GENESIS CHAPTER 7

Verse 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.

I.    Evidently 120 years have passed - Gen. 6:3.

II.   Note the invitation to come.

A.  There is an invitation to salvation, not a forcing.

B.   There is an invitation to baptism (join the church and service), not a forcing.  (This is talking about the Bride of Christ.)

C.   Matt. 22:1-14 - An invitation to the wedding supper.  (This is not the calling to the bride) not a forcing (See also Luke 14:16-24).

III. Noah didn't go into the ark but waited on the command by God.

A.  God said "Come" into the ark, not "go" into the ark.  (God was already in the Ark.)

B.            Because he was righteous.

1.      Before God, not men.

2.   II Tim. 2:11-14 - God will publicly recognize those that recognize Him.

Verse 2 and 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.

I.    God's care for the animals.

A.  I Cor. 9:9 - God makes provision for the feeding of work animals.

B.   Matt. 6:26 - God cares for the feeding of fowls.

II.   Clean and unclean animals.  How did Noah know which animals were clean and unclean since the law wasn't written yet?

A.  Some think the animals determined "clean and unclean" by the people who were attracted to some and repelled by others.

B.   Rom. 1:14, 15 - The law, though not written down by Moses, was still in effect.

1.   The law has always been in effect.  Gen. 2:16, 17.

2.   The law will be in effect until death is destroyed at Rev. 20:14.

3.   The "Law of Moses" never promised eternal life because of the sinfulness of man.  Gal. 3:21, 22.

4.   The law shouldn't ever have been called the "Law of Moses".  It should have been called the Law of God.

C.   7 "clean" animals - 3 pair to breed and 1 to sacrifice. (Gen. 8:20).

D.  One pair of "unclean" animals.

1.      Give the clean a head start - the wicked seem to prosper more than the righteous.  (At least that's the way it works in my garden.)

2.   The clean for the service of man.

3.   I"m glad there are more cows than lions or tigers.

4.   7 days - 6 for us and 1 for the Lord.

Verse 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.

I.    Noah got in the ark 7 full days before the flood came.

A.  Verse 10 -- 7 full days after Noah got in the ark, the flood came.

B.   A picture of the rapture coming 7 full years before the Battle of Armageddon.

C.   Had 1 day of rest while in the Ark (before the flood) - a day of worship, and 6 days of settling everybody in (work).

D.  Got in the ark by faith - it hadn't started flooding yet.

1.   Did that 7 days in the ark with no flooding cause Noah to doubt?  NO!!

2.   He had believed the promises of God 120 years before and had continued believing for 120 years.

3.   7:1 - God told him to get in the Ark.  When you're going by what God says there is no room for doubt.

4.   By this time, Noah's faith had increased to the point he believed God with his very life, and all of his possessions and integrity.

II.   God repeats the promise of judgment.

A.  Man may forget and mock (II Peter 3:3, 4), but God remembers.

B.   Did Noah preach to the people one final time before he got in the ark?

1.   We don't know.

2.   His getting into the ark was a message that they didn't heed.

3.   If he did preach to them and told them they would be destroyed in 7 days they didn't listen.

4.Gen. 19:12-14 - Lot warned the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, but they didn't listen.

5.      Note the difference in the two speakers.

6.      People not listening reminds me of Israel who wouldn't listen to the warnings of God's prophets.  These men preached about the coming judgment of God until Nebuchadnezzar's army actually came through the doors, but Israel didn't listen, nor repent.

7.      These folks turned down their a last invitation.

8.      Matt. 24:38 - They apparently kept up the same life.

III. Forty days and forty nights.

A.  Forty means temptation and trial, particularly a period of trial ending in victory for righteousness.

B.   Num. 14:33, 34 - Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of sin -- victory in the end.

C.   Ex. 24:18 - Moses was on Mt. Sinai 40 days to get the law and instructions for building the tabernacle.

D.  I Kings 19:8 - Elijah running from Jezebel went 40 days and 40 nights on the meal God provided.  He went to Mt. Horeb.

