Genesis Chapters 6, 7, 8 Commentary by Mark Dunagan

Genesis Chapters 6:9-8:22

Outline: I.

Noah and his Family: 6:9-10

II.

The reason for the Flood: 6:11-13

III.

Instructions concerning the Ark: 6:14-17

IV.

Inhabitants of the Ark: 6:19-7:3

V.

The Actual Flood: 7:11-24

VI.

The Receding Waters: 8:1-13

VII.

Noah's Gratitude and God's Promise: 8:15-22

“The phrase, 'These are the generations' (6:9), opens a new section of the book...Sin, now at full speed, must bring forth death, and the first-scale exercise of judgment demonstrates that with God the truth of a situation prevails, regardless of majorities and minorities� (Kidner p. 86). Once again in the early chapters of Genesis we encounter an individual and event the rest of the Bible considers to have actually lived and happened (Isaiah 54:9; Ezekiel 14:14,20; 1 Chron. 1:4; Luke

1

3:36). Thus, Noah is just as "real" as Jesus Christ, for Noah is a descendant of Jesus.

The flood is an event which the New Testament writers endorse and freely use in their sermons (Matthew 24:37-39; Luke 17:26; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:1ff). Basically this section breaks down into three main thoughts: The character of Noah, His Preservation, God's covenant with Noah as the father of a new race.

The man Noah

Genesis 6:9 “These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, {and} perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God” “These are the generations of”: The section starts to describe Noah's family history. “Noah was a righteous man”: “Since so much depends in this instance on the personal character of Noah, nothing is more natural than to indicate very plainly just what manner of man he was” (Leupold p. 264). “Perfect”: wasn’t sinless (Romans 3:23), yet he was complete, whole, a man who served God and quickly corrected himself when he fell short. He was man of integrity, honest, truthful and unselfish. “In his generations”: Among his contemporaries. Observe the use of the plural "generations", that is, over the many generations of a long life. “In a corrupt world Noah emerges not merely as the best of a bad generation, but as a remarkably complete man of God” (Kidner p. 87).

As previously noted, “Perfect” doesn't mean sinless (1 John 1:8-10). Yet it does refer to someone who is "wholesome" or "sound". These two words ("righteousness”, and “perfect") reveal: (a) Noah practiced "neighbor-love" (Matthew 7:12; Ezekiel 18:5-9). (b) Noah sought to obey whatever instructions, commandments or moral laws which God had revealed at this time. (c) Noah practiced what he preached (2 Peter 2:5). (d) Noah was right in his personal relationships with others, especially with his family. (e) Noah genuinely repented, when he found himself in the wrong, i.e. he reacted in the right way toward his own short-comings. Hamilton points out that the Hebrew word rendered "righteous" in this verse means "habitually righteous"...”for Scripture makes no room for the person who, with God's blessing, practices righteousness only occasionally” (p. 277).

“Noah walked with God: Like Enoch (5:22).

2

"Walking with God" is not some mystical experience which can be divorced from treating your spouse, children, and fellowman in a godly manner. Neither can it be separated from personal morality. One cannot walk with God, unless one is willing to walk on God's terms.

“Personal communion with God was the taproot of this outstanding good life” (Leupold p. 266). The New Testament reveals that Noah was a man of faith (Hebrews 11:7), thus walking with God includes taking God at His word and trusting and acting upon what He has said, instead of what everyone else might be saying. Everyone "walks" with somebody (Ephesians 2:1-3). Noah chose to walk with God. Genesis 6:10 “And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth” This verse reminds us of the other passengers which will be on the Ark.

Genesis 6:11 “And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” “Corrupt”: “The words ‘corrupt’ and ‘violence’ give new insight into the prevailing anarchy (and into the ugly side of the might and fame noted in verse 4). The Hebrew for corrupt also makes it plain that what God decided to 'destroy' (13) had been virtually self-destroyed already” (Kidner p. 87). “Filled with violence”: “Denotes any antisocial, unneighborly activity. Very often it involves the use of brute force, but it may just be the exploitation of the weak by the powerful...is coldblooded and unscrupulous infringement of the personal rights of others, motivated by greed and hate and often making use of physical violence and brutality” (Wenham p. 171). This verse gives us a brief hint concerning what life was like before the flood. It is significant to note that when people "do their own thing", freedom is not gained, rather it is lost. Freedom only exists where people are willing to follow God's will. When a society elevates "personal freedoms" ahead of ethics and morality, personal freedoms are lost, not gained. Noah is an example of personal integrity in the midst of an evil generation (Phil. 2:15).

3

Genesis 6:12 “And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth” “God saw”: “Although the earth had forgotten God, God was still looking on the earth!” (Hebrews 4:13) (Morris p. 180). “All flesh”: Seeing that animals are not viewed as being morally accountable (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14); “all flesh” here must refer to “all mankind”.It is sad that many people view the God of the Bible as harsh and cruel. Ye after one gets "all the information”, “the whole story”, and “what really happened", God appears is seen to be very fair, patient and compassionate.

