8:1 And God remembered Noah, and Psalms 106:3-5 Blessed are they that "remembered" (zakar) "God remembered Noah" /
every living thing, and all the keep judgment, and he that doeth To mark so as to recognize, to think Had God forgotten Noah? Not likely! /
cattle that was with him in the righteousness at all times. on, to remember. For 150 days the waters had prevailed /
ark: and God made a wind to pass Remember me, O lord, with the upon the earth and now the Lord was /
over the earth, and the waters favor that thou bearest unto thy "wind" (ruwach) once again preparing the land for /
assuaged. people: O visit me with thy Breath, air, blast, a violent wind, occupation by the living creatures. /
8:2 The fountains also of the deep salvation; a tempest. Noah and his family represented all /
and the windows of heaven were That I may see the good of thy of mankind and the Lord here begins /
stopped, and the rain from heaven chosen, that I may rejoice in the "pass" (abar) to prepare the surface of the earth /
was restrained. gladness of thy nation, that I may To pass over, to cross, to cover. to allow man to once again multiply /
8:3 And the waters returned from off glory with thine inheritance. upon its surface. We are not exactly /
the earth continually: and after Psalms 135:6-7 Whatsoever the Lord "assuaged" (shakak) sure what existence in the ark was /
the end of the hundred and fifty pleased, that did he in heaven, To lay, to cease, to appease, to like for the 150 days. Some scholars /
days the waters were abated. and in earth, in the seas, and all pacify, to assuage. have proposed that its occupants /
8:4 And the ark rested in the deep places. were put into a hibernation state. /
seventh month, on the seventeenth He causeth the vapours to ascend "abated" (chacer) That this is the only way that they /
day of the month, upon the from the ends of the earth; he To decrease, to lower, to abate. could have survived the extreme cond- /
mountains of Ararat. maketh lightnings for the rain; he itions of the deluge. /
8:5 And the waters decreased bringeth the wind out of his "rested" (nuwach) /
continually until the tenth month: treasuries. To set down, to dwell, to give "Ararat" /
in the tenth month, on the first Psalms 37:3-7 Trust in the Lord, and comfort, to rest. The mountains of Armenia, a mount- /
day of the month, were the tops of do good; so shalt thou dwell in the ainous plateau about 6000 feet above /
the mountains seen. land, and verily thou shalt be fed. "Ararat" (Ararat) the present sea level. At the foot /
8:6 And it came to pass at the end Delight thyself also in the Lord; Armenia. of the peak (17,000 ft. high) now /
of forty days, that Noah opened and he shall give thee the desires called Ararat there is a city called /
the window of the ark which he had of thine heart. "tops" (rosh) Naxuana or Nakhichevan which means /
made: Commit thy way unto the Lord; The beginning, the highest part, "here Noah settled". On the side of /
8:7 And he sent forth a raven, which trust also in him; and he shall the top. the mountain is a "boat like" earth /
went forth to and fro, until the bring it to pass. formation that is 515 feet long and /
waters were dried up from off the And he shall bring forth thy "raven" (owreb) 138 feet wide which the explorer Ron /
earth. righteousness as the light, and thy A raven, (from its dusky hue). Wyatt has proposed to be the site of /
8:8 And he sent forth a dove from judgment as the noonday. the remains of the ark and the gover- /
him, to see if the waters were Rest in the Lord, and wait " to and fro" (yatsa shuwb) nment of Turkey has designated it as /
abated from off the face of the patiently for him: ... To go forth turning here and there. a historical site. /
ground. Luke 12:23-24 The life is more than /
8:9 But the dove found no rest for meat, and the body is more than "dried up" (yabesh) "raven" and the "dove" /
the sole of her foot, and she raiment. To wither away, to dry up. Why are we given such quaint details /
returned unto him into the ark; Consider the ravens: for they when major facts are left untold? /
for the waters were on the face of neither sow nor reap; which neither "dove" (yownah) The raven is a scavenger and carniv- /
the whole earth. Then he put forth have storehouse nor barn; and God A pigeon or dove. orous bird which would be very much /
his hand, and took her, and pulled feedeth them: how much more are at home in a world that had been /
her in unto him into the ark. ye better than the fowls? "rest" (manowach) judged and covered with carrion. /
8:10 And he stayed yet other seven Psalms 55:6 And I said, Oh that I had A quiet settled spot, a home, Symbolic of the carnal nature! The /
days; and again he sent forth the wings like a dove! For then would I a rest. dove is a bird of a different nature! /
dove out of the ark. fly away, and be at rest. A gentle peaceful bird that lives /
8:11 And the dove came in to him in Hosea 14:1,4-6 O Israel, return unto "olive leaf" (aleh zeythan) on seeds. Symbolic of peace and the /
the evening, and, lo, in her mouth the Lord thy God; for thou hast Foliage, branch, leaf of the olive. Holy Spirit! The world may have been /
was an olive leaf plucked off: so fallen by thine iniquity. judged and its surface cleansed, but /
Noah knew that the waters were I will heal their backsliding, I "plucked off" (taraph) the nature of man has not been /
abated from off the earth. will love them freely: for mine Freshly torn off, plucked. changed and the battle between his /
