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Genesis Chapter Seven

                             

I. Content of the Chapter

 

Noah Went into the Ark Because of the Waters of the Flood

A.  God commanded Noah to go into the ark (v.1-4);

B.  The whole family of Noah brought the living things into the ark according to the commandment of God (v.5-9; 13-16);

C.  The waters of the flood were on the earth (v.10-12);

D.  And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days and destroyed all the breath of the spirit of life on the earth (v.17-24);

 

II. Verse by Verse Commentary

 

Gen. 7:1Then 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.

YLT: “And Jehovah saith to Noah `Come in thou and all thy house unto the ark for thee I have seen righteous before Me in this generation;”

Spiritual Meaning: the ark typifies Christ; “come into the ark”: in Christ;

  “You and all your household” the whole family of Noah typify all those who have been saved by God throughout the past generations (see 1Pet. 3:20-21).

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God knows them that are of Him.

  2) God had chosen and approved Noah and his household. Of God we are in Christ Jesus (1Cor. 1:30).

  3) Only Noah was just before God but the whole household went into the ark. The ark was not for an individual but for the whole household. The salvation of God is not given by individuals but by families (Acts 16:31).

  4) God could do nothing when the ark was not made (Gen. 19:22). The time of God is restricted by our conditions of preparation. When the wife has made herself ready the time of the Lame is come (Rev. 19:7).

 

Gen. 7:2You 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;

YLT: “of all the clean beasts thou dost take to thee seven pairs a male and its female; and of the beasts which are not clean two a male and its female;”

Meaning of Words: “clean”: clear pure;

Literal Meaning: more “clean animals” might be preparation for offerings.

 

Gen. 7:3also seven each of birds of the air male and female to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth.

YLT: “also of fowl of the heavens seven pairs a male and a female to keep alive seed on the face of all the earth;”

 

Gen. 7:4For 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.”

YLT: “for after other seven days I am sending rain on the earth forty days and forty nights and have wiped away all the substance that I have made from off the face of the ground.'”

Literal Meaning:after seven more days” God gave chances of repentance to men again and again. However man was unwilling to wake up after all (Luke 17:27; Pro. 29:1). 

 

Gen. 7:5And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.

YLT: “And Noah doth according to all that Jehovah hath commanded him:”

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) Noah’s keeping God’s commandment showed his faith in the word of God. If believers do not do the word of God they have heard their faith is dead (James 2:20 26).

  2) Once we have got the word of God we have to receive it into our hearts to be our personal faith and put it into practice. This is “faith and obedience”.

 

Gen. 7:6Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.

YLT: “and Noah a son of six hundred years and the deluge of waters hath been upon the earth.”

Literal Meaning: this verse is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the name “Methuselah” (please read the “Literal Meaning” of Gen. 5:27).

 

Gen. 7:7So Noah with his sons his wife and his sons’ wives went into the ark because of the waters of the flood.

YLT: “And Noah goeth in and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him unto the ark from the presence of the waters of the deluge;”

Literal Meaning: when the whole household of Noah went into the ark there were no waters of flood yet. Therefore they believed the word of God and saw the waters of the flood in faith.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) We have access by faith into this favor in which we stand (Rom. 5:2).

  2) We believers walk by faith not by sight (2Cor. 5:7).

  3) If the whole household of Noah did not go into the ark they could not escape from the waters of the flood. Though God had prepared Christ to be salvation for man man had still to use his freewill to receive Christ (go into the ark) so that he will have part in the salvation. Therefore man has to cooperate with God.

 

Gen. 7:8Of clean animals of animals that are unclean of birds and of everything that creeps on the earth

YLT: “of the clean beasts and of the beasts that not clean and of the fowl and of every thing that is creeping upon the ground ”

 

Gen. 7:9two by two they went into the ark to Noah male and female as God had commanded Noah.

YLT: “two by two they have come in unto Noah unto the ark a male and a female as God hath commanded Noah.”

Literal Meaning: it was driven by God that all kinds of animals came to Noah voluntarily. Otherwise Noah could not gather them one by one.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God’s work is always a miracle. Not only the destruction of the earth by the waters of the flood but also all kinds of animals’ going into the ark neither more nor less than are miracles.  

  2) Let us believe in God that thus it shall be as it has been said to me (Acts 27:25).

 

Gen. 7:10And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.

YLT: “And it cometh to pass after the seventh of the days that waters of the deluge have been on the earth.”

Literal Meaning: after Noah had entered into the ark the waters of the flood did not come immediately. Therefore those seven says were a period to Noah to wait for the fulfillment of God’s word namely a period for the trial of his faith.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) Our faith shall be perfect after trial (James 1:3-4).

  2) Yet just a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry (Heb. 10:37).

 

Gen. 7:11In 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.

YLT: “In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah in the second month in the seventeenth day of the month in this day have been broken up all fountains of the great deep and the net-work of the heavens hath been opened ”

Literal Meaning:on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up the water surged out or the seabed was raised up that the seawater poured out.

“And the windows of heaven were opened” the copious rain began to fall out of the heaven.

The waters burst the bounds set by God and formed the great boundless waters of the flood.

Spiritual Meaning:on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up it symbolizes the attack from the hell.

“And the windows of heaven were opened” it symbolizes the wrath of God’s judgment.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) When the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross he was on one hand slain by the hand of lawless (Acts 2:23) and on the other hand bore the waves and billows of God (Ps. 42:7).

  2) The sufferings that believers experience are caused by the sifter of Satan (Luke 22:31) as well as of the chastening of God the Father (Heb. 12:10).

 

Gen. 7:12And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.

YLT: “and the shower is on the earth forty days and forty nights.”