The generation of the flood can never claim that God acted out of haste (6:3); or that they were never given a chance to change (1 Peter 3:18-20; 2 Peter 2:5). In like manner, at the last day, it will be shown that those who ended up lost, only have themselves to blame for that sad condition. For God did everything He could to convince them to repent (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4-5).

Genesis 6:13 “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” “The end…is come”: God is patient, but His patience does have a limit (2 Peter 3:9-10), and patience ceases to be a virtue when it fails to eventually act in a righteous manner. “For’: God always has a very good reason for His judgments.

The Ark Commissioned

Genesis 6:14 “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch” “Ark”: “The ark's general features and name--for it is called a ‘chest’, not a ship-emphasize its sole purpose, to provide shelter and orderly existence for a variety of creatures” (Kidner pp. 87-88). “The word used here is of Egyptian origin and in Egyptian it refers to a specific kind of vessel. It was a ship that was squarecornered and chest-like in shape. It was primarily used for transporting grain” (Aalders p. 160). The same Hebrew word is used concerning the "ark" in which the infant Moses was placed (Exodus 2:3,5).

4

“Gopher wood”: “Nothing certain is known about ‘gopher wood’, a name found only here: LXX's ‘square timber’ is a guess; a more plausible conjecture is ‘cypress’” (Kidner p. 88). “Rooms”: Rooms, compartments or for the various beasts. Hamilton notes, “Noah's ark was not a reed boat, but a large, complicated, and seaworthy vessel” (p. 281). “Pitch it within and without with pitch”: Morris says, “Probably a resinous substance of some kind, rather than a bituminous material” (p. 182).

This would done for caulking, so that the vessel would be water-tight.

Some argue, “How could Noah and his sons construct such a huge vessel?” In response: (a) The text does not say that they did it all by themselves. Noah may have hired extra hands. (b) Many ancient civilizations since the Flood have built structures on a colossal scale (The Pyramids of Gizeh, Stonehenge (50-ton blocks aligned to mark the winter and summers solstices). “Many other structures from Iran to Ireland (not forgetting Easter Island) prove that Early Man was an astonishingly capable geometrician and engineer. So Noah was no freak” (Watson p. 84). Davis notes, “The technology required for constructing such a barge may startle us at first, but it should not, especially in the light of the achievement of Cain's descendants (Genesis 4:16-24)” (p. 121). (c) In addition, it appears that Noah had plenty of time to carry out this project. Whitcomb and Morris aptly note, “For Noah to have built a vessel of such magnitude simply for the purpose of escaping a local flood is inconceivable. The very size of the Ark should effectively eliminate the local-Flood view” (The Genesis Flood p. 11).

Genesis 6:15 “And this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits” “This is how”: “Noah's close walk with God makes it fitting that he is taken into his Master's confidence, as Abraham was to be concerning Sodom (18:17)” (Kidner p. 87). God always has given man the information he has needed to fulfill Divine obligations (2 Peter 1:3), and for man's salvation (Micah 6:8; Romans 1:16). Every command of God also comes with practical instruction from God (Ephesians 5:22ff). “Cubits”: The length of a "cubit" in the ancient world varied. “If the short cubit of 17.5 inches is used, the displacement can be..... 19,940 tons, and if the 22.5 inch cubit is used, as much as 43,000 tons”. 1 “Three hundred…fifty…thirty”: If the shorter cubit is used, “The ark was 437.5 1

Zondervan Pictorial Ency. 'Ark Of Noah' p. 304.

5

feet long, 72.92 feet wide, and 43.75 feet high. Since it had three decks (6:16), it had a total deck area of approximately 95,700 square feet (equivalent to slightly more than the area of twenty standard college basketball courts), and its total volume was 1,396,000 cubic feet…which would place it well within the category of large metal ocean-going vessels today” (The Genesis Flood p. 10).

“The size is vast...but the shape is simple, and buildings of such a size were not unknown in antiquity. Also it would need no launching” (Kidner p. 88). “The point to be observed here is that the dimensions of Noah's vessel are completely logical” (Hamilton p. 282). “The ‘Great Britain’ designed by Brunel in 1844 had dimensions of 322 ft by 51 by 32 1/2, almost exactly the same proportions as the Ark (length ten times the height, six times the width). Brunel had 1000 years of British shipbuilding experience to draw on, but the Ark was the first of its kind” (Watson p.

84). “The ‘flood stories’ in other cultures, also contain an Ark. 'The Babylonians had a flood-story, but they made the Ark a cube 180 ft long 180 wide and 180 high…not very seaworthy” (Watson p. 84). If Genesis is myth, then what were the "original" dimensions of the Ark, and would the critics of Genesis please explain how the "corrupted, mythical Ark" ends up being perfectly engineered? Watson notes, “On the other hand the Ark's true dimensions must have been written down at the time of Noah, and so became a part of real history. It is most unlikely that the Hebrews, who were not a sea-going people, would have correctly guessed figures which agree so well with the dimensions used by experienced shipbuilders” (p. 84).

