GENESIS LESSON 15


     We will begin this study with chapter 7 of 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."

     In this we see Noah's very difficult task finished. A righteous
man or woman should be about winning their entire family and generally
will be able to. The best way to win them is by living a separated
life every day. God mentioned again that He was pleased with Noah.

     Genesis 7:2 "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." Genesis 7:3 "Of fowls also of the air
by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face
of all the earth."

     In V-2 the first separation of clean and unclean animals was made.
Clean animals would have to be more abundant to be used as food for
Noah's family,and for sacrifice to God. This just goes into more
detail. In V-1, the call came. It is still our call to safety
today. Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy Laden 
and I will give you rest." Noah obeyed God's voice and came into the ark.
 Just as
Noah went into his ark of safety by the door, we must enter into
safety through Jesus Christ our Lord. Noah had lived in a very evil
time, but stayed in right standing with God. We must live pure lives
in this evil generation as well. Verse 3 tells exactly why God brought 
the animals into the ark. It was to preserve the seed of every variety. 
The fowls were in sevens for the same reason. The animals were for 
food and for sacrifice.   

     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."

     These threatening were from God; Divine in nature to purify the
earth. Forty had always been a time of testing and trial, thus it
rained forty days and forty nights. This seven days was an exacting
time, again, seven means spiritually complete. The work was over.
Divine judgement was here. God would destroy his creation.
     
     In verse 5 we see the unquestioning obedience of Noah when God spoke. 
     Genesis 7:5 "And Noah did according unto all that the LORD
commanded him."
    
      Genesis 7:6 "And Noah [was] six hundred years old when
the flood of waters was upon the earth."

     As we said last week, the Scriptures say that when Noah was 500,
he had Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and when the floods came he was 600. It
seems approx. 100 years of obedience to God was necessary for Noah to
be prepared.

     Today the world ridicules the believers, just as they did in the
days of Noah. We, too, must keep the faith against all odds.

     Genesis 7:7  "And 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."
     A very popular reason to come to God is to avoid destruction.

     Genesis 7:8 "Of clean beasts, and of beasts that [are] not clean,
and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,"
Genesis 7:9 "There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the
male and the female, as God had commanded Noah."

     It seemed as if there were invisible chains pulling the lion and
lioness, the tigers, serpents, crocodiles, birds, and every creature.
Don't you know it caused quite a stir for these animals and birds to
congregate at the ark?

     Genesis 7:10 "And it came to pass after seven days, that the
waters of the flood were upon the earth."

     If I understand the above, it seems that Noah was in the ark
seven days before the flood began. This would be one really good
argument for the Christians being in heaven seven years before the
horrors begin. I personally believe the problems will begin while we
are still here, as the rain began while Noah was on the earth. But the
above seven days of safety in the ark before the flood came, could
possibly be symbolic of the seven years we will be in heaven before
the holocaust begins. It really does not say exactly when it started
raining, or exactly at what point Noah entered the ark.

     Genesis 7:11  "In 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."

     This rain did not just fall from the sky, but it came from
springs and openings in the earth as well. Water came from everywhere.
It started on may 17 as we think of time.

     Genesis 7:12 "And the rain was upon the earth forty days and
forty nights." Genesis 7:13 "In 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;"

     For sure we know that Noah was in the ark before the forty days
and nights of rain, The other exact time that they entered the ark is
speculation. I really believe V-13 just means that the family all went
in the same day. This warning God had given Noah in V-4, that in seven
days He would start the flood, was probably to give Noah a little more
time to get his family into the ark.

     Genesis 7:14 "They, 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."

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

     Genesis 7:16 "And they that went in, went in male and female of
all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in."

     This verse tells us that safety comes from the Lord. The seal was
set by the Lord. He puts his seal of safety on us as well when we
decide to follow Him.

     Genesis 7:17 "And 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."

     As the rain came, the water rose and floated the ark upward. It
seems it rained forty days and nights. In the next few verses, we will
see that the water did not immediately go down.

     Genesis 7:18 "And the waters prevailed, and were increased
greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters."
Genesis 7:19 "And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and
all the high hills, that [were] under the whole heaven, were covered."

     We understand by this that the mountain tops were covered and the
ark floated above it all.

     Genesis 7:20 "Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and
the mountains were covered."

     In our studies, we know this would have not meant from the ground.
This 15 cubits had to be above the highest mountain. Just as the
plagues in Revelation get worse as each vial is poured out, this water
and punishment was greater and greater.

     Genesis 7:21 "And 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:" Genesis 7:22 "All in whose
nostrils [was] the breath of life, of all that [was] in the dry
[land], died." Genesis 7:23 "And 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."

     Here again, over and over, we see God making a difference between
the lost sinners and those saved by Him.

     Genesis 7:24 "And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred
and fifty days."

     This time was a time of security for Noah and his family.

     When we look back at Noah and the flood, we can see symbolisms of
our day. First, sin prevailed as it does now in our land. Second, Noah
found favor in God's sight as true Christians have found favor with
God. Third, God provided a way out for Noah, as we are saved in
tribulation. Fifth, God called Noah into the ark. Jesus will blow a
trumpet to call us to meet Him in the sky. Sixth, Noah knows rest and
security in the ark. We will know peace and rest with Jesus. Seventh,
we see Noah return to the earth. Christians will return with Jesus to
earth. We will continue these parallels as we go on in this study. One
more thing here, and then our questions. Noah did not seem to worry
about his extended stay in the ark. Christians will not be concerned
with their length of stay in heaven.

     Read chapter 8 three times for the next lesson.

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                             Questions 15


1.  When God called Noah into the ark, He said because He had found
    Noah what?
2.  What should a Christian man or woman be doing?
3.  How many clean beasts should Noah bring into the ark?
4.  Name two reasons for more clean than unclean animals.
5.  God told Noah how many days ahead the rain would start?
6.  How many days and nights was it to rain?
7.  This number means what?
8.  How old was Noah when the flood was on the earth?
9.  What is a very popular reason to come to God?
10. What is one really good argument for seven years being spent in
    heaven by Christians?
11. What month of the year did the rain begin?
12. What day?
13. In V-15 he describes what separates these from fish,
    what is it?
14. Who shut the door?
15. What was covered with the water?
16. How high did the waters prevail?
17. What comparison could be made with the flood and plagues?
18. How many days did the water prevail?
19. What was the first comparison to our day?
20. 2nd?
21. 3rd?
22. 4th?
23. 5th?
24. 6th?
25. 7th?
26. Was Noah concerned about the length of his stay in the ark?

                                 Notes