E.   Jonah 3:4 - God, through Jonah, gave Ninevah 40 days to repent or perish.

F.   Matt. 4:2 - Jesus was tempted of the devil for 40 days and 40 nights.

G.   Acts 1:3 - Christ showed himself 40 days after his resurrection before His Ascension.

Verse 5, And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

A.  120 years after starting on the ark, Noah remained faithful to the Lord.

B.   May we not say "I've been faithful for many years, l can let up now."

C.   If Noah had quit before he got the ark built, he wouldn't have had the victory.

Verse 6, And Noah was  six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.  Age of Noah.

A.  He was 480 years old when God commanded him to begin working on the ark.

1.      According to the average length of life, Noah was just past middle age.

2.   God doesn't call just young people into His service, but those mature individuals.

3.   I Tim. 3:4, 5 - The preacher ought to have some child rearing experience before put into position of a pastor.  (That way he's used to disappointments.)

a.   The children don't have to be grown or faithful to make a good pastor.

b.   Look at Eli.

c.   Look at Samuel.

B.   Noah was 600 years old when the flood came and while the flood was upon the earth.

1.      Gen. 8:13 - In the 601 year, the 1st month, and the 1st day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth.

2.      Gen. 8:14 - It took almost two more months for the earth to be dried.

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

A.            Repeating all those that go into the ark.

1.      Those desired to go into the ark.

2.      God's will was for them to go into the ark.

3.      This is the reconciliation of "whosoever will" and "predestination".

B.            Apparently, there were no other converts to God through Noah's preaching.

C.   In Verse 7, they did not get into the ark because the flood waters were rising, but because of the promise God gave that the flood waters were coming. (v. 4)

D.  In Verse 9 - Both the clean and unclean beasts have accepted Noah as their caretaker.

Verse 10, And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

A.  They waited 7 days (one week) for the flood waters to come.

1.      They worked 6 days getting everything and everybody settled.

2.      Had one day for worship and rest.

B.   Matt. 24:37-39 - God took Noah out before the destruction of the world, and God will take out His people in the rapture before the Great Tribulation.

Verse 11 & 12, 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. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

I.    The judgment came suddenly after many years of warning.  So will it be at the return of the Lord.

II.   Note exact dating of the flood.

A.  Going by Noah's age.

B.   We can figure exactly how long the flood lasted.

III. Source of the flood.

A.  Rain for 40 days and 40 nights - 5 weeks and 5 days (6 weeks).

B.   The fountains of the deep broken up.

1.      Much water was under the earth.

2.   God broke it loose.  He had been holding it back (applies also to rain.)

C.   It all came gushing forth at once.  A great uproar!!

Verse 13-16, 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; 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. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

I.    Selfsame day - all this happened on the same day - 7 days before the flood started.

II.   God's command satisfied.

III. Verse 16 - God shut them in.  Similar to II Thess 2:11 - God sending them strong delusion.  If they've heard before and refused, they won't be saved when the reality is facing them.

Verse 17 - 19, 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. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

I.    A progression of increasing water.  (The flood of waters was 40 days on the earth means the waters were increasing 40 days and 40 nights.)

A.  Verse 17 - waters increased.

B.   Verse 18 - increased greatly.

C.   Verse 19 - prevailed exceedingly.

D.  The ark

1.   V. 17 - ark lifted up.

2.   V. 18 - Ark went (where God directed.)

II.   Hills and Mountains of Verse 19 and 20 are the same Hebrew word -- Har.

Verse 20, Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.  The Himalayas are about 29,000 feet for nearly 6 miles high.This shows us the depth of the flood if the mountains were that tall then.

Verse 21 - 23, 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: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 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.  Judgment upon all unbelievers.

Verse 24, And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. - 150 days or 5 months.

I.    The water stayed while the dead bodies decayed and the water purified.  Door was closed, the stink was outside.  (The pitch would take care of any odors coming into the ark.)

II.   Noah during this time.

A.  Ezk. 14:14 - God said that Noah was a righteous man, along with Job and Daniel.

B.   Ps. 46:1-3 - He had no fear that God would destroy him.

1.   God was with him in the ark.

2.      Had 5 months peace while others were at war.

3.      What would crush one would serve to encourage another.