“A vessel constructed in this manner uses space efficiently and becomes more stable as its cargo increases; when the ark was filled, the possibility of its capsizing was minimal” (Davis p. 121). “Even in a sea of gigantic waves, the ark could be tilted through any angle up to just short of 90 degrees and would immediately thereafter right itself again. Furthermore, it would tend to align itself parallel with the direction of major wave advance and thus be subject to minimum pitching most of the time” (Morris p. 181).

Genesis 6:16 “A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it” “A light”:

Probably “a one-cubit opening extending all around the Ark's

6

circumference near the roof, as provision for light and ventilation” (Morris p. 182).

Genesis 6:17 “And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon this earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die” “Flood”: This Hebrew word is only applied to the flood of Noah's time.

“Similarly, when the Genesis flood is referred to in the New Testament, the Greek term ‘kataklusmos’ is uniquely employed...instead of the usual Greek word for ‘flood’. This Flood was not to be compared to other later local floods; it was to be absolutely unique in all history” (Morris pp. 183-184).

God’s Covenant with Noah Genesis 6:18 “But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee” “Thou shalt come into the ark”: Noah's salvation would be conditional. Grace (6:8) never has made salvation void of any conditions whatsoever (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 1:16; Titus 2:11ff). “Thy son’s wives”: We sometimes forget that Noah did save some who were not of his immediate family. The same exact number of people saved in the Genesis account, is the same number claimed to have been saved in the New Testament accounts of the Flood (2 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 3:20).

Filling the Ark

Genesis 6:19 “And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female Genesis 6:20 Of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

Genesis 6:21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them”

7

“Two of every sort”: “The further detail, that sacrificial animals went in by sevens (7:2)” (Kidner p. 89). “Of the birds”: This is just one more proof that this Flood will be a universal for birds can always escape a local or regional flood. Nothing in the text says that Noah had to go out and "trap" all these animals. In fact note verse 20, “shall come unto thee” (7:9,15). Today many animals make yearly migrations by instinct, and some of these migrations cover thousands of miles. So there is no problem in having God use this already built in "instinct" of migration in bringing the animals to Noah.

Other writers point out that the terrain of the pre-flood world was definitely different from that of the post-flood world. The idea of a universal but tranquil flood is ridiculous (just look at the damage caused and amount of earth and vegetation moved by a very temporary and very local flood). When people argue, “How did the animals in Australia get to Noah?” They assume that Australia existed! Whitcomb and Morris remind us, “Arctic and desert zones may never have existed before the Flood; nor the great intercontinental barriers of high mountain ranges, impenetrable jungles, and open seas (as between Australia and Southeast Asia..). On that basis, it is quite probable that animals were more widely distributed than now, with representatives of each created kind of land animal living in that part of the earth where Noah was building the Ark” (pp. 64-65).

In fact the above seems to be confirmed by archaeology: “In many caves of America and Europe we find bones of animals from other continents all mixed up together. For example the Cumberland Bone Cave in Maryland, USA, contains wolverine and grizzly bear (now only in Canada), tapirs (South America), antelope (Africa), coyotes (dry prairie-land), beaver and musk-rat (rivers and lakes)...All this goes to show that specimens of every kind of animal (yes, even the kangaroo) may well have lived within (say) 1000 miles of Noah” (Watson pp. 88-89). In addition, remember, we have no idea where Noah lived on the face of the earth. All we know for sure is the geographical region in which the Ark rested.

Was the Ark too Small for the Task?

The Biblical "kind" is rather broad. Noah did not have to take every variety of cat or dog'. “Over 500 varieties of the sweet pea have been developed from a single type since the year 1700; and that over 200 distinct varieties of dogs have developed from a very few wild dogs” (The Genesis Flood p. 66). The Ark had a carrying

8

capacity equal to that of 522 standard railroad stock cars. Noah did not have to take many, if any marine animals. “The total number of so-called species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians listed by Mayr is 17,600, but undoubtedly the number of original ‘kinds’ was less than this” (The Genesis Flood p. 69). Noah didn't have to take the largest or oldest pair, rather, Noah could have taken the young of every species. Most animals are smaller than the average sheep, and 522 standard stock cars (which can house 240 sheep per car), means that the Ark could of carried 125,280 sheep size animals. Morris notes, that allowing for the extra five "clean' animals in each "clean species", there might have been a total of about 75,000 animals on the Ark. (e) Concerning the "insects". “One million of them would only take up the same space as 5000 sheep” (Watson p. 86).

What about the Dinosaurs?

Only younger ones could have been taken. “Baby crocodiles increase their length 40 to 50 times in a lifetime, so probably even the biggest dinosaurs were only the size of large lizards when they hatched out of the egg” (Watson p. 87). (In addition, we have already previously noted that many ancient mammals were larger than their present day ancestors.

