BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 6

One Obedient Man

Genesis 7 & 8

Me-

Subconsciously, one of the first sins that I committed intentionally was disobedience.  I say subconsciously because it seems to be built into the fabric of human nature.  Its foundation is pride. It comes from the idea of doing what I want to do, when I want to do it, how I want to do it and with whom I want to do it without anyone telling me that I cannot.  The earliest examples that I know existed in my own life was defying my parents.  I think of all the times I refused to pick up toys, clean up my room, or to eat what was put in front of me.  Then there were the times when I would return home when I was told to be there because what I was doing was more important than obeying. 

I have learned that obedience is an acquired skill.  It is all about trust.  Trust that what God is telling me to do is for my benefit.  To disobey now causes, not only me, but those around me a   great deal of harm.   Others are watching to see how I handle different situations because I happen to be in a leadership role.  My prayer each day is to do those things that are pleasing in God’s sight.

We-

It is so easy for the church to be disobedient.  We have to remember that the church is made up of individuals, which means that whatever takes place is multiplied many times over.  We would call it “church culture” which the accumulative attitudes and opinions of all who attend on a regular bases.  We might ask. How are we disobedient and what affect does it have on the body and the community around us?  Simply, we have been given two commands (Matthew 22:37-40) and the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) upon which we are to base all that we do.  To violate either or both of these is to be disobedient to the charge we have been given to impact the world.  Sadly, we are not doing well in either of them when we consider that 80% of Chesterfield County is un-churched and most of us have not witnessed to a single person this year. 

As Hebrews tells us that Noah witnessed to the ungodly for a hundred years as he built the ark.  He is the example of faithfulness and boldness that should be guiding our walk with the Father in obedience and not disobedience.

 God-

Genesis 7:1

The word for enter in Hebrew can mean enter as is normally understood.  It can also mean to come in.  What a beautiful picture is given using the second definition.  It would indicate that God was waiting for Noah to come into the ark which would provide his salvation and that of all who were with him.  This was the first of two recurring commands that lead to the actions taken by Noah in this chapter. 

God helps Noah to understand the reason that he is being saved.  In him alone did God find righteousness.  It was not because of his works but his continuing faith before and throughout the one hundred years it took him to build the ark.  His family was also given life because of his faith.  This is probably the only time that salvation came to people as a result of the faith of a parent.  Ezekiel speaking of the judgment that was to come on Judah said, “Even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves. (Ezekiel 14:16)

1. Why did God tell Noah to come into the ark?
2. If he alone was declared righteous, why did God allow his family to be saved also?
3. Why must each person make his or own decision to accept Christ?

Genesis 7:2-3

Noah now is given the second command.  He is to make sure that the animal world is saved.  It is important to note that God gave him specific instructions concerning the animals.  There were to be seven pair of clean and one pair of unclean animals taken aboard the ark.  There are a couple of valid reasons for this arrangement.  Because of the flood, all vegetation would be destroyed and the animals would provide food for Noah and his family until a new harvest could occur.  The clean animals could also be offered up to God in thanksgiving. 

In all likelihood the animals were brought to Noah by God.  It is no way that he could have rounded all of them up.  His responsibility then was to make sure that each of them found its way onto the ark.

1. What was the second command?
2. Why did God decide to save the animals also?
3. What was the purpose for saving seven pairs of clean animals and only two of the unclean?
4. What was Noah’s responsibility in regard to the animals?

Genesis 7:4

God gave Noah a timetable in which the last minute preparations had to be done.  In a way it also gave him one more opportunity to speak to those about to be judged and destroyed.  The thing for which Noah had been preparing was about to occur.  He was given not only the duration of the rain but the results.  It was to rain forty days and nights.  During that time everyone and everything that moved on the earth would be destroyed.  Very few throughout history have been given a more precise timetable than the one Noah received.  One last idea in regard to this description of what God was about to do.  He has never taken pleasure in having to bring judgment on man.  See Ezekiel 18:33, 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9.  

1. Why was Noah given such a clear timetable?
2. How could he have used this time?
3. What would we do with our lives if we were given such a schedule and the results that would occur at the end of it?
4. From the lesson that can be learned from this verse how should we approach each day? 
5. What does it say about our lives and how God views them?
6. How do the verses in Ezekiel and 2 Peter relate to what is going on in verse 4.

Genesis 7:5

Once again a picture is given of the obedience of Noah.  He did not fail in all that God had called him to do.

1.  How do we do all that God calls us to do?
2. What does it take from us to make this happen?
3. Why are only half way commitments not enough for God?
4. What happens when we fail to give everything that we are to God?

Genesis 7:6

This is one of those defining moments in history.  The writer gives in the verse the age of Noah   when judgment came on the earth.  A new era in history was about to occur.  It was the dividing line between the old sinful, pre-flood world and a fresh start for mankind.

1. Why was God so specific in His timing of the events that were about to occur?
2. What was about to take place that is important to us today?
3. What do the events that occurred in the life of Noah up to the point of he and his family entered the ark say about God?