8:12 And he stayed yet other seven anger is turned away from him. good and his evil nature is to cont- /
days, and sent forth the dove, I will be as the dew unto Israel: "removed" (suwr) inue. /
which returned not again unto him he shall grow as the lily, and cast To turn off, to lay away, /
any more. forth his roots as Lebanon. to remove. "the covering" /
8:13 And it came to pass in the six His branches shall spread, and his To continue with the symbolism, /
hundredth and first year, in the beauty shall be as the olive tree, "dry" (chareb) the ark is obviously symbolic of the /
first month, the first day of the an his smell as Lebanon. Parched, desolate, waste, dry. salvation of the Lord. Noah and his /
month, the waters were dried up Psalms 128:3 Thy wife shall be as a family could be saved only by depend- /
from off the earth: and Noah fruitful vine by the sides of thine "breed abundantly" (sharats) ing upon the life saving protection /
removed the covering of the ark, house: thy children like olive To wriggle, swarm, abound, increase, of the ark as designed by the Lord. /
and looked, and, behold, the face plants round about thy table. be abundant. But now the Lord has returned the /
of the ground was dry. Psalms 74:12,15-17 For God is my King earth to a calm state such that man /
8:14 And in the second month, on the of old, working salvation in the "fruitful" (parah) can once again have a semblance of /
seven and twentieth day of the midst of the earth. To bear fruit, to grow, to increase. freedom. Verse 7:16 said " the /
month, was the earth dried. Thou didst cleave the fountain and Lord shut him in". Now peace and /
8:15 And God spake unto Noah, the flood: thou driest up mighty "multiply" (rabah) calm is returned to the earth to /
saying, rivers. To increase, to be in abundance, such a point that Noah is able to /
8:16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and The day is thine, the night also to multiply. remove part of the protection pro- /
thy wife, and thy sons, and thy is thine: thou hast prepared the vided and once again experience some /
sons' wives with thee. light and the sun. "altar" (mizbeach) of the "pleasures" of this earth. /
8:17 Bring forth with thee every Thou hast set all the borders of A place of slaughter, an altar. But note that Noah continued his /
living thing that is with thee, of the earth: thou hast made summer obedient ways and did not exit the /
all flesh, both of fowl, and of and winter. "clean" (tahor) the ark until the Lord spake, "Go /
cattle, and of every creeping Genesis 1:28-29 And God blessed them, Pure, fair, clean forth of the ark". /
thing that creepeth upon the and God said unto them, Be fruitful, /
earth; that they may breed and multiply, and replenish the "offered" (alah) "a sweet savor" /
abundantly in the earth, and be earth, and subdue it: and have dom- To ascend, to raise up, to offer. Does the Lord actually have an /
fruitful, and multiply upon the inion over the fish of the sea, and olfactory organ as do humans and is /
earth. over the foul of the air, and over "burnt offerings" (owlah) able to sense the smell of a sacrif- /
8:18 And Noah went forth, and his every living thing that moveth upon To go up, to ascent, burnt ice like we can enjoy the aroma of /
sons, and his wife, and his sons' the earth. offerings. an outdoor barbecue? Note the simil- /
wives with him: And God said, Behold, I have given arity of the word barbecue to the /
8:19 Every beast, every creeping you every herb bearing seed, which "smelled" (ruwach) word barbaric. To us "modern" people /
thing, and every fowl, and is upon the face of all the earth, To blow, to breath, to perceive, the idea of a sacrifice is indeed /
whatsoever creepeth upon the and every tree, in the which is the to smell. barbaric and many "new age" people /
earth, after their kinds, went fruit of a tree yielding seed; to are proclaiming that there is no /
forth out of the ark. you it shall be for meat. "sweet savour" (reyach niychoach) reason to kill an animal for any /
8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto Leviticus 1:9 But his inwards and his A soothing fragrance, a delightful purpose, food, experimentation, or /
the Lord; and took of every clean legs shall he wash in water: and the aroma, a sweet savour. sacrifice. Most scholars would /
beast, and of every clean fowl, priest shall burn all on the altar, remind us that the burnt offering was /
and offered burnt offerings on the to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering "heart" (leb) symbolic of the coming sacrifice /
altar. made by fire, of a sweet savour unto The intellect, the center of of the Lord Jesus Christ! But did /
8:21 And the Lord smelled a sweet the Lord. feelings, the heart. Noah know this? We can assume that /
savour; and the Lord said in his Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful in Noah's mind he was providing an /
heart, I will not again curse the above all things, and desperately "curse" (qalal) act of worship and reverence to the /
ground any more for man's sake; wicked: who can know it? To bring into contempt, to despise, Lord. Was it an act of obedience or /
for the imagination of man's heart I the Lord search the heart, I try to curse. a voluntary act? We are not told /
is evil from his youth: neither the reins, even to give every man that man had been instructed to make /
will I again smite any more every according to his ways, and according "imagination" (yetser) a burnt offering, but the account is /
thing living, as I have done. to the fruit of his doings. Mind, work, imagination. lacking much detail. /