How could Noah have cared for all these animals?

Ancient man knew how to preserve things like grain and meat. Many of the animals could have went into a state of hibernation. “Practically all reptiles and amphibians have the capacity of hibernation” (The Genesis Flood p. 71). “Once we grant God's power in bringing the animals to the Ark, we have no right to deny His power over the animals while they were in the Ark” (p. 76).

Genesis 6:22 “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” Faith does not argue with God or question God. Faith simply obeys (Heb. 11:7). “It is also significant that God gave so crucial a task not to an angel but to a man, and one man at that” (Kidner p. 90). Since God created us (Genesis 1:26), God is also our biggest supporter and fan. God believes in us! Are you tapping your own great spiritual potential? Notice the repetition of the word "did". Noah's obedience

9

was total. Almost obeying God doesn't count (1 Samuel 15). Consider the brevity of this verse. A book written by mere human authors would have spent chapters or even volumes on the daily task of building and loading the Ark. We really don't know how long it took Noah to complete the project. We know that mankind would be given 120 years of grace (6:3), yet we don't know precisely at what point during this 120 year time span that God commanded Noah to build the Ark. I think most assume that the 120 period of grace and the command for Noah to build the Ark took place around the same time.

Observe the qualities of Noah's faith: (a) The enormity of the task didn't overwhelm him. Are we overwhelmed by the task of converting others, or maintaining unity in the church? Do we feel that God's expectations of us are impossible? (b) The "negative" nature of the command didn't discourage him. He didn't question God's "justice". (c) Despite the fact that he didn't convert any of his neighbors during this process or even those whom he may have hired, he didn't give up and quit building the Ark. (d) He didn't become an isolationist (1 Peter 3:18-20). Remember, room existed on the Ark for more people, then just Noah and his family. God has always been sincere about desiring to see the wicked repent and live (Ezekiel 18:23).

Chapter Seven Entering the Ark

Genesis 7:2 “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his female” “Of every clean beast”: “This chapter presupposes Noah's completion of the ark.

Now just prior to entering the vessel, Noah is given a final and more detailed set of instructions” (Hamilton p. 287). “Seven and seven”: “By sevens”. Seeing that “two” in reference to the unclean animals does not mean two pairs, but only two animals, it seems that “seven by seven” means three pairs, plus one that would be possibly used as a sacrifice. Morris notes, “The three pairs were to encourage the relatively greater numerical proliferation of the clean animals after the Flood (on a par with man, with his three surviving families” (p. 191). The Law of Moses plainly

10

spelled out which animals fit into each category (Leviticus 11). Such distinctions have been removed in the New Covenant (Acts 10:9-15; 1 Tim. 4:4).

Genesis 7:4 “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the ground” “For yet seven days”: God gives one last week of grace. “No doubt primarily for all of Noah's last-minute preparations--the installation of the animals ‘in their stalls’, feeding them, and so on, and perhaps for one last warning to the world of the ungodly” (Morris p. 191). “There is urgency, yet no haste, in the seven days; time for the whole task, but none for postponements” (Kidner p. 90). In the same way, God gives the Christian "time" to grow, but not time to waste (Hebrews 5:1214).

Ancient man and time Observe the "time" elements in the flood account: (a) Seven days (7:4,8:12). (b) Precise dates for major events during the Flood (7:11; 8:13). (c) The mention of years, months and days. (d) We find months composed of 30 days each (compare Genesis 7:11,24; 8:4). (e) The "time" mentioned in Genesis is the same "time" that we use today.

The Flood Genesis 7:11 “In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” “Second month”: “At this point...to mark the solemnity of the occasion, denoting it in terms of Noah's age at the time. This date, in effect, terminated the antediluvian and initiated the postdiluvian age” (Morris p. 192). When grace is refused, judgment comes (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4-5). Observe the precise dates, for this isn't the type of language which is associated with mythology. “The precise date, with its lack of obvious symbolism, has the mark of a plain fact well remembered” (Kidner p. 90). Just like other precise dates in the Scriptures (Luke 3:1-2).

11

The source for all that water

One of the great controversies concerning a Universal Flood is that people have claimed that there is not enough water upon the face of the earth to accomplish what is claimed in these chapters. In response: Carefully note that Genesis mentions two sources from which the Flood waters came: “The fountains of the great deep broken up”: Whitcomb and Morris observe: “Great volcanic explosions and eruptions are clearly implied in the statement...This must mean that great quantities of liquids, perhaps liquid rocks or magmas, as well as water...had been confined under great pressure below the surface rock” (p. 122).

“And the windows of heaven were opened”: People unfortunately make various assumptions when it comes to flood: The primary one is that the surface of the earth at the time of the flood, had the same geological features that it does today.

