#33 Peleg Genesis 10

Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the  Philistines and Caphtorim). Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; the Jebusite, the Amorite, and Girgashite; the Hivite, the Arkite, and Sinite; the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hemathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidonas you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations. And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begotEber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations. These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these nations were divided on the earth after the flood. Genesis 10: 13-32 NKJV

It is interesting, the different takes on this passage, considering that it is one of the many genealogies I tried to race through as a kid. Most of the conversation starts with Peleg. Within the church there are different trains of thought and some have arisen due to what we now observe and study in reference to tectonic plates and shifting. Reading the genealogy straight through and unbroken into chapter 11 it is easy for me to assume that this is part of the dividing of nations, reflective of Babel. People that maintain this interpretation would most likely do so because:

1. They feel that the waters were collected together in one place as mentioned in Gen. 1:9 and there was a single land mass at the creation. Pangea was split up during the flood and that a reoccurrence of this would cause another world wide flood, which God had promised not to do. Some of the articles I read support land bridges, which I cannot observe now, but migrational routes over ice would be probable. 
2. The second hypothesis put forth on this is that Pangea occurred after the flood, or started during and continued after. Strong arguments for this would be what we can now observe, like the distribution of animals, especially mammals in places like Australia. 

I am a bit undecided. I do see the evidence of Pangea to which neither side nor the secular world seem to disagree that the continents are moving. Evolutionist would contend that all this happened over millions of years, creationist, who believe God's word would say that much of this happened more rapidly. I agree with the latter, but am undecided as to the duration of the most excessive movements. Here are some articles for thought:

Peleg 1 

Of Peleg 2

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#32 "Nimrod" Genesis 10

Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples of the gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations. The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. he was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord." And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city). Genesis 10

Josephus wrote:

"Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to reach. And that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers.

Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to God; and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being in any degree negligent about the work: and, by reason of the multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than any one could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really was. It was built of burnt brick, cemented together with mortar, made of bitumen, that it might not be liable to admit water. When God saw that they acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly, since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the former sinners; but he caused a tumult among them, by producing in them diverse languages, and causing that, through the multitude of those languages, they should not be able to understand one another. The place wherein they built the tower is now called Babylon, because of the confusion of that language which they readily understood before; for the Hebrews mean by the word Babel, confusion…"

Cush begot Nimrod - Now we see that Ham was fathered by Noah, Cush was fathered by Ham, and so Nimrod would be Noah's great grandson. His grandfather, Ham, was on the ark with Noah, amongst the 8 people who alone survived God's judgment of the earth. 

He was a mighty hunter before the Lord - Even knowing the flood story from firsthand witnesses, yet he was a man of pride before the Lord, and a symbol of power to the people. Pride is the original sin, the devil wanting the worship that belonged to God, and man questioning, doubting God's right and good intent as the Creator. Satan tempted Eve in the garden, saying that she could be like God, yet she was fashioned from the rib of man, who was made from the dust. 

“He became a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, ‘Like a Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.’” He became the standard of power. “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh in the land of Shinar.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel.

His name is said by some, Nimrod, to mean rebel. He is the first foreshadowing of antichrist. His brashness can be seen in that he was before God. He boldly would attempt to take his place before God. He had power; he had might; he had a kingdom which means he was a ruler. And his headquarters were at Babel, or as it was later called, Babylon. - J Mac Sermon on Revelation 17 circa 1994

And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel - This is the mother of harlots, where every false religion began, an affront to the true God. 

Tower of Babel

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#31 "Naked" Genesis 9

Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated. And Noah began to be a  farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness. So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren." And he said: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant." And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died. Genesis 9:18-28 NKJV

It notes here that Ham was the father of Canaan. The Canaanites would settle the land that God would later give to Israel, the sons of Shem. 

Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them - the children of Israel. Joshua 1:2 NKJV

We are also told in vs. 20 that Noah becomes a farmer, plants a vineyard, and then gets drunk off the wine from his vineyard. He became uncovered in his tent and it is not clarified as to whether from drunkenness or from someone uncovering him. It says that Ham, his youngest son, saw his nakedness and told his two brothers. I use to think this was possibly a sexual encounter, because why else would Noah be so mad? But I don't think it was, and I think it has more to do with something my generation no longer understands. 

