Now here is where our Sunday School lessons pick up in verse 9 ... they went in two by two male and female ... what a beautiful picture ... male and female proceeding into the safety of the ark in pairs ... then they sat in the ark for 7 days waiting for the rain ...

Can you just imagine ... there you are, you've spent perhaps 75-100 years in building this boat, all the animals have come and there you are sitting in the ark with one window for light ... one day passes, no rain ... two, three, four ... six days come and go and no rain, what are you feeling now? You had this promise from God and what you thought you were supposed to do and yet you are sitting there for an entire week without seeing God's hand moving ... then what do we see? Verse 7:11 this gives me chills ... an exact time the 600th year of Noah's life, the second month, the 17th day of that month - that very day God says - the rain began ... from below and above all the windows of heaven were open ... wow ... what a picture. God points to His timing and on that day Heaven opened up ... we can not be weary in waiting ... when it is time Heaven will open up and you will see His Fullfillment of what He has said will happen.

You read the Bible many times over and then one verse or phrase just pops out at you making you wonder if it's always been there :)

And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life. 7:15

Where was the Ruach, the Spirit, in Noah or the ark? The interlinear version says this ... "which in him the spirit (Ruach) lives" ... probably in Noah, but I do not doubt that the presence of the Almighty by His Spirit was there in that ark ... have you ever walked in to a place and just felt the weight of His presence? What a feeling!!! I can just imagine walking into the ark that day with the wieght of His presence ...

And they went in and God locked them in and the deluge came and the waters increased and they were lifted up high off the earth and they mastered the waters as the waters increased exceedingly on the earth and the ark she went on the surface of the waters, the mayim. The Hebrew original text says the waters were exceedingly, exceedingly on the earth ... 15 cubits upward did the waters prevail and covered even the mountains and everything outside of the ark was wiped off (vayimahu) from the earth, but Noah and all with him had mastery over the waters in the ark for 150 days. For 40 days and nights it rained and the waters increased (about 6 weeks) and then for another 5 months (about 6-1/2 months total now) they are in the ark with the waters prevailing and chpt 8 seems to indicate that perhaps it even rained some in those 5 months ... and as we will see later it wasn't until Noah was 601 years old that they actually got to come out ... so for another 1/2 of a year ...

God works in His timing ... there was a 40 day period of cleaning the earth of the corruption and violence ... then another 150 days (or approx 5 months) where the cleansing waters prevailed (they were gabor ~ mighty, strong, powerful, binding, continuing to work, confirming the covenant) ... God was continuing to show his power and perhaps confirming His covenant with Noach and his family. God never forgot Noach and all who were with him ... chapter 8:1 tells us that God caused a wind to pass over the earth and the rain to stop (v.2) and after another 150 days (approx. 5 months) the water resided.

I guess what I get out of this is that God's timing is perfect, His ways are perfect and of course He is pretty perfect Himself, right?

One thing I have always believed is that God would have let anyone on the ark who believed in His Word, but only one tiny family, a mere 8 people obeyed and took Him at His Word. When you look around your neighborhoods, your churches, the entire world and think about this story, how can you not be humbled. Out of all the world back then and it is estimated that there could have been perhaps 1 billion people by that point only 8 were saved.

Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. Matthew 7:14, 22-25