Yet common sense tells us that the flood must have really altered the geological features on this planet. Whitcomb and Morris note: “Whatever the source of the Deluge rain, the mass of waters which descended to the earth could hardly have been elevated back into the heavens, because it is not there now. This can only mean that much of the waters of our present oceans entered the oceans at the time of the Flood. This is in turn implies that the proportion of land area to water area was larger before the Flood...Much of the present sea-bottom was once dry land.

Very likely, in order to accommodate the great mass of waters and permit the land to appear again, great tectonic movements...would have to take place, forming the deep ocean basins and troughs and elevating the continents” (pp. 121-122).

Watson notes, “If the surface of the globe were flattened out by a cosmic steamroller to make it as smooth as a billiard ball, the oceans would cover the land to a depth of 9000 feet” (p. 93).

(People also seem to easily forget that the earth was completely under water at a period of time long before the flood (Genesis 1:2,6). What God separated in Genesis 1:6, simply comes back together during the flood of Noah. “The waters above and below the firmament are, in token, merged again, as if to reverse the very work of creation and bring back the featureless waste of waters” (Kidner p. 91).

12

Genesis 7:12 “And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” “Rain”: “Heavy rain” (Wenham p. 181). A continuous violent downpour that is universal.

Genesis 7:16 “And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him: and Jehovah shut him in” “Jehovah shut him in”: “God barred the entrance to anyone else who might try to enter” (Aalders p. 172). God protects those who place their confidence in Him. This probably also includes the idea that God "sealed" the door, so that it was watertight. “The expression beautifully shows God's fatherly touch, at the very brink of judgment” (Kidner p. 91). The same care will be shown to faithful Christians at the last day (1 Thess. 4:17-18).

Genesis 7:17 “And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth” “Waters increased, and bare up the ark”: “Indicating a depth of at least twenty feet in the earliest stages of the Flood, since the Ark was at least forty-four feet high and heavily loaded” (Morris p. 200).

Genesis 7:19 “And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered.

Genesis 7:20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered” “Fifteen cubits”: 22 feet or seve meters. This would be half the height of the Ark, probably representing its depth of submergence, telling the reader that the Ark could freely float over all the mountains. Here is another verse that critics of a Universal Flood find hard to believe. People ask, “You mean even Mt. Everest was submerged?” In response: People just assume that the pre-flood world looked exactly like the post-flood world of our own time. Watson points out, “We know that the highest ranges now (Andes, Alps, Himalayas) are formed of sedimentary

13

rock containing fossils. They were probably pushed up from the sea-bottom during the Flood or soon after, to allow the water to drain off into the deep ocean-basins” (p. 93).

People just do not realize the major geological changes that this event caused.

Whitcomb and Morris note, “Oozing lava built great plateaus which now cover 200,000 square miles in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California. An even larger eruption created India's famous Deccan Plateau, whose once molten rock extends as much as two miles below the surface...It is significant, too, that volcanic rocks are found inter-bedded with sedimentary rocks of all supposed ages, which would correlate with the Biblical implication that the ‘fountains of the great deep’ continued to pour out their contents throughout the entire Flood period (see Genesis 8:2)” (p. 127).

People also fail to realize that a "local flood" has some big problems with this verse. (a) A flood deep enough just to cover the region that people "think" Noah lived in prior to the flood, i.e. Mesopotamia, had to be at least 2000 ft high. “It is manifest that a flood which would submerge Egypt as well as Babylonia must have risen to at least 2000 ft (the height of the elevated country between them (Jerusalem is at 2500 ft)” (The Genesis Flood p. 60). (b) “It would not have been possible for water to cover even one high mountain in the Near East without inundating Australia and America too!” (p. 60) “If the relative elevation of the continents above the sea level was as at present, and if the ‘mountains of Ararat’ mentioned as the resting place of the ark are the table land now know by that name, the flood must have been universal or nearly so; for that region is now 5,000 feet above sea level, and an inundation sufficient to cover it would cover the whole world, with the exception of the highest mountain ranges” (p. 62).

Morris aptly notes, that the theory if one believes that the flood of Noah’s time was a localized, tranquil flood, confined to the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley, and left the Ark on the "mountains of Ararat", but reaching no further. One is equally forced to accept the ridiculous idea of a "egg-shaped flood, three miles high." For the mountains of Ararat peak at 17,000 feet.

The Destruction of all Life

14

Genesis 7:21 “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man” “All flesh died”: “If the Flood was really of the magnitude and intensity the Bible indicates, then the entire case for evolution collapses. Evolution depends entirely on the fossil record interpreted in terms of vast geologic ages. If these did not take place, evolution is impossible”. 2 Every huge fossil bed supports the flood of Noah.

Watson notes, “Hundreds of thousands of mammoths have been found frozen to death in Siberian tundra...Many were young animals...Huge dinosaur graveyards are found in several parts of the world...The official American handbook on 'The Dinosaur Quarry', Utah, states that more than 300 of the creatures were evidently drowned in the area...The Karoo formation (200,000 square miles of rock) there are skeletons of 800,000 million animals, mostly amphibians and reptiles” (pp. 93-94).

