GENESIS LESSON 14

     May I go back and mention that the gopher wood mentioned was
probably cypress, but there is no absolute proof of this.

     Genesis 6:15 "And this [is the fashion] which thou shalt make it 
[of]: The length of the ark [shall be] three hundred cubits, the 
breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits."

     This ark was to be made by specific directions of God so that it
could hold up to the terrible strain of the high water. This boat was
to house approximately 45,000 animals, which would cover several of
all the species known on the earth today. God also had specific places
for Noah to place the animals, the foodstuff, and for the family of
Noah. Noah had to follow every detail of instruction for this ark to be
functional for the use God had intended it. The exact number of
animals is just an estimate. No one knows for sure how many were
aboard.

     There is a controversy of how long a cubit is. Some believe 18
inches, and some believe 21 inches. I guess it is according to how
long your arm is, because actually a cubit was the distance between
the elbow and the end of the longest finger on that hand. I will give
you the dimensions both ways, and you can choose whichever figure fits
your belief. 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, 45 feet tall, or 525 feet
long 87 feet wide, and 52 feet tall. At any rate, it was a very large
ship. It really does not matter which is correct. We need only know
that this was a ship large enough to take care of Noah's needs and the
animals' needs.

     Genesis 6:16 "A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit
shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in
the side thereof; [with] lower, second, and third [stories] shalt thou
make it."

     This was a very precise and complicated ship to build. I assume
that this window went the full length of the ship, and was 18 to 21
inches tall. This would give light and air to all inside. This door
had to be a tall one to let in animals like giraffes. The three
stories were to separate the different types of animals, and for
Noah's family to have separate quarters, as well. If I understood
earlier in this chapter, it said to make rooms. Some animals could not
stay with other predators.

     Genesis 6:17 "And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters
upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life,
from under heaven; [and] every thing that [is] in the earth shall
die."

     God was very specific that this judgement was from Him. This was not
something Satan did. It is terrible to fall under Satan's attacks,
but we can withstand him with the blood of Jesus. The worst is to fall
under the judgement of God. There is no hiding or protection from
this. This judgement was on all except Noah's family, and the few
animals chosen to reproduce on the earth. God was angry and would,
without repentance, bring judgement.

     Genesis 6:18 "But with thee will I establish my covenant; and
thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and
thy sons' wives with thee."

     God not only saves Noah because of his fellowship with God, but
saves his family as well, God establishes His agreement (covenant)
with Noah and his family. They alone would be saved. " Eight" means new
beginnings, God would begin with Noahs' family. God invites us today to
come into His ark of safety. Jesus Christ is the door we enter in by.
Again, God was angry with a perverse generation. The day of judgement
was here. God would not tolerate open and perverted sin.

     Genesis 6:19 "And of every living thing of all flesh, two of
every [sort] shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep [them] alive with
thee; they shall be male and female." Genesis 6:20 "Of fowls after
their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of
the earth after his kind, two of every [sort] shall come unto thee, to
keep [them] alive."

     God planned to repopulate the whole earth with these couples. The
birds would not even have a place to rest, so even they had to be
repopulated. there was no specific mention of fish. They would not die
in the flood.

     If you will notice in the Scriptures above, Noah did not go out
to find these pairs of animals. The animals came to Noah ("shall come
unto thee"). This was the only way to stay alive. God did not want
these animals cross-bred. These were all their kind.

     Genesis 6:21 "And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten,
and thou shalt gather [it] to thee; and it shall be for food for thee,
and for them."

     The one thing that stands out so clearly in all of this, is that
God did not put the food in the ark for Noah. God told Noah to put
it in the ark. Noah had to do the work himself. Truly he was directed
by God, but Noah had to prepare. It reminds me very much of the famine
in Egypt in Joseph's time. God revealed the disaster to Joseph, and
Joseph had to do the legwork to prepare for the famine. God never
changes. He will reveal a problem to us before it happens so we
can prepare for it. God will help us, but He will not do it for us.

     Genesis 6:22 "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded
him, so did he."

     Noah recognized the instructions of God. Noah not only said yes
sir, but he did something about it.

     Noah had to be a man of extra-ordinary faith. All this time, it
had never rained upon the earth. People had to be laughing at Noah. He
never once stopped working on the ark. He never once stopped warning
of the impending doom.

     The Bible is not very explanatory whether the sons worked to help
Noah, or not.

     I can just hear the people saying, "What makes you think you are
so special that God will save you?" Noah was busy building the ark for
100 years. I do not find the exact 120 years that most attribute to
this period in the Bible. I think the 120 year period comes from a
history book of that period, and not from the Bible. The Bible said
Noah was 500 years old when his sons were born, and then in the next
lesson Genesis 7:6 "And Noah [was] six hundred years old when the
flood of waters was upon the earth." That is 100 years, not 120. This,
like so many other things that people believe about the Bible are not
facts. We must not add to, or take away from the Bible. If God wanted
us to know the exact time, He would have put it in the Bible.

     Let us remember throughout this study, we are studying the Bible
and not the history of the Bible times.

     As a quick over-all look again at chapter 6, let us remember that
sin covered the earth. God judged everyone lost except Noah's family.
Noah's moral life and great faith in God won God's favor, and God
showed Noah a way out. Jesus Christ is our ark of safety (our way
out). In Chapter 7, we will go into more detail about the flood and
Noah's preparation for it.

     For the next lesson read chapter 7 three times.

























                             Questions 14


1.  What was the gopher wood probably?
2.  How many cubits long was the ark?
3.  How many cubits wide was the ark?
4.  How many cubits high was the ark?
5.  Name two opinions of what a cubit is?
6.  What is a cubit actually?
7.  How many stories high was the ark?
8.  What is it safe to assume about the windows?
9.  What two things would the window furnish?
10. Why were there three stories?
11. Who brought the flood?
12. What was the purpose of the flood?
13. What is worse than an attack from Satan?
14. Who would God establish His covenant with?
15. How many people were saved?
16. What does that number mean?
17. What, or who, is our entrance to our ark of safety?
18. Why were male and female of each put in the ark?
19. Name three types brought into the ark?
20. Why was there no specific mention of fish?
21. Did Noah have to go out and catch the animals?
22. Did God provide food?
23. Who did the work?
24. What, in Joseph's time, reminds us of this?
25. Why does God reveal problems ahead to Christians?
26. Give two words describing Noah's faith.
27. How many years was Noah building the Ark?
28. Where does the 120 year theory come from?
29. How old was Noah when the flood waters were on the earth?
30. What two things must we remember in this Bible study?
31. In our quick look back at chapter 6, what covered the earth?
32. What two things saved Noah?
33. Who is our way out?

                                 Notes