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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday July 8, 2018
THE FLOOD
COVERS THE EARTH
Genesis 7
and 8
It has often been debated by Christians whether or not the flood
that is chronicled in the Holy Bible’s book of Genesis (chapters 7-8) was a
universal one that actually covered the entire surface of the earth. Some
believe that, despite what the bible says, it was a limited flooding that only
affected the areas that were inhabited by the human population. However, here
in Genesis 7, verse 4, GOD tells a “righteous” Noah that HE will wipe from the
earth, all living things that HE had created.
Noah was 600 years old when the day finally
came near for him to board the ark. The LORD told him, to finish preparations
for an upcoming year of living on the ark, and to now separate himself and his family
from the people of the earth. He was to begin by putting on board two of every
kind of animal, one male and one female, of both the “clean” and the “unclean”
variety.
Then, Noah was to select seven male/female
pairs of clean animals, which are those animals that have been approved by GOD
for eating, and for sacrifice, and seven pairs of every kind of bird, and to
load them all onto the ark. GOD said that there must be a male and female in
each pair to ensure that every kind of living creature would survive the Flood.
And then one week later, after Noah had finished loading the ark, the rains and
the flooding began.
For forty days the floods and rain
prevailed, covering the ground and lifting the ark safely, high above the
earth, while at one and the same time, devastating all living things and
inhabitants that remained on the earth, including the GOD-forsaken giant
nephilims who were the offspring of satan’s angels, who had sexually mixed with
human women. Unfortunately, the “hybrid spirits” of those deceased nephilim
became the “spiritual demons” that JESUS dealt with during HIS ministry here on
earth, and, we still have to contend with today in our lives.
We see again, in verses 21-23, of this
passage of Scripture, GOD tells us that “All living things on earth died…. And
that, “Everything died that breathed and lived on dry land. Everything on earth
was wiped out, including the nephilim, humans, animals (both large and small),
and, birds. They were all destroyed, and only Noah was left alive, along with
those who were with him in the ark” (NLT).
In addition, in verses 19-20 it is stated
that “the waters covered even the highest mountains of the earth, standing more
than 22 feet above the highest peaks on earth. And the waters covered the earth
for 150 days before it began to recede, as the LORD, in HIS mercy for Noah,
sent a steady wind to blow across the earth until all the waters had dissipated
completed.
This account of the Flood makes a powerful
theological statement that GOD is the moral, sovereign ruler of the universe,
who can and will, whenever HE wants to, exercise HIS power of judgment of sin,
even in the form of a worldwide catastrophic event, and there’s nothing that anyone, or anything can do to
stop HIM.
In Genesis 8, 150 days (approx. 5 months)
after the rains and flooding began, the ark carrying Noah and his family and
their live cargo came to rest on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey, however, the
precise location of the landing remains unknown. After another 2 ½ months,
other mountaintops began to appear, which was an obvious sign that the waters
were receding.
Forty days later, Noah opened the windows
that he had made around the top of the ark just below the roof, and he released
a raven, a strong bird that would continue to fly back and forth until the
earth was dry. Then he sent out a dove to search for dry land, but because the
waters were still too high, the dove was unable to find dry land anywhere. And
so the dove returned to the ark and Noah drew it back inside with his hands (Vs.4-9).
Seven days later Noah released the dove
again, and this time the dove returned with an olive leaf in its beak,
something that has now became known as “a symbol of peace and restoration”. It
was a sign that GOD had now restored man back into a right relationship of
friendship with HIM, and soon they would be able to start afresh, as the sins
of the land had now been, quite literally, washed away. A week later Noah
released the dove a third time, and this time, the dove never returned
(Vs.10-12).
Finally, after Noah had reached the age of
601 years old, some 10 ½ months after the Flood began, he lifted the cover of
the ark back and seen that the waters had gone down considerably, and after
another 2 months went by, finally, the earth had dried up. It was then that GOD
told Noah to leave the ark, he and his family, and to set the cargo free so
that they could perform their roles in the replenishment of the earth.
And so, 377 days after they boarded the
ark, Noah and his family, were now able to, once again, stand on dry land, this
time as the recipients of GOD’s great Salvation from a sinful atmosphere and
environment. And Noah built an altar to the LORD and used the select animals
and birds that had been earmarked for sacrifice, and the LORD was very pleased.
There at the altar, the LORD made a solemn
promise to Noah that HE would never again curse the earth, destroying all livng
things, even though HE knew man would quickly return to his sinful state of
being, and that their every thought and action would be geared toward evil from
the time of their childhood. But nevertheless, as long as HE decides to allow
the earth to remain, it will continue to enjoy the seasons (Spring, Summer,
Fall, and Winter), and the days, and the nights will return refreshed, at the
appointed space in time, in perpetual intervals until GOD says, it is enough
again.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
Official Website
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