8:22 While the earth remaineth, Jeremiah 33:25 Thus saith the Lord; /
seedtime and harvest, and cold and If my covenant be not with day and "evil" (ra) "summer and winter" /
heat, and summer and winter, and night, and if I have not appointed Bad, adverse, mischief, misery, The first time that the Biblical /
day and night shall not cease. the ordinances of heaven and earth; wicked, evil. account mentions the presence of /
seasons. Is this an indication that /
"smite" (nakah) the climate of the earth has been /
To strike, punish, stricken, wound. radically changed or that things will /
continue as they were? /
/
MATTERS OF CONTENTION MATTERS OF CONTENTION /
/
A TIME SUMMARY: "looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry" /
How can we ever picture what Noah saw? Did he see evidences of destruc- /
EVENT DATE COMMENTS ion as that of a very massive hurricane or cyclone? Or did he see a comp- /
Noah entered ark Month 2, Day 10 (30 day months) letely different earth with all the past features of the surface erased /
Rain began Month 2, Day 17 Seven days after entering and newly created mountains, canyons, valleys and plains? Were he, his /
Heavy rains stop Month 3, Day 27 Forty days of heavy rain family and all animals aboard the ark the only remaining survivors of the /
Ark rested Month 7, Day 17 150 days of prevailing waters higher land mammals? Or were they just the remnants of the life in that /
Mountain tops visible Month 10, Day 1 224 days, 231 days in ark local area of which the Biblical account is concerned? Obviously various /
Raven & dove sent out Month 11, Day 11 264 days, 271 days in ark Biblical scholars will propose diverse answers! And many will imply that /
Dove sent out again Month 11, Day 18 271 days, 278 days in ark if you don't understand it my way you are not a "believer"! This has long /
Dove sent out again Month 11, Day 25 278 days, 285 days in ark caused many to view Christians as closed minded "fundamentalists" who /
Water receded Month 12, Day 17 300 days, 307 days in ark are constantly battling among themselves over small petty details while /
Noah saw dry land Month 1, Day 1 Covering of ark was removed the world around them is suffering. The world is looking for the Christ- /
Noah exited ark Month 2, Day 27 End 377 days in ark ians to evidence the love of the Lord and stop their petty bickering over /
small details that seemingly cannot be settled. They want the Christians /
This is obviously not the description of a flood as we know it today. But to lovingly stop their fighting and admit that they alone do not know all /
is it a long enough time to completely destroy the surface of the earth and truths concerning what the Bible describes. Will the world ever see this? /
renew it to the point that animal life can once again "breed abundantly"? Probably not! Not until the Millennium comes! /
Those that propose a global catastrophe propose that it was still many more /
years before the planet entirely recovered. That the flood spawned an ice "Noah builded an altar" /
age in the upper latitudes which took many years to recede. That life was It would seem that Noah has definite knowledge of the reasons to adore /
for many years possible only in the warmer latitudes. They propose that and worship the Creator, more than any other man has had! Who else has /
the massive remains of the mammoths and other animals in the frozen Tundra witnessed such a great miracle? Those who don't want there to be a God, /
of Siberia is remaining evidence of the deluge. Where there is now very obviously want the the story of Noah to be ridiculed and forgotten! They /
sparse life, there are massive remains of animals and trees in the frozen are doing their best to have this story and all other Biblical stories /
soil. There are records that the natives have been harvesting and selling removed from the public record. They have done a very good job and today /
thousands of ivory tusks and ivory carvings from tusks from the area for the Biblical record is almost universally removed from the teachings of /
over 1000 years and they have barely scratched the surface. Investigations the public schools. Those who believe must increase their efforts to /
have indicated that the frozen animals drowned suddenly, some with warm research and understand the truth behind the Scriptures. They must use /
weather plants still in their mouth. Also that the freeze was of a very all the tools of science available to increase knowledge in this area and /
recent age. continually look for those truths that reinforce such knowledge. The /
Those that propose a smaller local flood propose that the remains in the worship of the Lord can be carried on in many diverse ways. It includes /
Tundra are from a more prehistoric catastrophe or ice age. However, most not setting by like sheep and letting atheist organizations continue their /
ice age models are of a slowly building condition due to increased snow "book burnings" and censorships. A few noble men are doing a very excel- /
fall over considerable time as glaciers build in present times. This is not lent job in this area and have done much to return Christians to the fore- /
the model that the presence of the frozen animal remains would demand. front of science, literature and politics. But they need much more help /
They evidence a sudden climatic change due to a massive catastrophe. from the Christian masses! They need help from many who have retreated to /
their "closets" to build their altars and worship in total secret. /
