#23 "Not Stirred" Genesis 7

So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, two by two they event into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:7-12 NKJV

In verse 4 and verse 10 we see reference to a seven day notice. Noah and his family have been building this ark for a very long time now, the people of his day have probably lost interest in Noah's project. After this long a time every joke has been said more than once, but there is the shear size and magnitude of this great box. There is a man who has been able to convince 7 other people to work with him on this, and now God is telling him to enter the ark. Not only will they enter the ark but a procession of two of every species of animal, probably close to a hundred thousand animals, will now move towards the ark and enter as God has stated. This is not even including the insects, and yet, Noah and his family will still be the only ones of our species to enter the ark. Here he is going in 7 days before the flood and this as a testament of his faith in God's promise. Noah is telling the whole world goodbye and that the time has come, and though his argument is of things not yet seen, he is vindicated even before the waters arrive by the testimony of the animals. 

I posted Luke 17:26&27 about two posts back, "and as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." NKJV

God uses the historical and natural events of the old testament to show His plan for all of time and the end of time. According to Luke, the people of Noah's generation were unmoved and just went about their normal daily activities. I believe that the New Testament calls back to these stories because new and old are perfectly in sync. My godmother and I were discussing this last night, and the seven days, at the very least, represents a set time. In the New Testament, we see in Matthew's account of Jesus words, "but of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. "Matthew 24:36. NKJV

I have been quite undecided for quite some time as to the many views of the prophecies of Christ return. If, the story of Noah is an indication of the end times then we see that world will not take notice of these signs. They will be more caught up in their normal daily pursuits. The seven days is interesting to me, because Noah, "a preacher of righteousness," 2Peter 2:5c NKJV, is told to enter the ark seven days before the flood. It could be said that this was the time needed to gather all the animals, and make final preparations, but in comparison to the coming of Christ, of which no man knows the hour or the day, Noah now knows the day of this judgment. He has believed and preached that it is coming, but now, seven days before it occurs he is told to enter the ark, and that God will flood the earth seven days from that notice. It is something to think about. Noah was a preacher of righteousness, he testified of God for many years through his obedience in building the ark. He has now entered the ark, with the animals, and for seven days the world can contemplate this. 

And when you have contemplated them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year. Ezekiel 4:6 NKJV

This section of Genesis would seem to line up more with a pre-tribulation rapture view, in that God's chosen are removed from the populace seven days before the judgment. In the last days this would be another physical testament to the Word of God and righteousness of God that has been preached. God's call has been there for generations prior to the flood and since; so it is not a call to the calendar, but rather a call to a state of repentance and salvation that are God's grace and receivable only through faith.

Many will obviously remain unmoved even by what they see, have seen, and no longer see. They will be under a strong delusion, they will consider themselves wise, and they will not repent. I lean towards a rapture now, but will discuss this and some of the other views in more detail as we approach those areas of Scriptural mention. Any doctrine or claim of interpretation should be in light of the whole counsel of God, and not taken out of context.