Mar 19
10
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 7
“Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.’ And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him. Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in. The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.” (Genesis 7, ESV)
New Testament Reading: 2 Peter 2:1–10
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.” (2 Peter 2:1–10, ESV)
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Introduction
In the previous passage we encountered God’s call to Noah to build an ark, his warning to Noah concerning the coming watery judgement given the widespread corruption on earth. his promise to save Noah, his family and the animals should he be faithful to build the ark and enter it, and finally his promise to establish his covenant with Noah. Everything communicated in that preceding chapter was in preparation for the coming flood and the salvation that Noah and his family would experience in the ark.
In the passage that is before us today two things are described. One, the entry of Noah, his family and the animals into the ark. And two, the arrival of the great and worldwide flood. These two things — Noah’s entry into the ark, and the arrival of the flood — are described over and over again in this passage, considered from different vantage points and with increasing detail.
Let us consider this text in three parts.
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First, verses 1-5.
In verse 1 we read, “Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation” (Genesis 7:1, ESV).
Previously, God spoke to Noah saying, build an ark. Now God speaks to Noah saying, “Go into the ark, you and all your household.” The previous passage revealed the instructions, warnings and promises given to Noah. This one describes the event of the flood itself. The time has now come for Noah to enter the ark.
Notice that the name for God is again YHWH, and is translated for us as LORD. Remember God’s promise to Noah to establish his covenant with him. Noah was obedient to God as he believed upon this promises. It is clear that Noah knew God to be the covenant making and covenant keeping God, and so he is called YHWH accordingly.
And again we find this emphasis — Noah was “righteous before [God] in [his] generation.” Noah was made righteous by the grace of God alone and through faith alone. But he also lived a righteous and holy life. He lived in obedience to the commands of God. This should be true of all who name the name of Christ. Having been made holy, we ought to live holy; having been clothed in Christ’s righteousness, we ought to pursue righteousness in all that we think, say and do. In fact, to claim to belong to God by faith and to go on living in sin is a contradiction.
Christ himself said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21–23, ESV). If we truly belong to the Father, by his grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, then we will be found doing the Father’s will.
With Noah there was no contradiction. Noah found grace in God’s sight. Noah received the righteousness of Christ, by faith alone (see Hebrews 11:7). And Noah lived a righteous and holy life, though he was surrounded by wickedness. No was obedient, and this is very significant to the narrative.
Not only was Noah commanded to enter the ark, but also his household, for through the sons of Noah and their wives the earth would eventually be repopulated. And through one of his sons, namely Shem, the Israelites and eventually the Christ would come. Noah and his family were preserved so that the promises of Genesis 3:15 concerning the eventual arrival of a victorious savior might be fulfilled.
In verses 2 and 3 we see that Noah was also commanded to take the animals into the ark with him: “Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth” (Genesis 7:2–3, ESV).
We already knew that Noah was to take a pair of every kind of animal into the ark with him, one male and one female of every kind. This was revealed in the instructions given to Noah in the previous passage where we read, “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female” (Genesis 6:19, ESV). But here in this text the instructions are more specific. Noah was to bring a pair of every unclean animal, and a seven of every clean animal (there are differences of opinion as to if this phrase should be rendered “seven”, or “seven pairs of every clean animal”).
The reference here to animals that are “clean” and “unclean” is fascinating, and it should not be ignored.
“Clean” and “unclean” does not mean dirty and less dirty, but rather it has to do with ceremonial purity. If you know the scriptures well, you know that in the Law of Moses a distinction is made between things that are “clean” and “unclean”. You can read about it for yourself in the book of Leviticus, particularly chapter 11. That book is filled with the language of “clean” and “not clean”.
That a distinction was made in the days of Moses and under the Mosaic Covenant between animals that were “clean” and “unclean” is clear. The Hebrew people who lived under the Old Mosaic Covenant were permitted to eat and sacrifice only certain kinds of animals — animals designated by God as “clean”. But the animals designated as “unclean” avoided by them — they were not to be eaten by them or used as sacrifices in the worship of God.
The people of Israel under the Old Mosaic Covenant were a holy people. They were set apart as distinct from the nations so that God might bring about his purposes through them. Above all, Israel was set apart so that through them the Christ would come. The were a holy people brought by God into a holy realm being lead by a holy representative, namely, Moses and Aaron after him. And so laws were given to Israel which marked them off as distinct from the nations. The nations did not sin when the ate all kinds of animals, but the Israelites were to eat only those things that God designated as “clean”. That which God designated as “unclean” was to be avoided by them.
It should be clear to all who know the scriptures that these animals are not “clean” and “unclean” inherently so or by nature. In other words, some animals were called “clean” and others were called “unclean” not because they are inherently corrupt or dirty, but because God designated them as such for his people and for a time. To prove this point I need only to draw your attention to two passages of scripture: Acts 10 and Genesis 9:1-3.