Adam and Eve were naked in the garden before the fall; nakedness was not sin, but rather sin entered the world and nakedness became subject to it. When my children were little, it was difficult to keep clothes on them, and we did not indoctrinate them one way or the other. We simply clothed them. They hit a certain age though where they all the sudden wanted to be covered up, and started asking for a towel or running to their room to get dressed behind closed doors. It was instinctual, and no doubt developed in response to a sinful world. Being clothed is the response to the eyes of other sinners, to being judged or treated like an object. It does not have the power to stop these things completely for man is persistent in sin and he has elevated the form of man and worshiped it, rather than worshiping the creator and being conformed to His image. I don't want to make this too long, and there will be plenty of instances in the books ahead that show man's obsession with the body, but I think here we see something else.

Ham walked in on his father's nakedness and belittled him. He went to his brothers to gossip, and he took pleasure in his father's embarrassment. Look at the righteous man of God, lying naked on the floor, but they would not, and they would cover their father instead of mocking him. They loved and respected the father that God gave them, the father who spoke to God and had them build the ark of their earthly redemption. Noah didn't just curse his son; he cursed one who chose a different path. One who took pleasure in seeing his father humiliated. How many times do we take pleasure and point fingers at the sins of others? Do we not have enough to attend to in ourselves? 

But I say to you everyone that looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28ESV

Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4 NKJV

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#30 Rainbows Genesis 9

Then God said to Noah and to His sons with him, "behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many  as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "this is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." Genesis 9:8-17 ESV

God promises not to destroy the whole earth again, but clarifies this to be by water judgement. It is fore told that he will judge by fire on the day of the Lord, and I can find no reason to doubt Him on this. He is proving His word through out scripture and that scripture is His word in that all He says He will do is done.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2Peter 3:10 NKJV

God uses a natural occurrence, a rainbow, as the reminder of His promise; He has extended this to every living thing. It is both humbling and a comfort for me to know that God is sovereign. He does not just make promises of judgment, but also those concerning redemption, and they are by grace as He will see them through. He will have to intercede for us, and just as it is by His power that all things have been created, it will be by His own sacrifice that we are saved.

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#29 Promises kept, Promises made

So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely from your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it,  and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God he made man. And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it."

This is in no way a reset back to a world without sin. Noah does not become the second Adam because he is from Adam. God finishes chapter 8 with a promise never to destroy every living thing again as He has done with the flood. In chapter 9 He continues by blessing Noah and his sons and tells them to multiply. This is a blessing extended to all mankind as Noah's family will be the parents for all future men and women. God does not go back to the beginning; he saw His work that it was good, and if it were a court of law we now have precedence for what would most surely happen again, unless God removed all temptation and free will. This is not His will for man though, to be His puppets, but man in choosing sin has also chosen to be sin's puppet. He is dead in his trespasses and sin.

God has now also proven to Noah that He is in control of nature; He has flooded the earth like He said, and saved Noah and his family like He promised. Noah's faith is not based merely upon hope but built also upon the word of a God who has proven Himself to be true. He has demonstrated that He is in control.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. 1Chronicles 29:11

God has also told man He can eat of every living thing, except not the blood of the animal, for the life is  in the blood, and the blood will be the covering for man under the redemption plan. If they are obedient in this it will also protect man from diseases and parasites that have been introduced and developed since the fall. This is prior to the dietary laws in Leviticus. God also institutes capital punishment to be carried out by man and his responsibility to do so in the case of murder. Prior to the flood God would not allow another man to kill Cain. At that time, He still reserved the right, but the earth was full of violence in Noah's time, and man was committing murder. God judged this and allowed 120 years for man to witness the building of the ark, the faith of Noah, the opportunity to repent. God knew this would not happen but gave the opportunity, and then he destroyed every living thing except those who were on the ark. 

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#28"Blood" Genesis 8

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." Genesis 8:20-22 ESV

The first action recorded after Noah exits the ark is the building of an altar. He offers burnt offerings from all the clean animals and birds. It says, "the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma" and after this states that He will never again curse the ground or strike down every living creature. God was pleased with Noah's sacrifice and I have often heard and been taught that this was solely because of blood and the same reason Cain's sacrifice was unacceptable. I believe there is more to it than just blood vs. vegetables in the instance of Cain and Abel.

The blood offering, as part of the old covenant, offers an image of the new covenant. Man is dead in his  trespasses and sin. Sin brings death. The sacrifice of animals does not take away the sins of the world, but points to the Lamb of God, who only can atone for the sins of all those who believe.

