Today’s bible study is all about the chapter of Genesis 7 – The Great Flood. According to scholars this incident roughly took place before 2500 B.C.
I encourage you to get your bibles ready and turn to Genesis 7. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read Genesis 7 with me. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know. All the scripture references that you find in this post are from the NKJV.
In the Bible Study on Genesis 6, we read how the sons of God intermingled with the daughters of men and there was so much evil on the earth that the Lord God said He would destroy all living beings on the earth except for Noah and His family. Well, Genesis 7 goes into further detail about the flood and the time in which it took place. Without wasting any further time, let us delve right into this chapter.
What Did The Lord Tell Noah?
1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. 2 You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; 3 also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” 5 And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him. 6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.
In Verses 1 to 4 of Genesis 7, God told Noah to go inside the ark with his household. It is because He had seen that Noah was righteous before Him in that generation. Also, He told Noah to take with him seven pairs each of every clean animal, and two pairs each of every animal that is unclean. A pair consists of a male and female. He commanded Noah to do this to keep all the species alive on the face of the earth. In Verse 4, He told Noah that after seven more days He will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Through this, He intended and willed to destroy all living creatures on the earth.
According to Verse 5-6 of Genesis 7, Noah did all that the Lord commanded him and he was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.
Observation
It is the Lord who sends the rain to the earth. We see this in Verse 4 of Genesis 7. He clearly said that He will cause it to rain on the earth. It is not just a natural phenomenon. Many times, people are in awe of nature and call it wrongfully mother Nature. There is no mother Nature but there is a Father God and He is the Creator. The next time you are in awe of nature don’t give nature the credit but give it to the Creator who created it in the first place. It is He who created nature for our eyes to see His glory and splendour!
Also in the same verse (Verse 4 of Genesis 7), we see that God is not a vague God. He did not give Noah vague descriptions. He did not tell Noah that it would rain in some days’ time. Instead, He told Noah the exact day on which He is going to send the floodwaters. So anything that you see vague in your life is not from God. When God speaks to you it is precise and exact for He makes no mistakes and He is God!
Noah’s Obedience
7 So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, 9 two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.
Verse 7 to 9 tells us how Noah and his family went into the ark because of the floodwaters that the Lord sent. All the clean and unclean living creatures went two by two (a male and female) into Noah’s ark as God had commanded Noah.
The Floodwaters
10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
According to verses 10 to 12 the Lord performed His word just as He had told Noah. It took place on the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month. It was exactly on that day the Lord broke the fountains of the great deep and opened the windows of heaven. The rain was on the earth for forty days and nights just as the Lord had told Noah in Verse 4 of Genesis 7.
Who Was In The Ark?
13 On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark— 14 they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.
Verse 13-15 of Genesis 7 tells us that on the very same day of the flood, Noah and his entire family entered the ark. Those who were in the ark consisted of Noah and his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, Japheth and their wives. Each of Noah’s sons had one wife. Along with them every beast, cattle, every creeping thing and every bird each after its own kind entered the ark two by two.
Verse 16 tells us that those that entered the ark went in as God had commanded Noah and the Lord shut Noah in. Noah made sure that he obeyed God and followed God’s commandment step by step.
Observation
Notice verse 16 where it says that the Lord shut him in. What God shuts no man or no flood could open. It didn’t say Noah shut himself in. Why? You see, no matter how much we try, we cannot preserve our lives. It is the Lord God who protects us and it is He who preserves us and our lives and that of our families. If you are reading this, take a moment to thank God for His protection over you and your family. For it He who has preserved you and your family.
The Extent Of The Flood
17 Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.
Verse 17-18 of Genesis 7 tells us that during the forty days of flood the levels of water increased and it lifted up the ark. And, it rose high above the earth. At this point, the ark must have been floating on the floodwaters. The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth. It caused the ark to move about on the surface of the waters. Verse 19-20 tells us how even the high hills on the earth were covered. The floodwaters prevailed fifteen cubits high and the mountains were covered. It is overwhelming to even imagine it.
All Flesh Died Except Noah And His Family
21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.
Verse 21-22 of Genesis 7 states how all the flesh on the earth died. It included the birds, the cattle, the beasts, every creeping thing and every man. All who had the breath of life which were not in the ark of Noah died.
Verse 23 tells us that God destroyed all living things which were on the earth. It emphasizes again that only Noah and those who were in the ark with Noah survived. Verse 24 tells us the floodwaters prevailed on the earth for 5 whole months!!
Closing Notes
This brings us to the conclusion of the Bible Study on Genesis 7. It is yet again another sobering lesson, isn’t it? It teaches us to be faithful in our walk with God and depend on God. If we are faithful to Him and repent of our sins, He will save us. We can trust Him to instruct us to build our ark and move in. Most importantly we need to keep building our ark even if we see no one else doing it around us. It is called faith in God. We need to trust Him enough to do things that He asks us to do even if we see no one else doing it.
Oftentimes, when you are obedient to God not all people around you, would get it. People might call you crazy, they might even abandon you when you are on a mission to do what God asked you to do. People might tell you that you have changed or question your motives. Nevertheless, we must pursue and persevere in our mission to be obedient to God. There is a reward in that and protection in that.
Imagine Noah’s situation! People around him who didn’t understand might have called him crazy for building an ark until they saw the floodwaters. They didn’t know what was coming but Noah did. Yet, his obedience saved him and his family.
Genesis 7 also teaches us to be mindful of not provoking the wrath of the Lord. Yes, He is patient and long-suffering. However, that does not mean that we take advantage of it and grieve Him and His spirit. The Lord shall not be mocked.
I hope you learnt something from this Bible study on Genesis 7 and found it easy to follow. If you have any questions kindly leave a comment in the comment box below. I will get back to you at the earliest.
Until Next Time!