In Acts 10 we find a long narrative regarding Peter, the Apostle of Christ. He was a Jewish man — an Israelite brought up under the Old Mosaic Covenant, as you know. And after Christ had risen from the grave and ascended Peter saw a vision — a sheet descending from heaven with all kinds of animals on it. And Peter heard a voice from heaven saying, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (Acts 10:13, ESV). Peter’s response makes it clear that the animals he saw on the sheet were animals designated as unclean under the Old Covenant, for he replied, saying, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean” (Acts 10:14, ESV). The voice from heaven replied to Peter saying, “‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven” (Acts 10:15–16, ESV).
Peter, having been raised a Jew under the Old Covenant had always obeyed the dietary laws of the Mosaic Covenant, and rightly so. The distinction between “clean” and “unclean” was binding upon him. But when Christ inaugurated the New Covenant by his shed blood, something changed. No longer were these “common and unclean” animals to be considered “common and unclean”, for those dietary laws of the Old Covenant had been abrogated or taken away. The people of God under the New Covenant, Jew and Gentile alike, are free to eat all kinds of animals. And this is why I say that these “unclean” animals are not “unclean” by nature or inherently so, but only by the designation of God. Just as God had the right to set one of the trees of the garden apart as “forbidden”, so too God has the right to declare some things “clean” and others “unclean” for his people and for his purposes.
We should also look ahead to Genesis 9:1-3 before returning to our text today, for there we see that the distinction between “clean” and “unclean” that was imposed upon Noah prior to the flood is taken away after the flood, at least as it pertains to dietary restrictions. Genesis 9:1 takes us to a time after the floodwaters had receded. There we read, “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything” (Genesis 9:1–3, ESV). By these words it is clear that Noah and his sons were permitted to eat every kind of animal after they disembarked from the ark. The distinction between “clean” and “unclean” that was communicated to them prior to the flood was removed for them after the floodwaters subsided. Again, this is why I say that the unclean animals are not unclean by nature or inherently so, but only by the designation of God. God has the authority to call something “unclean” or “forbidden” for a time and for a purpose, and then to lift or remove that particular designation.
I hope you can understand why I have said that the designation of things “clean” and “unclean” here in Genesis 7 is fascinating, and it should not be ignored. We must ask the question, why was this distinction between “clean” and “unclean” animals revealed to and imposed upon Noah as he prepared to board the ark only to be taken away after he and his family disembarked, and not to be imposed again until the giving of the law of Moses.
Amongst commentators, answers to this question abound. I cannot take the time here to overview the various opinions. I’ll simply state my view. It is my opinion that the distinction between “clean” and “unclean” were revealed to and imposed upon Noah and his family as they went to into the ark so that we might see clearly the relationship between Noah and his family and Moses and the people of Israel who would come after them. A patern is beginning to develop in scripture, and the mention of “clean” and “unclean” animals is intended to help us see it.
God has a plan for the salvation of his people. His plan involves bringing a holy people into a holy realm by an obedient federal head. Ultimately, this salvation would be accomplished by Christ. Christ is the obedient federal head who will bring his holy people (the church — the elect in all ages) into a holy realm (the new heavens and new earth). But throughout the history of redemption this thing — the bringing of a holy people into a holy realm by an obedient federal head — was accomplished on a typologically level, pointing forward to the work of Christ. Noah and his family were set apart as a holy people, and were brought safely into a holy realm (a recreated earth) through their association with an obedient representative, namely Noah. And the same can be said of Israel. Israel was set apart as a holy people, and was brought safely into a holy realm (the land of promise) by their association with an obedient representative, namely Moses. It seems to meet that the designation of things “clean” and “unclean” in the days of Noah while in the ark and in the days of Moses is intended to communicate that these people were set apart as holy unto the Lord. They, by their relationship to an obedient federal head, we partakers of a kind of salvation. They were brought safely through judgement and into a holy realm.
Now please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that all who were in Noah’s family and all in Israel were saved eternally. It will become clear that not all in Noah’s family had the faith of Noah. Certainly, not all who were a part of Old Covenant Israel had the faith of Abraham and Moses.
And neither am I saying that these groups inherited the holy realm — that is, the new heavens and new earth. No! They inherited something earthly and typological. They inherited something that symbolized the new heavens and earth. When the flood waters subsided Noah and his family stepped off the ark and set their feet upon a “new creation”. It was not the new creation, but a new creation which pointed forward to the new creation which Christ would earn. The same can be said of Israel. When they crossed through the waters of the Jordan and came to the other side they set their feet upon a holy land. It was not the holy land, but a land that pointed forward that which Christ would earn — the new heavens and new earth, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.
And neither am I claiming that Noah and Moses were the Savior. That they were not the promised Savior, the seed of the woman, is made clear in the narrative as the imperfections of these men are highlighted. But as obedient servants of God, they did typify Christ. They pointed forward to the perfect Christ who would eventually come — and they set their hope upon him.
A pattern is developing. And I believe the identification of things “clean” and “unclean” under Noah in the ark and in the law of Moses is meant to help us see the patern. God created the heavens and the earth. There was a fall. God determined to show grace and to redeem a people for himself. Wickedness increased. God poured out his judgment. But he was faithful to bring a holy people into a holy realm by their relationship to an obedient federal head.
