In the Beginning - Genesis 8:1-22

In the Beginning

Genesis 8:1-22

[Intro:]

Last week we studied Genesis 7:1-24. In that passage we learned details of God's judgment on man's sinful rebellion against Him through the floodwaters. During this judgment God wiped out all of mankind and animal life. The only people and land animals that were saved were on the ark. This is evidence of God's holiness and justice that He judged man's sinful rebellion. The ark is evidence of God's mercy and grace.

This evening we are going to study Genesis 8:1-22. This chapter will describe for us the end of the flood and also God's gracious promise which He has made. We must understand that God is not only merciful and gracious, but He is also equally holy and just. God will only allow people to rebel against Him for so long before He will deal with them. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." (Ex 20:3-7). God is entirely holy. Listen to what Moses said to Aaron, " Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’ ” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent." (Le 10:1-3). Let's look at the results of the flood judgment.

—     The wide distribution of humankind: Even with the most literal interpretation of Scripture that the Flood occurred just 10 generations after Adam—there would have been at least 10 million people on earth, and their nomadic ways could have taken them far beyond the Middle East. Some estimate a pre-Flood population of more than 2 billion.

—     Widespread Flood traditions: The early aborigines of nearly every part of the world have preserved records of a great flood, suggesting that the entire earth was repopulated by Noah’s descendants.

—     Discoveries of marine fossils on mountaintops: How did they get there, if not by a flood that covered those mountains?

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  How could there have been room for all the animals in the ark? The ark was approximately 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. With its three decks (6:16), it would have had a total deck area of 101,250 square feet, equal to 21 basketball courts.¹
  
  
  

[Message:]

#1 - God causes the floodwaters to begin to recede (1-5)

You read in the text that God remembered Noah (1). This doesn't refer to God forgetting about Noah for a period of time. This refers to God's concern for Noah, His loving care for him. God knows they are on the ark. He is about to do something for them. The thing that God does for them is that He causes the water to stop flowing. God is the one who causes a wind to pass over the earth. God deliberately let's us know He is the one who brought the flood (cf. 7:4) and He is the one who ended the flood (1). God stops the rain and closes the springs below the ocean floor (2). The heaven rains from the sky and the water bursting forth from the springs below the ocean floor continued for 40 days (cf. 7:4, 12). The prevailing waters (which covered everything, including the mountains) were at their highest level on the 40^th day and then over a period of 110 days God caused the prevailing waters (which covered everything, including the mountains) to decrease (they had been 22.5 feet above the highest mountains – cf. 7:20). This led to the uncovering of the mountains of Ararat.

And the waters surged on the earth 150 days. God remembered Noah, as well as all the wildlife and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to subside. The sources of the watery depths and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky stopped. The water steadily receded from the earth, and by the end of 150 days the waters had decreased significantly. The ark came to rest in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. Gen 7:24-8:4 (HCSB)

On the 17^th day of the 7^th month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (4). This was exactly 5 months after the flood began (cf. 7:11).

“Mount Ararat consists of two volcanic peaks in extreme eastern Turkey, near the border with Armenia and Iran, on which the ark rested after the Flood subsided. The name Ararat is the Hebrew form for Urartu, the Assyrian name of an Assyrian-Babylonian kingdom that flourished between the Aras and the Upper Tigris rivers from the 9th to the 7th century b.c. Ararat is a sacred place to the Armenian people. The Persian people call it Koh-i-nuh, “Noah’s Mountain,” and have a legend that refers to Ararat as the cradle of the human race.

From the lowlands of the Aras River, Ararat rises to a height of nearly 17,000 feet. It has two conical peaks: Little Ararat and Great Ararat. Except for a 7000-foot spur on the northwest that merges with a long ridge, the mountain is completely isolated by surrounding plains that rise about 2500 to 4500 feet above sea level. From an elevation of about 8800 feet, Little Ararat rises to 12,840 feet, and Great Ararat rises to 16,854 feet. (Three encyclopedias give different elevations for both mountains. They list Little Ararat from 12,782 feet [3896 meters] to 12,840 feet [3925 meters], and Great Ararat from 16,804 feet [5122 meters] to 16,854 feet [5137 meters]).

Above the 14,000-foot level, Great Ararat is covered with perpetual snow. Considering the high elevations of the areas surrounding the peaks, the region is remarkably fertile and pasturable. Some archaeologists believe that Ararat received more rainfall in biblical times than it does today. If so, the pasturable areas may have been even more productive in ancient times.

The first successful climb of Great Ararat in modern times was in 1829 by a German, Johann Jacob von Parrot. On July 2, 1840, an earthquake struck the mountain and tore off great masses that avalanched down and destroyed a village, a convent, and a chapel—the last settlements on the mountain. In the summer of 1949, an American expedition ascended Mount Ararat in an unsuccessful attempt to search for evidence of the existence of Noah’s ark. Recent expeditions, one headed by a former American astronaut, have reported finding timbers that some believe came from the ark.