It was stated earlier in Genesis that Cain brings fruits from the ground, but Abel brings the first born of his flock, the best, and that God respected His offering but did not respect Cain's. I don't think God was belittling Cain's occupation, and I can't find where it tells us that Cain defied God by not offering a blood sacrifice, but I see in the different translations what amounts to the fruit of the ground, not the first or the best. I am speculating some here because of other passages of scripture, but please, be sure I am not discounting what I have been taught. Adam and Eve were given animal skins as a covering and Abel offered an animal sacrifice that was pleasing to God; these offer an important picture of God's ultimate plan of redemption. If it was a commanded sin offering that was suppose to be in blood then he openly disobeyed on that level too, but I believe, that even if Cain would have offered an animal sacrifice, it would not have been pleasing to God.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. Hebrews 11:4 NKJV

There is more than just the act of killing an animal. Abel was a shepherd, and it is difficult for us in this time, thousands of years later, living under the New Covenant of grace, to relate to this individual and the significance of his sacrifice. Sheep would be his livelihood. Abel giving the best of his flock and not holding them back for future breeding stock or towards his own stores would defy material logic. Unless, it was an act of faith based on obedience to God, and showing faith not in Abel's material resources which he could see, but rather in the God who created all we do see and do not yet see. Abel trusted God, and gave from the heart.

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears you have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart." Psalm 40: 6-8 NKJV

David is not doing away with the sacrifice, nor is he making light of the command or the representation. It is the matter of the heart and not only the act of obedience but the desire to obey.

Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. 1Samuel 15:22 NKJV

Noah and Abel were not born righteous, righteousness was accounted to them through faith. Faith opposes pride; I no longer do good things because I am a "good" person; I do good things by faith in the Lamb of God.

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#27 "Noah" Films and Fables Genesis 8

And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark. Genesis 8: 13-19 NKJV

The world that Noah and his family are now entering had to be very different than the world pre-flood. The canopy is gone, and I imagine that the release of water from the earth's interior and the changed landscape would have broken up any pre-existing symmetry, and would result in natural disasters and phenomena new to them. Their planet would now be subject to storms, rain, and an overall accelerated entropy. Man cannot live as long in this environment and it is a world not free of sin, but God, unlike man, is not reactionary. He has a purpose. He will see His plan through, and we, who believe, should take comfort in the fact that He is in control. 

Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:31-33 NKHV

I have recently read several reviews of the movie Noah, and have seen the debates in comments under articles and on Facebook. Let me say this first; I believe the Bible is God's word, and that it is our duty as believers to defend its truths. 

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 1Peter 3:15

That said, I do not understand the shock of some commenting on the movie, and I fail to see the meekness in some of their responses; some of which I dare not repeat.  Is it really righteous anger? Is it really so surprising that men, who do not believe in God, would corrupt the telling of a Bible story? I am not surprised, and it indicates to me that the world still needs to hear the truth, and that except for the grace of God, I too would be adverse to the things of God. 

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8: 7&8

We would like to hold the world to a standard that it can neither understand nor attain, yet in our own churches we have become relaxed in the handling of God's word. God does not need the endorsement of Hollywood, but you, who have been blessed with the truth, He has also blessed with the honor of telling. 

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2Timothy 4: 1-5

Update Is Genesis History?

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#26"Ravens and Doves" Genesis 8

So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. Genesis 8: 6-12 NKJV

The raven not returning would be a good indication that the flood waters had receded, but a raven is also an opportunist. He may have found carrion from the dead and rotting corpses of animals that had been lodged in rocks, on the mountains, as the waters receded. This would not be suitable for all the inhabitants of the ark, so Noah releases a dove. The dove finds no suitable resting place and returns to the safety and food that is in the ark. The second time she returns with an olive branch which is a good sign of new growth, and the third time she did not return which was the sign that all could exit and survive.                                 

We see the dove with the olive branch as a symbol of peace. God has kept His promise to Noah, the storm has passed and the waters are receding. We will see this again with the new covenant, and the coming of God's provision for peace. Noah's family will continue the seed of that ultimate promise, the crushing of sin and death. 

