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Genesis Chapter
Seven
I.
Content of the Chapter
Noah Went into the
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. 7:1 “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.”
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. 7:2 “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;”
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. 7:3 “also 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. 7:4 “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.””
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. 7:5 “And 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. 7:6 “Noah 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. 7:7 “So 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 (
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. 7:8 “Of 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. 7:9 “two 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. 7:10 “And 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. 7:11 “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.”
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. 7:12 “And 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. 7:13 “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—”
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. 7:14 “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.”
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. 7:15 “And 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. 7:16 “So 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. 7:17 “Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters
increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.”
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. 7:18 “The 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. 7:19 “And 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. 7:20 “The 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. 7:21 “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.”
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. 7:22 “All 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. 7:23 “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.”
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. 7:24 “And 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
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
D. Victory over sins in Christ (v.23b-24);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou