Battle For The Truth (Part 43)

Genesis 8:1-22, “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; (2) The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; (3) And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. (4) And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. (5) And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. (6) And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: (7) And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. (8) Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; (9) But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. (10) And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; (11) And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. (12) And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. (13) And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. (14) And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. (15) And God spake unto Noah, saying, (16) Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. (17) Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. (18) And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: (19) Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. (20) And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (21) And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (22) While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Introduction

Last week, we looked at Chapter 7, and saw that mankind was Out of Time. God summoned Noah and his family into the Ark, and then destruction ensued. Again, what we have here in the Genesis narrative is a record of events that explain the world as we know it today—geologically, atmospherically, and genetically. Interestingly, as it relates to the flood, scientists agree that there was a cataclysmic event that occurred killing incalculable numbers of animal life—particularly, dinosaurs. But, rather than agreeing with the Bible that this event was a global flood, scientists refer to it as the “Great Dying.” The main areas where science and the Bible disagree is how long ago it took place and what caused it. Scientists allege that 250-million years ago, meteors (fallen stars) collided with the earth causing widespread destruction. Whereas, the Bible declares that because of man’s sin, God caused a worldwide flood of water by rain, subterranean water, and destruction of the watery canopy that covered the earth approximately 6,000-years ago. Although the Bible does not say how long ago, the internal evidence of time references calculates to approximately 6,000-years. The question today is which account do you believe is true— the Bible or scientist? Hence, we have this ongoing series entitled, “Battle For The Truth.” Amen somebody.

Introduction (Continued…)

As we consider Chapter 8, it is imperative that we again look back and settle the debate about whether these events are true or false. Thus, this is another critical point in our study, and it comes down to a couple very basic and simple perspicuous realities which we covered in previous messages that bear repeating:

Introduction (Continued…)

The Law of Causality – there cannot be an effect without a corresponding cause (Creation).

Time (“the beginning...”)

Light (God spoke and said, “Light be, and there was light”)

Space (the heavens)

Matter (the earth, water, sun, moon, and stars, and land)

Life (plants, animals, including man)

The Law of Non-contradiction – something cannot be and not be at the same time and in the same relation.

God either exists or He does not. It cannot be both. I often hear people make the statement to someone that may be demanding their presence, “I can’t “be” in two places at the same time!” In this, they are correct. And in the same manner of speaking, God cannot “be” and not “be” at the same time.

Side Note: I have said it before, and I will say it again. What the Bible teaches in Genesis about our world, life, and how they came into existence is incompatible with the Evolution and the Big Bang theories we were taught, and our children are being taught in the public school system. And the three main topics where the battle lines are drawn are Creation, the Fall, and the Flood. Allowing these biblical truths to be compromised destroys our moral compass and yields the ungodly fruit that we are witnessing in our world today.

V.1-5 – “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; (2) The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; (3) And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. (4) And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. (5) And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.”

God’s wrath has been poured out and now the healing begins. God used the wind to dry the ground and evaporation returned water to the atmosphere. After 150-days, God stops the rain, shores up the subterranean waters known as the fountains of the deep, and eliminates the canopy that was in place above the earth. The waters returned to their designated places and the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat, located in present day Turkey. As the water evaporated, the tops of the mountains came into view. However, the world on the other side of the flood was “A different world.” Due to the seismic activity, which produced the Continental Divide, the terranean and subterranean volcanic activity, and the torrential waves, the world was vastly different. In addition, the climate was different. The world was now a much warmer place, due to the removal of the watery canopy that was in place.

V.6-14, “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: (7) And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. (8) Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; (9) But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. (10) And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; (11) And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. (12) And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. (13) And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. (14) And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.”

The calendar of Noah’s day seems to be made up of 12-months of 30-days each. This means that Noah and his family were in the ark for:

one year and 10 days according to the calendar year of Noah’s

one year and 5 days according to today’s solar year

The following table is a timeline of the flood event:

Insert table

Through the Genesis narrative, God provides sufficient details and timelines for this historical event as evidence of its truth claims. Although the Bible explains historical events, it does not always explain how those events happened (i.e., mountains, valleys, canyons, etc.). Nevertheless, through the sciences of geology, archeology, microbiology, paleontology, and physics, God has gifted man with the ability to look at the evidence left behind inside the rocks found on mountains, in canyons, and valleys. The rock and fossil data show that the horrific scenario for all flesh outside the ark during the flood unfolded on land and sea simultaneously and in a very short period—hours, days, or weeks. Certainly not thousands, millions, or billions of years. Amen somebody.

Vv. 15-19, “And God spake unto Noah, saying, (16) Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. (17) Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. (18) And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: (19) Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.”

Noah and his family had been in the ark for 378 days (cf. 7:4, 10, 11). Noah now faced A different world where longevity of life began to immediately decline; the earth was subject to inclement weather, blazing heat, freezing cold, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

Vv.20-22, “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (21) And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (22) While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Here we observe Noah continuing his walk with God. Without being told, he constructed an alter and offered sacrifices unto the Lord as a sign of worship and giving of thanks. This explains why Noah gathered of the clean animals by seven, so that he could use them in sacrifice to God. Yet, despite man’s proclivity to sin, God promises not to curse the ground nor destroy other creatures because of man. Furthermore, although A different world, God reestablished the cycle of seasons after the catastrophic interruption.

Side Note: Notice the commentary regarding “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Since Noah’s sons and their wives are the only survivors of the flood, this implies that the seed of sin is already sown in their hearts. As mentioned before, it was Noah who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless, despite themselves, God had a plan and purpose for his sons as well. The godly seed (Shem) through whom the Messiah will come is preserved. God is a promise keeper. Amen somebody.

Conclusion

Next week we will look at Chapter 9, where God establishes His Covenant with Noah and family. So, until next time, may God richly bless you, my beloved. Amen.