The latest human answer to the huge fossil beds is that 65 million years ago an unknown comet or meteor slammed into the earth, created a huge dust cloud, which obscured the sun, changed the climate and also virtually destroyed all life.

Observe---everyone, believer and unbeliever believes that virtually all life was destroyed at one point in human history!

Universal or Local Flood?

I believe that the text is clear, that the Flood of Noah was a universal flood:  





Birds could not avoid this flood (7:21).

The size of the Ark, which could hold ALL KNOWN AND EXTINCT SPECIES, and yet still have 40 percent room to spare, demands a universal flood.

The fact that God commanded Noah to built an Ark in the first place.

Morris notes, “The requirement for Noah to build a gigantic barge...was unnecessary, to say the least, if it were only to be a local flood. Its size was absurdly out of proportion for a mere regional fauna. Even the latter could easily have escaped a local flood by the obvious expedient of migrating to higher ground elsewhere” (Scientific Creationism p. 253).

The duration of the Flood. “The Scriptures clearly state that flood waters

2

Scientific Creationism p. 251.

15









prevailed for five months (7:24), and that it was seven more months before Noah could disembark in the mountains of Ararat. A flood which lasts 371 (some say 365) days cannot be anything short of universal” (Davis p. 125).

The height of the flood. As previously noted, even if it just covered the mountains or highlands in Mesopotamia, that is still a flood of 2000-5000 feet, which would cover most of the earth anyway!

Where the Ark finally rested. Even if the Ark merely rested in the tablelands of Ararat, that is still a region that is 5,000 feet above sea level. How did a local flood, push the Ark up that high, without the flood waters being at least that high themselves?

God's promise never to send a flood of such magnitude again (Genesis 8:21; 9:15). If this flood was merely local or even regional, then God has broken His promise.

How could the Biblical writer more aptly describe a universal flood? What else could he have added or said? What other words could he have used, besides "all" (6:13) "earth" (6:13); "all flesh" (6:17); "under heaven" (6:17); "everything" (6:17); "everywhere" (7:19); "all mankind" (7:21).

Chapter Eight

The Waters Subside Genesis 8:1 “And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged” “Remembered”: “It combines the ideas of faithful love...and timely intervention” (Kidner p. 92). “God made a wind to pass over the earth”: “This starts the process of the drying out of the land” (Hamilton p. 299). From the rest of the context, it appears that the waters had been receding already during the 150 days previously mentioned in 7:24. Compare 7:24 with 8:3, and especially 8:4 (the seventh month, when the Ark grounded, is precisely 150 days from 7:11, when Noah entered the Ark.)

This recession was probably being already caused by the fact that the tremendous

16

volcanic activity and geologic upheavals caused by the flood waters had or were building mountain ranges, raised continents and dug out huge and deep ocean basins. Some writers think that Psalm 104:6-9 is describing the aftermath of the Flood.

Genesis 8:2 “the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained” Apparently this verse took place at the end of the first 40 day period into the flood (7:12). Yet God has good reason for placing this verse after 8:1. Even though 8:2 happened before 8:1, God is telling us "why" the waters were starting to recede.

“The cessation of the water from above and below (v. 2) makes possible the beginning of the water's recession (v. 1b). Thus, the description is from result ( v.

1b) to cause (v. 2)” (Hamilton p. 300).

Genesis 8:3 “and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters decreased” “Continually”: We might picture the water running into the deep ocean basins, as the continents and mountain ranges are being formed.

Genesis 8:4 “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat” “In the seventh month”: From when the Flood actually began (7:11). Hence, five months after the rain started, the ark hits land. “Upon the mountains of Ararat”: This range of mountains is located where the frontiers of Turkey, Russia and Iran converge. Thus, in one sense, a very centrally located position from which the earth can be repopulated. The text does not say that these were the first mountains uncovered. The mountain-tops seen in 8:5, were the various mountains or hills in the immediate region. “Mount Ararat itself is 17,000 feet high; but the account says no more than ‘upon the mountains (or hills) of Ararat’, i.e., somewhere in the country of that name. This is thought to be Urartu, a mountainous land north of Mesopotamia, near Lake Van” (Kidner p. 92).

“It reminds us that the Bible is a book of real geography as well as real history. By

17

contrast, most myths of other religions are extremely vague—‘somewhere, somehow, once-upon-a-time’...It is very unlikely that Moses had ever seen Ararat because it is about 800 miles away from Mount Nebo (Deut. 34:1) where he died. If Moses or any Palestinian Jew had made up the story of the Ark, the obvious mountain to pick on would have been Mt. Hermon…which is the highest for miles around” (Watson p. 98). “Ararat rises from a fertile plain 3000 ft high, where the ground would have dried quickly--ideal for Noah's family to make a new start in farming (9:20)” (Watson p. 98). It is significant that “The Ararat region, including Mount Ararat itself...abounds in what is known as pillow lava, a dense lava rock formed under great depths of water” (Morris p. 208).