Modern Mount Ararat, however, is neither excluded nor specifically identified in the Scriptures as the resting place of the ark. The phrase, “came to rest on the mountains of Ararat,” places it in the range of mountains in which Ararat is located. It’s not wrong to attempt to discover the location of the ark, or whatever remains of it, but the truth of Noah’s Flood doesn’t depend upon locating the ark or its remains. The Scriptures are sufficient evidence in themselves.”²

The water level continued to decrease and on the 1^st day of the 10^th month the tops of the mountains became visible on earth (5). So at this point at least 22.5 feet of water has receded from the earth (cf. 7:19-20).

#2 - Noah seeks to learn the level of the floodwaters (6-12)

40 days after the mountaintops became visible Noah inquires as to the level of the floodwaters (6). They have been on the ark for over 6 months (5 months 41 days). Noah sent out a raven (7). The earth was still not habitable, so the raven flew back and forth for at least 14 days (cf. 8:10, 12). Scholars say that likely the raven would land on-top of the ark or mountaintops. After Noah sent out the raven, he sent out a dove (8). In the case of the dove the text mentions that Noah sent it out to determine the level of the floodwaters. The release of the raven does not mention this as its purpose. Some attempt to spiritualize the identity of the birds. We need to be cautious about doing such things.

The dove didn't find the earth habitable (9). The dove returned to Noah because the floodwaters still covered the entire earth. Noah waited another 7 days and sent out the dove again to determine the level of the floodwaters (10). This time the dove returned with an olive leaf in its mouth (11). This revealed to Noah that high floodwaters were gone from the earth. The reason for this is that olives don't grow at high elevations. The modern symbol of peace has its origin in this biblical event. In 7 more days Noah sent the dove out of the ark again (12). This time the earth was habitable, so the dove did not return.

#3 - God causes the earth to be dry and the ark is abandoned (13-19)

In the 601^st year of Noah's life in the 1^st month on the 1^st day we are told by the text that the water had dried up from the earth (13). This informs us that there was no longer visible floodwater on the earth. Noah looks out for himself and sees that there is no visible water on the earth. We are told that in the 601^st year of Noah's life in the 2^nd month on the 17^th day that the earth is completely dry (14). So the effects of the flood lasted 1 year and 10 days (cf. 7:11).

It is at this time that God speaks to Noah (15). This is the first time that God has spoken since He instructed Noah to get onto the ark 1 week before the flood judgment came (cf. 7:4). It is possible that God spoke to Noah while he was on the ark, but it is not recorded. God instructs Noah to take his family out of the ark (16). God told Noah when to get onto the ark and He tells Noah when to get off.

God also instructs Noah to let all of the animals off the ark (17). God says that the animals would again multiply and fill the earth (cf. 1:20-26). This glorifies God as they multiply the way that He created them to do so. Noah obeys and he gets off the ark (18). Noah's wife and family accompany him as he exits the ark. The animals also exit the ark and they left according to their kind (19). God brought them to the ark and now He causes them to exit the ark (cf. 6:20).

#4 - God promises to never flood the entire earth again (20-22)

As soon as Noah gets off the ark he builds an altar (20). He builds an altar for the purpose of offering animal sacrifices to the Lord in worship. Noah offered some of each of every clean animal and clean bird. The principle of worship through sacrifice is established very early in Scripture (cf. 4:3-5). Noah is taking something that God has given and he is offering it back to God in worship. When the Mosaic Law is given it centers on sacrifice given to cover sin (Lev. 1:3-9). The burnt offering was entirely consumed by the fire and therefore, God is the only one who “benefits” from it.

The Lord smells the soothing aroma and said that He would never again bring a worldwide flood on the earth (21). God declares the inclination of man's heart to be evil from a very early age. This is God's evaluation of fallen man (cf. 6:5). God adds that the times and seasons will never cease until the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven (cf. Rev. 21:10, 22-24). The sun and moon won't shine in the New Jerusalem because the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb (Rev. 21:23).

[Conclusion:]

#1 - God causes the floodwaters to begin to recede (1-5)

#2 - Noah seeks to learn the level of the floodwaters (6-12)

#3 - God causes the earth to be dry and the ark is abandoned (13-19)

#4 - God promises to never flood the entire earth again (20-22)

After they get off the ark life starts anew. The earth, its terrain and environment, was effected by the floodwater. It was God's grace the mankind continued to exist at all. Noah's existence continues the line of the promised Messiah (Gen. 3:15; Lk. 3:23, 36).

1Willmington, H. L.: Willmington's Bible Handbook. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 1997, S. 11

2Freeman, James M. ; Chadwick, Harold J.: Manners & Customs of the Bible. Rev. ed.]. North Brunswick, NJ : Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998, S. 13.