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Matthew 3: 16&17

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#25 "Inside" Genesis 8

Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the 150 days the waters decreased. Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. Genesis 8: 1-5 NKJV

At the end of the 40 days God keeps His promise to Noah and starts the process of returning the flood waters to the sky by evaporation, and to the earths crust and mantle. Noah and his family were in the ark much longer than 40 days. This was no luxury cruise either; they were inside this box with all these animals and their excrement for a period lasting over a year. It is hard to imagine what such a trip would be like. They were safe though, during the worst catastrophe our world has yet to know. In the ark, riding high above the most unimaginable and extreme forces, they are kept atop the very cushion that is now crushing and reshaping our planet. One year inside a box, a box that must have seemed like hell to its occupants, they exist. They were use to sunny days, fresh air and the freedom to roam. This was no life I would want to live, and here it is only still the beginning. God has destroyed sinful man, and yet has saved mankind. It is His creation and at the mercy of His will, but he has chosen in this to show His mercy by sparing the lives of 8 people. It is far from finished though, because in saving mankind he has also saved sinful man. The ark will only save 8 and it will only save them in the physical world and allow the opportunity for man to exercise his free will once again. It is a testament to God's holiness, His Love, and the rebirth of the world after the flood will testify to the need of God's redemptive plan. 

"And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness." Leviticus 16: 20 - 22 NKJV

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#24"The Whole Earth" Genesis 7

On the very same day Noah and Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark - they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in. Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The water increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole of heaven were covered. And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground; both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days. Genesis 7: 13-24

There is nowhere in Genesis that I have seen reference to an isolated geographical incident. The flood described here encompasses the earth, otherwise, God could have told Noah to move, and there would be no need to collect all the animals if it was in an isolated location. This was a flood that covered the whole earth, and though symbolic on many levels, it is written to describe an actual event. There are, if I remember correctly and at last count, over 270 flood stories told in cultures all over the earth that find their origin in this event.

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#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. 

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#22"Enter the Ark" Genesis 7

Then the Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also 7 each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made." And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him. Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth. Genesis 7: 1-6 NKJV

God's righteousness: this is an excerpt from Bible.org, and I could not say it better.

These words by Richard Strauss bring us very close to a concise definition of righteousness. Righteousness, in relation to men, is their conformity to a standard. Unlike men, God is not subject to anything outside of Himself. No one states this better than A.W. Tozer:

It is sometimes said, ‘Justice requires God to do this,’ referring to some act we know He will perform. This is an error of thinking as well as of speaking, for it postulates a principle of justice outside of God which compels Him to act in a certain way. Of course there is no such principle. If there were it would be superior to God, for only a superior power can compel obedience. The truth is that there is not and can never be anything outside of the nature of God which can move Him in the least degree. All God’s reasons come from within His uncreated being. Nothing has entered the being of God from eternity, nothing has been removed, and nothing has been changed.

Justice, when used of God, is a name we give to the way God is, nothing more; and when God acts justly He is not doing so to conform to an independent criterion, but simply acting like Himself in a given situation. . . God is His own self-existent principle of moral equity, and when He sentences evil men or rewards the righteous, He simply acts like Himself from within, uninfluenced by anything that is not Himself.” 31

We must then say the righteousness of God is evident in the way He consistently acts in accord with His own character. God always acts righteously; His every action is consistent with His character. God is always consistently “Godly.” God is not defined by the term “righteous,” as much as the term “righteous” is defined by God. God is not measured by the standard of righteousness; God sets the standard of righteousness.

So then, if God is the bar for all righteousness, then those things created have only to conform. To establish one's own righteousness apart from faith is a sort of mental treason. Righteousness was attributed to Noah through Faith, in that he walked with God, and obeyed God, in a generation that did not. He was born into a fallen world, and under the curse of sin as much as you or I. 

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside"… Romans 3:9-12a NKJV

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#21 "The Ark" Genesis 6

And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. And behold, I myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark - you, your sons, your wife, and your son's wives with you. And every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them." Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. Genesis 6:13-22

A cubit is approximately 1.5 ft. in length. This would make the ark a rather large box at 45 ft. tall, 75 ft. wide, and 450 ft. long. I am not sure what kind of wood goherwood is, but some have theorized cedar, since that wood is prevalent in this area of the old world. Pitch is referring to the resin they used to seal the seams of the ark and keep water tight. 

