GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 7

GRIFFIN COMMENTS—GEN 7 (Gen 7:1) And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Notice that God did not say, “Go in.” That would mean that God had inspected the ark and found it in good shape and told Noah to go on in and He would see him next year. But God was in the ark with Noah. Here we have one of the Water and Spirit experiences.

(1Pe_3:21). Noah was saved by water as baptism saves us.

TYPOLOGY OF THE ARK (Gen_7:1) THREE ARKS IN THE BIBLE: (1) Noah's ark: Secured those within from the wrath of God (2) Bulrushes: (Exo_2:3) Protected Moses from the wrath of Pharaoh (3) Covenant: Israel sheltered through offerings from the curse of the law Each was a shelter and a place of safety • Safe from God's wrath • Safe from satan's assaults • Safe from condemnation of the law Noah's ark was built according to Divine Directions He and his family found refuge from the storm of God's wrath Picture of a believer's salvation in Christ in that it saved Noah as we are saved from the (1) Penalty of sin (2) Power of sin, and (3) Presence of sin (in the future) Other types: • Jews through the tribulation • Jesus death, burial and resurrection • Repentance, baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost 1.

IT WAS A DIVINE PROTECTION (Gen_6:13-14)

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• Before the flood came and the ark was made, a means of escape existed in God's mind.

• He did not wait until the waters descended 2.

GOD REVEALED HIS DESIGNS TO NOAH

• Not an invention of Noah's • God ordered him to build a place of refuge into which he could flee • He would have perished without a revelation 3.

THE ARK WAS MADE OF WOOD

• Life had to come out of death • Life is only secured by sacrifice Trees must be cut down Noah's life secured only by the tree's death 4.

THE ARK WAS A REFUGE FROM DIVINE WRATH

• Death threatened all but the ark was the safety to believers • It was the only deliverance 5.

GOD INVITED MAN INTO IT (Gen_7:1)

• First time "Come" is found in the Bible • Found over 500 times • He did not say "Go in" for that would mean God was outside Go is a command, come is an invitation 6.

PLACE OF ABSOLUTE SECURITY (Gen_6:14)

a.

Pitched within and without with pitch

• It was thoroughly watertight • It was a perfect shelter • No matter how hard the rain or how high the waters rise, all inside is secure

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b.

God shut Noah in (Gen_7:16)

• Noah did not have to care for himself • God took care and responsibility for his preservation c.

None perished by the flood (Gen_8:18-19)

7.

ONLY ONE DOOR

• Not one for animals and another for birds, etc.

• Tabernacle also had only one • There is only one way to escape eternal death 8.

ONE WINDOW ABOVE

• Not to be looking down on the scene of destruction, but looking up SAME WITH ISRAEL: • Pillar of cloud and fire • Brazen serpent • Beauty in the tabernacle 9.

FURNISHED WITH ROOMS OR NESTS (Gen_6:14 Margin)

• Filled with resting places 10.

ATONEMENT IS ALSO IMPLIED (Gen_6:14)

"Pitch" (kapher) means "to cover" • Nowhere else in the Bible is it rendered pitch--but it is rendered "atonement" 70 times • Atone is to cover for sin 11.

ARK LANDED IN A NEW WORLD (ARARAT)

• On the 17th day of the 7th month

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LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH 1.

SAVIORSHIP OF CHRIST WAS NO AFTERTHOUGHT OF GOD • From all eternity He purposed to redeems us • Rev_13:8 "Lame slain from the foundation" The ark was God's provision for Noah as Christ is God's provision for sinners.

2.

GOD HAD TO REVEAL HIS PLAN TO US BY HIS SPIRIT ( 2Co_4:6) 3.

HE WAS A ROOT OUT OF DRY GROUND (Isa_53:2)

• We too die to the world and take part in His death (Rom_6:1-11) • The ark was made of many cut trees, as the body of Christ is many sacrificed lives 4.

JESUS IS OUR ONLY PLACE OF DELIVERANCE FROM THE WRATH TO COME (Act_4:12) 5.

CHRIST INVITES US IN

• Mat_11:28-29 "Come unto Me" 6.

ABSOLUTE SECURITY a.

Col_3:3 "Life is hid with Christ in God" b.

1Pe_1:5 "Kept by the power of God through faith ready to be revealed c.

Joh_18:9 "Of them which thou gavest me I have lost none" (Joh_17:12) 7.