This happened in the world that once was (prior to the flood) in fulfillment to the promise made to Adam and Eve. The line of Seth was preserved. Noah was raised up. Judgement was poured out. But salvation was provided through association with Noah. A holy people was delivered from judgement and brought into a holy realm by their relationship to an obedient federal head.
This happened again in the days of Moses in fulfillment to the promises made to Abraham. The line of Isaac was preserved. Moses was raised up. Judgement was poured out upon the Egyptians. But salvation was provided to those associated with Moses. A holy people was delivered from judgement and brought into a holy realm by their relationship to an obedient federal head.
And all of this pointed forward to that which would be accomplished supremely through Christ in fulfillment to the promises made by God to Adam and to Abraham. The line of Seth, Shem, Abraham and David would be preserved until the Christ would come. He himself would endure the judgement of God — his wrath would be poured out upon him on the cross. He would die, but raise again and inherit life eternal, the new heavens and earth. All who are united to him by faith will set their feet down upon the new creation which he, our obedient federal head, has earned.
The temporary designation of things “clean” and “unclean” for Noah and his family in the ark helps us to recognize them as God’s holy people being brought into a holy realm by their relationship to an obedient federal head.
Why did God command that seven of the clean animals be taken onto the ark and only two of the unclean? Some of the clean animals would have been slaughtered for food others would have been offered up to God in worship. This is what happened immediately after the floodwaters receded — “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.’” (Genesis 8:20–22, ESV)
This whole narrative is all about the establishment of the worship of the holy God, by a holy people in a holy realm.
In verse 4 we read, “For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground. And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him” (Genesis 7:4-5, ESV).
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Now let us consider verses 6 through 17.
There are three things that I would like for you to notice about this section.
One, notice how repetitive this passage is. Really, only two events are described in this section. The flooding of the earth, and the entrance of Noah and his family into the ark. This section consists of five of five parts, and they alternate back and forth describing the one thing and then the other.
In verse 6 we find a stamens regarding the arrival of the flood. “Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth” (Genesis 7:6, ESV).
In verses 7-9 we find a statement regarding the entrance into the ark. “And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah” (Genesis 7:7–9, ESV).
In verses 10-12 we find another statemnet regarding the arrival of the flood. “And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:10–12, ESV).
In verses 13-16 we find another statement regarding entrance into the ark. “On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark…” etc. (Genesis 7:13–16, ESV).
An then in verses 17 we find yet another statement regarding the flood. “The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth” (Genesis 7:17, ESV).
The pattern is flood, entrance, flood, entrance, flood. The text is repetitive. The message that is driven home is that God judged the corrupt earth just as he had warned, and God provided salvation to his people just as he promised he would. The repetition is meant to drive these two truths home.
Two, notice how detailed this passage is. “Noah was six hundred years old…”; “after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth…”; “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth…”; “the flood continued forty days on the earth”. In verse 20 we read that “the waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits [22 feet] deep” (Genesis 7:20, ESV). This text is filled with detail which suggests that it is a record of real historical events. The dates mentions in this text are probably to be compared with other days or dates in God’s work of creation and redemption so as to communicate that the flood was an act of de-creation and re-creation.
Three, notice the phrase, “And the LORD shut him in” (Genesis 7:16, ESV). I do love that phrase. Noah and his family entered the ark along with all of the animals, clean and unclean. Who shut the door? Who sealed it? God did. This salvation was God’s work from beginning to end. God called Noah, he sealed Noah, and preserved him through the flood.
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Verses 18-24 are dramatic and graphic. As I read them I would encourage you to have all that we have encountered in the book of Genesis thus far in mind. Some of the terminology and imagery should sound familiar to you.
“The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.” (Genesis 7:18–24, ESV)
Notice four things:
One, the waters did not only cover the earth, they “prevailed”, “increased greatly” and “prevailed mightily”. The judgements of God are truly awesome and great.
Two, notice the emphasis upon the death of all living. “All flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth.” Truly, the wages of sin is death.
Three, notice that the flood event took the earth back to its condition as described in Genesis 1:2, and was therefore an act of de-creation. In Genesis 1:2 we read, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2, ESV). In Genesis 7:18 we read, “The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters.” The flood was an act of de-creation. The argument will be made in future sermons that the receding of floodwaters and the repopulation of the earth by Noah’s family and the animals was an act of re-creation.
Four, notice the concluding remarks which emphase the salvation of the LORD. “Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.”
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Conclusion
Let me conclude by making the same application that Peter made in his epistle which we read from in the introduction to this sermon.
In 2 Peter 2:4 and following we read, “For if God… did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly…then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones…” (2 Peter 2:4–10, ESV).
Friends, the story of the flood should cause those who are in Christ to take courage and to remain in him.
The story of the flood should cause the wicked to tremble and to run to Christ for refuge.