There is some interesting symbolism here:

• God is giving Noah directions to build the ark of his escape. he has given all mankind Jesus and His word.
• This will be built with natural materials and by human labor. There obedience will see them through this flood.
• The ark will save eight people, his whole immediate family. Noah's family will repopulate the earth and continue with the seed.
• It will take many years to build the ark. It stands as a testimony of faith in a time where they had not seen this sort of rain. During this time, Noah will be jeered and ridiculed by his peers as they have no desire for the things of God.

God, by His design, has already calculated the size of the boat Noah will need both for capacity and stability. Though God will bring about this judgement in His time and by His own means, he allows the work to be carried out by human hands. He will use water to destroy the earth, and a man made vessel to sustain human life and keep His covenant promise of a redeemer. This is the greatest natural catastrophe of all history, and the ark made of wood will stand symbolic of a God, made into man, born of a woman, and hung on a tree to cover all believers, of all times, once and for all. Jesus will be the ark  for God's final judgment, and the only means by which to cross the void of spiritual death and separation.

God saves Noah's whole family. I am not sure, but this may in some way be attributed to a weakening genetic pool. What started with two may now require six representatives, of the human species, to keep enough genetic material in the new population. 

The building of the ark with the tools probably available to them at the time would have taken many, many years. In all this time, the people saw Noah, spoke with Noah and saw this monstrosity of a box in his yard. Yet, Noah and his family are the only ones that will enter the ark.

"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." Luke 17:26&27

Christians are often shocked by unbelievers disregard for God, sin, and judgment. We are so fortunately blessed yet somehow it escapes us that we are just as helpless without God. We, who believe, are so easily impressed with ourselves, that we try to conform a dying world to us rather than taking them to a Christ who can save them. We try to return to the law that we could not keep, and impose it upon those who do not believe. Is it such a shock that sinners sin. I pray my own sins bothers me more, and that I am humbled by the realization of my salvation. 

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark, for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11: 7

         

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#20"Noah" Genesis 6

This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem , Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. Genesis 6:9-12 NKJV

We ended the last study with God being sorry that he made men, but also with Noah finding grace in the eyes of the Lord. 

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. 

In verse 9 it describes Noah as a just man. The Bible tells us that the just shall live by faith, and also that without faith it is impossible to please Him. Noah was considered just through faith, and the choice to pursue God's righteousness, through obedience to Him, shows him perfect compared to his generation. It is not that Noah was without sin, but rather that he trusted God and was humble before Him. 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11:7 NKJV

God finds the earth corrupt and violent. This has most likely been accelerated by Satan and his fallen angels cohabiting with men. There is much violence in the earth but keep in mind that God has promised a deliverer that will crush Satan's head. He promises to bring Him through the seed of the woman, but at the same time He hates sin. 

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#19 "Sons of God and Daughters of Men" Genesis 6

Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:1-7 NKJV

This is a passage that people have been divided on, as far as interpretation, so I am going to start with  the phrase, "sons of God."  In Job 1:6: Now there was a day when the "sons of God" came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. NKJV

Sons of God here, in the context of this passage, is referring to the angelic host and Satan is among them. When God asked Satan, "From where do you come?" He answers, "from going to and fro on the earth, and walking back and forth on it." So He is no longer there but instead he is in the presence of God Almighty. In Job 2:1 we see a recurring instance where the angelic hosts are referred to as the "sons of God" in another meeting. The reference to angels, using the same words, is made again in Job 38:7. Looking at it from the first sentence in Gen 6: men multiply, daughters born to them, sons of God saw daughters of men, it naturally draws a distinction between men and sons of God. 

Angels were not made with the purpose of procreation in mind.

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. Matthew 22:30

And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to this, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 6

The verse above draws comparison between the sexual immorality of Sodom and that of the fallen angels. It is uncertain if the angels literally had sex with women since they were not designed with the intent of marriage, as we see in Matthew, or as some writers have stated, possessed men. Either way it was against God's command and stepping outside of His design. The passage also states that the daughters of men bore children to them, and that there were giants on the earth. The sentence structure appears to indicate that the giants were already there in those days and not a product of copulation. Why they are included in this particular passage may be to indicate that they were the preferred instrument of the fallen angels for sexual exploits if it was indeed a matter of possession, but that is me speculating.

It is at this time that God also decides to shorten man's days. We will see the His instrument for this in the following chapters.  Will God destroy all men, or will He keep His word to Adam and Eve about a promised seed?

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