Genesis 8:5 “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” “Depending on topography, vast interior continental lakes would exist for a time and great rivers would form, scouring out great canyons rapidly and depositing tremendous amounts of alluvium in their lower courses. It is significant that, all over the world, interior lakes and seas show evidence of much higher water levels in the recent past. Rivers also everywhere show that they once carried much greater quantities of water and sediment than they do at present” (Morris p. 208).

During this period of time, such geological features as the Great Lakes and Great Canyon were possibly being formed.

“Tenth month, on the first day of the month”: Since the months in these chapters are 30 days each, it has been 74 days since the Ark rested. “Tops of the mountains seen”: This seems to suggest that the Ark rested high on this range of mountains.

Watson says, “with God's mercy, in giving Noah and his huge menagerie a rest from the swirling eddying motion of the waters as soon as possible” (p. 99). “A lowpass about 5500 ft. above sea-level joins Ararat with a long-range of lesser volcanic mountains extending westward” (Watson p. 99). This is all very logical. Even if the ark ran a ground, let's say about at 12,000 ft, and some 70 days later all the lesser peaks (5000 ft) were clearly seen, this means that the water was receding at the rate of 100 ft per day--very reasonable.

Checking out the new world

18

Genesis 8:6 “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made” “End of forty days”: Probably from the last "date" mentioned, i.e. 8:5, the first day of the tenth month. Hence, the time is now the 10th day of the 11th month.

“Opened the window”: 6:16. Yet from this position, it appears that Noah could not see what "condition" the lower plains were in. “It should be remembered that the ark lodged on a mountain peak which was part of a vast and rugged mountain range” (Aalders p. 175).

Genesis 8:7 “and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth” “A raven”: This is perfectly logical, “Before the electronic era sailors used to use birds in this way to discover if land was close” (Wenham p. 186). “It went forth to and fro”: “The raven feeds on carrion and there probably were many dead bodies floating around on which this bird could feed” (Aalders p. 176).

Genesis 8:8 “And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground” “Sent forth a dove”: “Noah's releasing of the birds should be seen as a reflection of actual navigational practice, rather than as a bit of folkloristic coloring” (Hamilton p.

304).

Genesis 8:9 “but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to the ark; for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, and took her, and brought her in unto him into the ark” “He put forth his hand”: “Noah is not heartless. He is concerned about the safety and well-being of others, even a female bird” (Hamilton p. 305).

Genesis 8:10 “And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark”

19

“Yet other seven days”: It is assumed that this is the same type of time period between when the raven and the first dove were sent out. Noah is doing things is the same way "modern men" would do them, “Let's wait another week, let's try it again next week”

Genesis 8:11 “and the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth” “An olive-leaf”: “The olive is a very hardy tree, can grow in almost any soil and survive” (Watson p. 100). “Indicating that seedlings or cuttings from the hardly olive tree were already beginning to grow again on the mountain sides” (Morris p.

210). This text informs us how the earth re-vegetated itself, i.e. from cuttings and seeds which were deposited by the receding flood waters.

Leaving the ark

Genesis 8:13 “And it came to pass in the six hundred 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 dried” Genesis 8:14 “And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry” In comparing the above two verses we find that it took some 57 days for the earth to dry and harden enough to make movement possible. This means that Noah was in the ark one year and 10 or 11 days (compare 8:14 with 7:11). Hamilton notes, “The exact period required to equate the year of twelve lunar months, 354 days, with the solar year of 365 days. The flood lasted one solar year” (p. 305).

Watson notes, “The existence of salt lakes and inland seas provides further evidence of a global flood. The huge (salt) Caspian Sea is completely land-locked

20

and during the past several centuries has been shrinking in size. How did sea water get so far inland?” (p. 100).

Genesis 8:15 “And God spake unto Noah, saying, Genesis 8:16 Go forth from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee” “Noah did not trust his ‘common sense’ as to when he should leave the Ark, but waited for the direct command of God, who alone knew when it would be safe for the animals to return to normal life of fending for themselves” (Watson p. 100).

“Noah's resourcefulness comes to light, and above all, in 13,14, his self-discipline as he patiently awaits God's time and word” (Kidner p. 92).

Genesis 8:17 “Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both birds, and cattle, and every creeping things that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth” “Be fruitful and multiply”: God hasn't given up. What was commanded at the Creation is repeated. Concerning the question, “What did the animals eat after they left the ark?”: “Presumably there were plenty of drowned carcasses around, for the carnivores, and tangled vegetation for the herbivorous animals” (Watson p. 100).

Morris notes, “They could move east into Asia, west into Europe, south into Africa...Modern computer studies have shown, interestingly, that the geographical center of the earth's land areas is located within a short distance of Mount Ararat” (p. 215).

How did the kangaroos get to Australia?

One of the major objections to the flood being universal, is, how did all the animals re-populate the earth, considering that vast oceans now existed. Points to Note: 

How did they do it in the first place?