Spiritual Meaning: “forty” the number in the Bible typifies temptation trial and suffering (Matt. 4:1-2; 1King 19:8; Deut. 19:18).

 

Gen. 7:13On 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—

YLT: “In this self-same day went in Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth sons of Noah and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them unto the ark;”

 

Gen. 7:14they 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.

YLT: “they and every living creature after its kind and every beast after its kind and every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth after its kind and every fowl after its kind every bird -- every wing.”

Literal Meaning: on that day the whole household of Noah and all living things after its kind went into the ark with order and occupied their rooms respectively. The god order was due to the great power of God as well as the proper direction and decent arrangement of Noah indicating the beauty of the cooperation between God and man.

 

Gen. 7:15And they went into the ark to Noah two by two of all flesh in which is the breath of life.

YLT: “And they come in unto Noah unto the ark two by two of all the flesh in which a living spirit;”

Literal Meaning: this verse proved again that God made all living things “come to” Noah voluntarily (see v.9).

 

Gen. 7:16So those that entered male and female of all flesh went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.

YLT: “and they that are coming in male and female of all flesh have come in as God hath commanded him and Jehovah doth close for him.”

Literal Meaning:and the Lord shut him in” it contains two meanings: a) God looks after Noah; 2) the chances for the repentance of the world passed away (Matt. 25:10-13).

  Note the precision of the wording of this verse: it is God that commanded Noah and it is the Lord (“Jehovah”) that shut him in. This is because the name of “God” is related to God’s authority and the name of “the Lord” (“Jehovah”) is in relation to God’s care and attendance.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) Noah “entered” the ark and God “shut him in”. If man refused to enter in God could not shut him in. The salvation of God waits for him who receives.

  2) If man wants to obtain the salvation of God he shall receive in time or else it will be too late (2Cor. 6:2).

  3) God shuts and no one shall open (Rev. 3:7) which shows the stableness and reliability of salvation (John 10:28-29).

  4) One who has been saved can neither linger in the world nor love the Lord and the world together.

 

Gen. 7:17Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark and it rose high above the earth.

YLT: “And the deluge is forty days on the earth and the waters multiply and lift up the ark and it is raised up from off the earth;”

Enlightenment in the Word: when the waters increased the ark was lifted up too. The more troubles there are the more comfort there will be. the Lord’s grace is always sufficient for us (2Cor. 12:9).

 

Gen. 7:18The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters.

YLT: “and the waters are mighty and multiply exceedingly upon the earth; and the ark goeth on the face of the waters.”

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) The ark moved about on the surface of the waters. The dead waters could not swallow up Christ for He should not be hold by the power of death (Acts 2:24).

  2) The risen power of Christ in us now enables us to overcome death.

 

Gen. 7:19And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.

YLT: “fifteen cubits upwards have the waters become mighty and the mountains are covered;”

Literal Meaning: we have to know that the “whole earth” at that time was not the earth that we know at present (see Gen. 41:56-57). And we do not know whether the waters of the flood had covered the whole earth at that time. However we are sure that the whole human beings at that time except for the eight ones of Noah’s family as well as the living flesh on the earth and in the sky were made extinct.

Spiritual Meaning: “earth” symbolizes the world.

  All the high hills under the whole heaven” symbolize the king of the world and its angels. That the waters covered the earth and all the hills typified that the world was judged and the king of the world was cast out (John 12:31-33).

 

Gen. 7:20The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward and the mountains were covered.

YLT: “fifteen cubits upwards have the waters become mighty and the mountains are covered;”

 

Gen. 7:21And 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.

YLT: “and expire doth all flesh that is moving on the earth among fowl and among cattle and among beasts and among all the teeming things which are teeming on the earth and all mankind;”

 

Gen. 7:22All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit[a] of life all that was on the dry land died.

YLT: “all in whose nostrils breath of a living spirit -- of all that in the dry land -- have died.”

 

Gen. 7:23So 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.

YLT: “And wiped away is all the substance that is on the face of the ground from man unto beast unto creeping thing and unto fowl of the heavens; yea they are wiped away from the earth and only Noah is left and those who with him in the ark;”

Spiritual Meaning: all living things which were inhabited on the face of the ground typified those who slept and lived in the crooked and perverse nation as well as all things concerning sinners. Here everything outside of Christ shall be under the judgment of God. Only the people and things in Christ (“the ark”) remained alive even though they still went through the judgment.

 

Gen. 7:24And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.

YLT: “and the waters are mighty on the earth a hundred and fifty days.”

Literal Meaning:the waters prevailed” it symbolized the stern degree and wide sphere of God’s judgment.

“One hundred and fifty days” it symbolized the thoroughness and carefulness of God’s judgment.

 

III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons

 

Be Saved by the Waters in Christ

A.  Enter into Christ by faith (v.1-9);

B.  Faith shall be tried (v.10);

C.  Faith shall be in keeping with works (v.11-16);

D.  Experience the waters of death in Christ (v.17-24);

 

How to Go into Christ by Faith?

A.  Faith stems from the word and revelation of God (v.1-4);

B.  Man shall trust and obey when he has got the word and revelation of God (v.5-9);

 

What is True Faith?

A.  Faith must be tried (v.10);

B.  Faith can bear the punishment (v.11-12);

C.  Faith must produce works (v.13-16a);

D.  Faith must be sealed and approved by God (v.16b);

 

Victory in Christ

A.  Victory over death in Christ (v.17-18);

B.  Victory over the world in Christ (v.19-20);

C.  Victory over the flesh in Christ (v.23a);

D.  Victory over sins in Christ (v.23b-24);

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

Translated by Mary Zhou