TWU Genesis 7 The Flood

Introduction

I hope you have been having a great summer. It’s getting pretty hot here in OK, but I have been told it is going to cool down over the next few days.

As those of you, who have been studying with me through these podcasts know, we find ourselves in Genesis 7, which is the second of the four chapters that cover the flood.

Now because the flood is one of the more prominent events in the first 2000 years of man’s history we actually have a lot of information about this particular event, more than any other event in this first 2000 year period.

Because of this the account of the flood is a favorite target of bible critics.

The renowned American agnostic Robert Ingersoll once wrote…

“Volumes might be written upon the infinite absurdity of the this most incredible, wicked and foolish of all fables contained in the repository of the impossible, called the Bible.”

In more recent times the editor of the journal Biblical Errancy touted there is a…

“large number of contradictions between biblical verses with respect to what occurred [in Genesis 6-9].”

He has also boldly proclaimed there exists a…

“great number of difficulties, impossibilities, and unanswered question accompanying the biblical account.”

Suffice to say this great biblical account has its critics.

All though we certainly could go through and examine each and every arguments the critics make, many have already done this and proven these critics are mislead easily by their own biases.

If you are interested in how easily the critics about the flood can be debunked on the flood just go to Apologetics Press’ website.

When you read Genesis 7 there are a few things I want us to consider and focus on about this chapter.

First…

The Mighty Hand Of God

Several Amazing Things Mentioned

First, we see animals “of their kind” where all present “male and female.”

Genesis 7:13–14 ESV

13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature.

Now it is important to understand that this is based on the generic “kind” not species.

For example you don’t need a polar bear, grizzly bear, and black bear you only needed a male and female bear that had the genetic code that would allow for the eventual representation of each of those various species.

We know polar bears and grizzly bears have been known to mate and produce in the wild and new species of bear.

It is also important to understand that all of these “kinds” of animals were likely babies so they wouldn’t take up near as much room.

It’s been estimated that they would only need about 1/3 of the available space of the ark.

Second, we see that the door was so large that it was the Lord who had to shut it.

Genesis 7:16 ESV

16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

Third, we see that it didn’t just rain for forty days and nights.

Yes, it would rain for forty days and nights as the God said it would.

Genesis 7:4 ESV

4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.

However, we also read that “the fountains of the great deep burst forth” and the “windows of the heavens were opened” (Genesis 7:12).

It’s important to realize here that it does not seem to have ever rained before this moment.

Genesis 2:5–6 ESV

5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground

Summary

This wasn’t some local flooding, this was so destructive that it changed the very landscape of the entire earth.

But that is not the actual focus of this event here.

The actual focus is on God keeping his word, and doing exactly what he said he would do in Genesis 6.

All Humanity Perished

All Except Noah & His Family

In Genesis 7:22 we read that which is so powerful and such a reminder of what happens with “all of man’s thoughts are on evil continually.”

Genesis 7:22 ESV

22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.

What a sobering reality about our God that has not changed.

The danger of sin is still death.

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death…

Now as we will talk about in Genesis 9, God has promised not destroy the world and mankind with a flood again.

But this doesn’t remove the fact that God’s holiness cannot suffer a sinner’s unwillingness to accept his mercy and grace.

No, God will not destroy “most” mankind with a flood again, but that doesn’t change the fact that most of mankind has rejected God’s grace and mercy and has willingly died separated from their Creator.

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Conclusion

I hope those that read and study Genesis 7 will be impacted for the positive by this great chapter.

The dangers of sin are real and must not be ignored for a life that is only for a moment in the span of eternity.