20130727 Saturday, July 27 2013
Genesis 07: The Flood

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"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"

The LORD God (Who was and is Jesus Christ; see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God; also The Forerunner Of Man and Of God) created all sorts of animals, for a purpose in nature. The designations "clean" and "unclean" were based upon either the intended proper function of the creature (its "nature" e.g. a vulture was classified as "unclean" because its purpose was to rid the Earth of foul carrion, and therefore became a carrier of infection and disease itself), or, like some seed-bearing plants that were corrupted (see Seed-Bearing Plants: For Food Or For Folly?), became "unclean" due to a change of nature that occurred in them (e.g. like vultures, rats may have had a legitimate purpose in nature before they became the destructive, disease-carrying vermin, with no obvious useful purpose, that they are today).

Humans were created as vegetarians (Genesis 1:29). Humans did not become meat-eaters until after the Flood (Genesis 9:3). Noah and his family were vegetarians when the LORD told Noah to load "clean" and "unclean" animals on the Ark - a designation that therefore obviously had nothing to do with diet. It was however the basis for determining the LORD's dietary laws of "clean" and "unclean" - which were entirely to do with health, not "religion." It's the reason that the Biblical dietary laws apply to all of humanity e.g. don't eat rats, vultures and pigs is about not getting sick; it's not merely about some people's "religion.".

"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. 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. 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. 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." (Genesis 7:1-4 KJV)

Like another Iraqi afterward, Abraham, Noah obeyed the commands of the LORD (see The LORD's Seed Covenants With The Two Men Of Iraq).

"7:5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him." (Genesis 7:5 KJV)

Humans were originally created to live hundreds of years (see Genesis 5: From Adam To Noah). The last generation with the great longevity was that of Noah. From the new beginning at the time of the Flood, the LORD recalibrated the lifespan of humanity to a maximum of 120 years (Genesis 6:3; see also What Makes Physical Life Possible?).

"7:6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth." (Genesis 7:6 KJV)

No doubt the greatest mocking, by those who were about to drown, and the greatest act of faith, on the part of Noah, was when Noah and his family entered the fully-loaded Ark - while the sun was still shining and before the waters came. "And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth."

"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. 7:8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, 7:9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. 7:10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth." (Genesis 7:7-10 KJV)

As explained in the Fact Finder question, rain alone could not have caused a worldwide flood, but it happened because "the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up."

"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. 7:12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." (Genesis 7:11-12 KJV)

While many have portrayed Noah as having closed the door of that salvation himself when the time was up, it was actually the LORD Who closed the hatch before the launch: "the LORD shut him in."

"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; 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. 7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 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." (Genesis 7:13-15 KJV)

So the Flood came upon the Earth "and the mountains were covered."

"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. 7:18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. 7:19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. 7:20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. 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: 7:22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 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.

7:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days." (Genesis 7:17-24 KJV)

Fact Finder: How is it that rain alone did not, and could not, cause a worldwide Flood?
See How Did The Flood Happen?