21

 

How did they do it, according to the theory of Evolution?

Inter-continental land bridges could have been used. Remember we can't assume that the present geological features of the world have been here from day one or even from shortly after the flood.

“They (local flood advocates) are willing to use inter-continental land bridges to explain the distribution of some animals but claim that others, such as edentates of South America and the marsupials of Australia, were created in the continents where we now find them” (The Genesis Flood p. 81). “Fossil marsupials have been found in Europe, as well as in Australia and the Western Hemisphere, it seems evident that they have migrated widely in the past...no one can prove that kangaroos and the other Australian marsupials were confined to Australia before the Flood”. (pp. 82,83) Land bridges are not even needed. Morris and Whitcomb point out that in 1885, the island of Krakatoa, was almost destroyed by a volcanic explosion. For 25 years practically nothing lived in what remained of that island. Yet then animals began to arrive. 90 percent of the new inhabitants didn't arrive by air. “Professor Paul A. Moody of the University of Vermont tells how large land animals have been able to cross oceans on natural rafts and ‘floating islands’” (p. 85).

Gratitude

Genesis 8:20 “And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar” “How now shall Noah orient himself to dry ground? The first thing Noah does is to engage in worship” (Hamilton p. 307). Be impressed with the unselfishness of this man. After being confined in the ark for a whole year, the first thing he does, is worship God! Now how lame is the excuse, “I'm too busy to attend worship services?”

Genesis 8:21 “And Jehovah smelled the sweet savor; and Jehovah said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for that the

22

imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done” The curse of Genesis 3:17, is obviously still in effect, even in post-flood times.

Hence the curse here must be associated with the last phrase in this verse, i.e. God won't destroy all life with a flood again.

“For that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth”: Man is not inherently depraved (Ezekiel 18:20; 1 Cor. 14:20). Yet post-flood man will have great potential for good and evil, just like pre-flood man (Genesis chapters 4-5) The flood has not changed the fact that man still has a freewill.

Which, unfortunately, many use for selfish and sinful purposes (Romans 6:13,16).

The statement "from his youth", doesn't mean "from birth". Compare with Psalm 50:3. God isn't "giving up" in this passage. God isn't saying, “It's just no use, man is a sinner, the flood didn't change human nature and I guess I'll just have to put up with them”. The decision not to bring another world-wide flood appears to be linked with Noah's sacrifice, rather than the abuse and misuse of human freewill.

God speaks in this verse after being pleased by the sacrifices Noah offered.

The phrase, "for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth", seems to be inserted as a side note, between God's decision not to destroy all life again. It appears that God is saying, “the sacrifice of Noah appeases My wrath, I won't use this particular method of judgment again, even though many people will sin in the future”. Yet, He would punish again (Genesis 19; Matthew 24).

God’s Promise Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” “This assurance goes far beyond 8:21. It does not abolish disasters, but it does localize them” (Kidner p. 93). This verse seems to find itself in contradiction to various theories of global upheaval, nuclear winters, or the earth being covered by water. Thus, God will allow man or nature to destroy the world.

The dependability of the seasons, is not to be interpreted as meaning that the "earth

23

can take care of itself". Rather, it is an indication of God's providential care.

“However irregular the human heart may be (8:21b), there will be regularity in God's world and its cycles” (Hamilton p. 310). This means that God has always treated mankind, better than they (we) has deserved (Acts 14:17; Luke 6:36).

Other Flood Accounts “Stories of great flooding are found in most parts of the world, from Europe to the South Seas, and from the Americas to the Far East...In the Greek story, Deucalion's vessel, like Noah's, was a chest (but not of the same vast size)...Some North American Indian tales speak of pairs of animals taken on board a raft, and of birds sent out by means of reconnaissance. It is reasonable to think that some memories of Noah's flood were carried into distant parts by the expanding circle of his descendants” (Kidner pp. 95-96).

The Babylonian Flood accounts agree with the Biblical text in the realms of: (a) The flood was divinely sent. (b) The hero of the story was divinely warned. (c) The flood came because of human rebellion. (d) The hero of the story was divinely directed to build a huge boat to preserve life. (d) Birds are sent forth at different intervals. (e) The hero worships after his deliverance. And of course many differences exist also. Since the whole human race is descended from Noah and his family, it is very logical that corrupted stories of the Biblical account should exist in all cultures. For the only account which God inspired is the account found in the Bible. All other flood stories we might term "unauthorized biographies".

Watson notes, “The native historian of the Aztecs, says that the first world lasted 1716 years before it was destroyed by a flood (by the way 1656 years is the face value, no gaps, father-son, father-son time period between Creation and the flood in Genesis)...The Chinese character (symbol) for a large ship is a combination of the figure 8 and the symbol for mouths or persons (8 people were saved in the flood of Noah)...The Hottentots of South Africa believe they are descended from 'Noh', and the Hawaiians report a flood from which only 'Nu-u' and his family were saved” (p. 82).

24