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO ESCAPE FROM THE WRATH TO COME • One Savior from the lake of fire Joh_14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the Life GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 7—PAGE 4

Joh_10:9 "I am the door" NOTE: Inside (Gen_6:16) looking forward to piercing of Christ's side (Joh_19:34).

• Way to the heart of God now open to guilty and ruined sinners.

8.

WE ARE TO KEEP OUR EYES HEAVENWARD

Col_3:2 "Set your affections on things above" Luk_21:28 "Look up, your redemption draweth near" Heb_9:28 "Unto them that look for Him shall He appear" 9.

WE HAVE A RESTING PLACE

• Like birds in a nest • Objects of another's loving care • Uncertain how to translate "mansions" (Joh_14:1-3) Weymouth calls them "Resting places" 10.

GOD IS HOLY.

Hab_1:13 "Of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity • Sin must be covered by blood • Remarkable that KAPHER is first mentioned in Scripture with the ark • This says--shelter from God's wrath can be found only beneath the atoning blood.

• Heb_9:22 "Without shedding of blood there is no remission" 11.

RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

• On the 17th day of the first month, 3 days after Passover.

• At the institution of Passover the 7th month changed to the first month.

• On the 17th Jesus had passed through the waters of judgment • Stood resurrected before His own • Said, "Peace be unto you."

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This speaks also of our receiving the Holy Ghost • Leaving the old world • Coming to the new world • Our resurrection (1Co_15:20-23; 1Co_15:51-54) (Gen 7:2) Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

Noah began to gather the clean and unclean beasts. I do not know how he knew which ones were clean and which were unclean without a revelation from God. There was no law to distinguish them, but it is apparent God expected Noah to know which ones they were. These clean would be according to the perfect number and would be one less than that when he made a sacrifice after the flood.

(Gen 7:3) Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

That is, of the fowls that were clean by sevens. The unclean would still be by two as with the other animals.

But what was the use of the seventh? It was manifestly reserved for sacrifice; and so that both during Noah’s residence in the ark, and after his return to dry land, provision was made for celebrating the rites of worship according to the religion of fallen man. (JFB) (Gen 7:4) For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

Apparently Noah spent a week in the ark before the rain started. If God did not shut the door until the seventh day this would give people a chance to repent and come in while they had a chance.

This period became afterwards sacred, and was considered a proper space for humiliation. Moses fasted forty days, Deu_9:9, Deu_9:11; so did Elijah, 1Ki_19:8; so did our Lord, Mat_4:2. Forty days’ respite were given to the Ninevites that they might repent, GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 7—PAGE 6

Jon_3:4; and thrice forty (one hundred and twenty) years were given to the old world for the same gracious purpose, Gen_6:3. The forty days of Lent, in commemoration of our Lord’s fasting, have a reference to the same thing; as each of these seems to be deduced from this primitive judgment.

(Adam Clarke) (Gen 7:5) And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

Noah was faithful to God and built the ark according to the pattern shown to him on the mount, rounded up the animals and put them on the ark, and then entered with his family, all according to the command given to him by God. This is the second time we are reminded that Noah obeyed the Lord (Gen_6:22). Obedience is better to Him than sacrifice, and to hearken to Him is better than the fat of rams (1Sa_15:22).

(Gen 7:6) And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

Noah was five hundred when he begat his sons, so they would now be 100 and Noah is 600. (Gen_5:32). Somewhere within that time is when he started building this ark. Because God had said man’s time would be 120 years some have felt that the ark was that long in preparing, but that is not likely. It did not take that long to build.

Gen_11:10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood.

(Gen 7:7) And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

[Noah went...into the ark] The ark was a refuge from the storm, the salvation plan for his day. It was the same as today. Leave the old world behind, go through the water with the Spirit in the ark, and come out into a new world. The wise men foresee the evil and escape, but the fool plunges into despair as the wicked did of Noah's day (Pro_22:3). The people went in at the command of God and the animals must have had some urging by the Spirit as well, just as they

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obey something programmed into them that causes them to migrate today.

(Gen 7:8) Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, Noah had with him some of all life except fish to repopulate the earth when this flood was over. Some were clean and some unclean, but all were needed to start life anew. It was his responsibility to be sure that these animals along with his own family were safely transferred from one world to another. They were saved by water (1Pe_3:20-21), which destroyed the world, even as baptism saves us today.