Genesis 7:7-16

The day finally arrived for Noah and all who were with him to enter the ark.  After the seven days mentioned before the flood waters came upon the earth.  A more specific dating was then given than that of verse 6.  Moses said in the 600 hundredth year in the second month and the seventeenth day there was a two prong catastrophe that came on the earth.  Not only did the rain fall for forty days and nights but of the subterranean streams burst forth.

It was on the very day that all with Noah went into the ark.  Here the names of the three sons of Noah are given.  By naming Shem, Ham and Japheth and then listing their wives it is clear the number of people who were to survive the flood.  In describing the animals Moses used a term that was seen in the creation narrative.  He spoke of the cattle, the creeping things and the birds having entered the ark each after their own kind.  Here again the whole idea of evolution is shown to be impossible and untrue.

Once God saw that all that was to be saved were inside the ark He did one last thing to ensure their survival.  It was He who closed the gang plank and sealed them inside to ride out the storm.

1. What was the reason that Moses mentioned a number of times who and what was on the ark?
2. Why did God use both the water from below and above to carry out His judgment?
3. What changes could this have brought to the world as Noah had known it?
4. What is the importance of the mention of “after their own kind” in this passage?
5. Why did God shut the door to the ark?

Genesis 7:17-23a

The extent of the flood is beyond imagination.  It reached a depth of over 22 feet higher than the tallest mountain.  All life on earth would have had no place to go from the water.  All living things whether man, beast or bird perished.  In recent years there have been a number of examples of the devastation that can be caused by earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes and Tsunamis. Now think of this taking place over the whole earth and one can only begin to understand the scope of the destruction and changes to the landscape brought on by the flood. 

The greatest catastrophe was the almost total judgment of man.  Moses used a term again that was seen back in chapter two where he spoke of the breath being given to the living.  Now that same breath was being removed from every creature and His highest creation man.

1. Why was it important for the water to reach such great depth?
2. What perished in the flood?
3. What events can you name that have occurred in recent years that show the devastation than can take place in nature?
4. In your estimation what was the saddest part of the whole event?
5. Why did Moses speak of the “breath of the spirit of life?”
6. What was he trying to say with such an comprehensive description of what took place?

Genesis 7:23b

After speaking of all of the destruction, Moses gets back to Noah.  Only Noah and those with him out of all that had lived on the earth remained alive.  The breath of the spirit of life given to man lived on through him and his family.

1. Why was it important to bring the narrative back to focus on Noah?
2. By indicating that he was alive what does it say about God?
3. What did God intend to do with mankind?

Genesis 7:24

Although the rain lasted forty days the flood waters, of course, would take much longer to subside.  As will be seen in the next chapter at the end of the one hundred and fifty days the top mountain could be seen.

Genesis 8:1-4

It might seem strange that the text reads, “But God remembered Noah.”  Of course He does not forget anything or anyone.  In today’s times this could mean that God again took action on Noah’s behalf.  The storms had stopped and the underground water was no longer causing flooding.  A wind began to blow that would dry up the water. 

There might be a parallel to what was now taking place as the world was being recreated.  In chapter 7 the surface of the earth was covered with water.  In chapter 8 the waters recede as the wind blew over its surface and the dry land reappeared.

It took one hundred fifty days for the waters to subside enough for the tops of the mountains to appear.  At that point the ark came to rest on Ararat which is modern day Turkey.  The exact timing of the ark coming to rest is given.  It was the seventh month and the seventeenth day of that month.  That date would correspond to the resurrection of Jesus on the third day following Passover which is in the seventh month and the fourteenth day of the Jewish calendar. It is also interesting that the word for rest, Nuah, is a play on the name of Noah which also means rest. 

1. Why would Moses write, “but God remembered?”
2. If we took the word as it is written what would this say about God?
3. What was the Scripture really saying?
4. What is the significance of the timing of the ark coming to rest on Ararat?
5. What was the rest that would come through Noah?

Genesis 8:5-7

The water continued to recede for another three months until the tenth month.  At that point the mountains around him could be seen.  Remember his only access to the outside world was the window in the side of the ark.  After forty days he sent out a raven to determine the condition of the earth.  The raven was probably sent out because of its strength to fly long distances and its ability to forage for food that might be floating on the surface of the water.

1. What was the sign of hope that conditions were improving?
2. Why did Noah send out the raven?
3. What conclusion could be reached by Noah by the fact the raven did not return?

Genesis 8:8-12

After the raven did not return to the ark, Noah sent out a dove.  Not having the same abilities as the raven it would give a better indication of the condition of the land.  The dove returned without finding a place to rest.  Subsequent to that first time it was sent out two other times over a fourteen day period of time.  On the second flight the dove returned with an olive branch.  The third time it did not return at all.

1. Why did Noah choose the dove as his messenger?
2. What did it find in its flight?
3. Why do we use the olive branch as a symbol of peace?
4. What conclusions did Noah draw after each flight of the dove?

Genesis 8:13-14

One year from the start of the rain in the six hundred and first year of his life, Noah felt confident that he could open the door of the ark.  What he found was that the land had dried from the surface of the earth.  Even then he did not leave the ark but waited until the second month to make sure that everything had dried up.  Another reason he remained on the ark was that God had not given him instructions of what to do.

1. How long did the flood last?
2. What gave Noah the confidence to open the door?
3. Why did he not leave the ark at that point?
4. What does this say about the character of Noah?

Genesis 8:15-18

Finally God is seen speaking again.  He gave Noah permission to leave the ark and to take all of the animals with him.  One commentator suggest that the command to go indicated that God had been with Noah the whole time although there is no detail of that time He and Noah spent together.  Once on dry land they would once again multiply and fill the earth as God had planned for them back in the garden.  It was only after God commanded him to do so that Noah and his family departed from the ark.  Although not mentioned in the narrative satan’s scheme to have everyone and everything had failed.  God was allowing a new start for man and the animal kingdom.

1. What do we see God doing after a whole year had lapsed since the flood began?
2. Why did Noah only leave the ark after God spoke?
3. What were God’s explicit instructions to Noah?
4. What was to take place once the animals left the ark?
5. What does this event say about satan’s scheming?
6. What lesson about waiting do these verses have for us?

Genesis 8:19

Here again is an indication that God created different animals to remain unique.  Moses said that each went out in pairs according to their own kind.  There was no mixing of any of the animals with other types.

1. Why is important to understand what is being said in this verse?
2. What has been God’s plan concerning animals from the very beginning?
3. How does this verse help us to answer those who believe in evolution?

Genesis 8:20

The first action Noah took upon leaving the ark was to worship God.  He built an altar and offeredof every clean animal and bird as sign of thanksgiving for all that God had done for him.

1. Why was it important that his initial act was to worship God?
2. What was the meaning of building an altar and making a sacrifice?
3. In what ways can we indicate that we love God each day of our lives?

Genesis 8:21-22

God accepted the offering of Noah.  He then made two promises.  They were:

• He would never curse the ground because of man.  This is amazing since he indicated that He understood that Noah’s descendants would be no different that their ancestors.  He said, “The intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”  Sin did not disappear with the flood waters.
• He would never again destroy every living thing from the earth.

In verse 22 He told Noah that a number of things would never cease as long as the earth last.

• Seedtime and harvest
• Cold and heat
• Summer and Winter
• Day and night

God’s promises have been true.  Throughout all time and the catastrophes that man has known these things have remained constant.  They are a reminder of the faithfulness that began with Noah and remain until this day.

You-

• As you think about the circumstances in which you may find yourselves, pray that God will give you the faith and perseverance to face them.
• Pray that you will be obedient in all the ways God calls you to serve. See Matthew 28:19-20 and Romans 12:1-2
• Realize that sin is still alive in this world. 
• Confess and repent of all the sin you have committed
• Trust God that His promises still hold true for you.  See Genesis 8:22

We-

Noah had a chance to begin again.  He was carried into a brand new world by the waters of the flood.  In each of our lives we have the same opportunity as we go through the waters of baptism signifying the change that has taken place in our hearts.  We should pray that our lives reflect our commitment made to Jesus and work very hard at overcoming the evil intent that is prevalent in every man’s life.  We know that we can trust God because the promises He has made to man throughout history have come true.  His greatest guarantee is that those who have become followers of Christ will spend eternity with Him in a new land for man called heaven.  There we will not have to worry about failing to please Him. Our heart’s desire will be to always obey Him.

Additional Notes:

RT-The following are just thoughts I have.  There is no basis found specifically in the Bible or in science for them.  Since the biblical calendar is based on 360 days, there is a possibility that during the flood and violent underground eruptions that they were strong enough to cause the earth to be tilted to its present axis, thus altering the time it takes the earth to orbit the sun to its present 365 ¼ days and altering the seasons.  This may also be one of the reasons that certain animals became extinct because they were no longer suited to the new climate. (Based on Gen. 7:11)

C-It fell to Noah’s sons to repopulate the earth.  (Gen. 7:11; 10:1-32)

RT-Although we do not know how Abel came to understand that he was to bring a sacrifice to God, Noah after all his experiences of seeing God work in his life gladly made a burnt offering to the Lord on the altar he built.  (Gen. 8:20-21)

C-Although Noah was a righteous man God knew that those who came after him would not truly be any different than those who had perished in the flood.  In this case a fresh start for the world would not bring about a lasting change in the hearts of men.  It would take the coming of Christ to bring this about.  Even after the flood, God said, “The intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” (Gen. 8:21)

WM-Even after such a great judgment as the flood the fact remained that man has a bent towards evil.  Sinful man lacks the ability to continually do what is right. (Gen. 8:22)

I believe that this is an example that the modern world fails to understand.  Our concept is that conditions have to be just right if a person is going to be motivated.  Here we see a man who had the internal spirit drive doing, not what is comfortable or convenient or the right working conditions, but because he was righteous, blameless and walked with God, did what God called him to do.