(Gen 7:9) There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

It appears here that they went in of their own accord. Earlier it was noted that Noah brought them in, so apparently his task here was to guide them in. There appeared to be no animosity between any of the animals at that time as it is to be during the time Jesus reigns upon the earth. Isaiah speaks of their nature being tame during the millennium (Isa_11:6-9; Isa_65:25).

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

God waited one more week, though He had waited for years already.

This is the longsuffering of God. He will give the sinner as much opportunity as possible. The same will happen when Jesus comes again at the Second Advent. The time will be similar to the days of Noah, when everything was going on as usual, marrying and working at their jobs as though nothing was amiss when suddenly the flood came (Mat_24:38-39).

(Gen 7:11) In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

The water began to come from above and below as God wanted the job done in forty days. There are great amounts of water below the

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surface of the earth and very likely at that time a canopy of water above the earth, so there was a tremendous change in the entire atmosphere all at once.

CHRIST - AS A FOUNTAIN 1. A fountain is the spring or head of a river (Gen_7:11). From God, as from a Fountain, that great and glorious river of the Spirit flows; "It proceeds out of the midst of the throne of God, and the Lamb," (Rev_22:1). He is the spring and rise of all spiritual joy and consolation (Jer_2:13; Psa_36:9).

2. A fountain implies an abundance of water (Isa_41:18). Christ has an abundance for us (Joh_1:14-16; Eph_1:22-23).

3. The fountain empties itself into a lower place (Psa_104:10). Jesus Christ fills the most humble soul with goodness; he delights in the lowly heart. "He resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble" (Jam_4:6).

4. Fountains make the land fruitful. Jesus Christ makes our lives fruitful with holiness and good works.

5. Fountain is opened to all, rich or poor (Isa_55:1; Zec_13:1; Rev_22:17).

6. The fountain is constant. Jesus Christ never fails.

(Gen 7:12) And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

That is, this deluge from above and below continued for forty days, for the water itself was upon the earth for a year. Since this would all be fresh water and the seas are salt water, the saltiness must have been something that came after the flood.

We see here that God has complete control over all the agencies of the material universe, and can readily make them subserve the purpose of His will. (J. S. Exell)

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(Gen 7:13) In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; This is, all that entered with Noah. He could have no influence apparently on family or friends, other than his immediate family, though he must have preached the entire time that the ark was in preparation. Of course, by the nature of the case few would have believed him. It had never rained because a mist watered the earth and this big boat sitting out in the middle of nowhere would not likely impress anyone.

(Gen 7:14) They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

This covered the entire realm of the living upon the earth, other than the fish within the sea, which would not need any other place than where they were to survive.

There is one simple means by which it might have been easily effected. Water is composed of two gases or airs, oxygen and hydrogen -- eighty-five parts of oxygen, and fifteen hydrogen. An electric spark passing through decomposes them and converts them into water. So that God, by the power of lightning, could change the whole atmosphere into water, and thus the resources of the flood are at once provided. But read carefully the account given by Moses (Gen_7:11, etc.).

(J. Burns, D. D.) (Gen 7:15) And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

They must have paired off before they came to the ark and entered as a pair. I do not know if Noah put them in certain places, or kept some from others, but he somehow managed to keep them satisfied with their environment.

And now we may reasonably suppose that their natural enmity was so far removed or suspended that the lion might dwell with the GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 7—PAGE 10

lamb, and the wolf lie down with the kid, though each might still require his peculiar aliment. (Adam Clarke) (Gen 7:16) And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

Noah did not shut the door to the ark. God shut it, apparently on the seventh day when it was time for the flood to start. No one could blame Noah for shutting them out. They had apparently been given seven days to enter before God shut the door.

Noah was shut in away from all the world by the hand of divine love. The door of electing purpose interposes between us and the world which lies in the wicked one. We are not of the world even as our Lord Jesus was not of the world.

Noah was shut in with his God. "Come thou into the ark," was the Lord's invitation, by which He clearly showed that He Himself intended to dwell in the ark with His servant and his family. Thus all the chosen dwell in God and God in them.

"Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee, and hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast." Noah was so shut in that no evil could reach him. Floods did but lift him heavenward, and winds did but waft him on his way. Outside of the ark all was ruin, but inside all was rest and peace. Without Christ we perish, but in Christ Jesus there is perfect safety. Noah was so shut in that he could not even desire to come out, and those who are in Christ Jesus are in Him for ever. They shall go no more out for ever, for eternal faithfulness has shut them in, and infernal malice cannot drag them out. The Prince of the house of David shutteth and no man openeth; and when once in the last days as Master of the house He shall rise up and shut the door, it will be in vain for mere professors to knock, and cry Lord, Lord open unto us, for that same door which shuts in the wise virgins will shut out the foolish for ever. Lord, shut me in by Thy grace. —Morning and Evening (C.H.Spurgeon) (Gen 7:17) And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

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There may have been many, who now realized their mistake, and that Noah was right, but as the waters began to prevail they realized that there was no hope for them to be saved that way. They must have run then to the mountains and trees or any elevated place as this strange phenomenon began. They had never seen rain and such a sight was very likely frightening.

(Gen 7:18) And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

The ark was more like a box floating than like a boat which could be steered, and since it did not need any steering, it could drift wherever the waters took it. Apparently, however, it remained in the close proximity to where it started, for it would have been not too far from the Garden of Eden and it landed on the mountains of Ararat.

(Gen 7:19) And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

To cover the earth in forty days and nights there had to be a universal downpour, and breaking up of the depths of the earth to cover all the hills under heaven. [and all the high hills] At the present day every mountain where search has been made, conspire in one uniform, universal proof that they all had the sea spread over their highest summits; shells, skeletons of fish, etc., having been found there. Job_12:15; Psa_46:2, Psa_46:3, Psa_104:6-9; Jer_3:23; 2Pe_3:6 (TSK) (Gen 7:20) Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

The mountains at that time were very low according to this verse, for the waters went up twenty two and a half feet and they covered the mountains. The pressure of all this deluge must have caused the various mountain ranges to be formed during this time that changed the mountain heights from less than thirty feet to over 27,000 feet.

(See Psa_104:6)

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(Gen 7:21) And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: The flood served its purpose and destroyed all life that was not sheltered within God's plan of salvation. None was able to find refuge and had they found some place, the pressure of the water would have still drowned them, as anyone knows who have been in hurricanes or flooded areas where people get caught in the rushing waters.

The number of them is supposed to be as great, if not greater, than of the present inhabitants of the earth, by those who are skilful in the calculation of the increase of men. It is thought it may be easily allowed, that their number amounted to eleven billion; and some have made their number to be eighty billion (p). The Apostle Peter calls them, the world of the ungodly, 2Pe_2:5. (p) Scheuchzer. Physica Sacra, vol. 1. p. 55. (Gill) (Gen 7:22) All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

He left off the fish here for they were not included in the dying. They would be in their natural habitat, though from the oil we have today there had to be a lot that died in the seas also if that is where our oil came from. The Jewish tradition is that the fish died also because the waters became too hot for them to live. There were also likely many that were crushed as the mountains heaved up from the waters.

(Gen 7:23) And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

All living things except the fish and the plant life which would have survived at least in the seed form, though the trees and much of the vegetation would be destroyed by the raging waves of water.

God destroys that He may save: A mariner in a storm would very fain save his goods, but to save his ship he heaves them overboard, a

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tender-hearted mother corrects her child, whereas the stripes are deeper in her heart than in its flesh. As it was said of a judge who, being about to pass sentence of death upon an offender, said, "I do that good which I would not." Thus God, more loving than the careful mariner, more tender than the indulgent mother, and more merciful than the pitiful judge, is willingly unwilling that any sinner should die. (J. Spencer) (Gen 7:24) And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

There had been a little over a month of rain and five months of water prevailing upon the earth, so the time spent in the ark was about half way complete at this point. He was in the ark a year and ten days.

As that calm and holy house moved on from day to day, from month to month, was there not with all its peace, with all its opportunity of undisturbed intercourse with God, the loss of much that had rejoiced the soul? As day rose on day, must not the sense of confinement and restraint have come at times over the faithful Noah and his sons?

Must there not have risen some longings for the green meadows and the evening walk, the beauty of the fields and the cheerful sights of God's excellent works, that give great pleasure to godly men? To be shut in that lonely house, and to see the spring and the summer come round, the changing seasons without any change to them, all watery and blank without, must have been a trial; and yet the very fact of such a cutting off from the world and worldly things, of such loss and privation of pleasures, innocent and allowed, likens this sojourn in the ark to a long and holy fast. (Bp. Armstrong)

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