Then the LORD said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. You are to take with you seven pairs, a male and its female, of all the clean animals, and two of the animals that are not clean, a male and its female, and seven pairs, male and female, of the birds of the sky—in order to keep offspring alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will make it rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and every living thing I have made I will wipe off the face of the earth.” And Noah did everything that the LORD commanded him.
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came and water covered the earth. So Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives entered the ark because of the floodwaters. From the clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and every creature that crawls on the ground, two of each, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, just as God had commanded him. Seven days later the floodwaters came on the earth.
THE FLOOD
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 sources of the vast watery depths burst open, the floodgates of the sky were opened, and the rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights.
On that same day Noah along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah’s wife, and his three sons’ wives entered the ark with him. They entered it with all the wildlife according to their kinds, all livestock according to their kinds, all the creatures that crawl on the earth according to their kinds, every flying creature—all the birds and every winged creature—according to their kinds. Two of every creature that has the breath of life in it came to Noah and entered the ark. Those that entered, male and female of every creature, entered just as God had commanded him. Then the LORD shut him in.
The flood continued for forty days on the earth; the water increased and lifted up the ark so that it rose above the earth. The water surged and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. Then the water surged even higher on the earth, and all the high mountains under the whole sky were covered. The mountains were covered as the water surged above them more than twenty feet.
Every creature perished—those that crawl on the earth, birds, livestock, wildlife, and those that swarm on the earth, as well as all mankind. Everything with the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils—everything on dry land died. He wiped out every living thing that was on the face of the earth, from mankind to livestock, to creatures that crawl, to the birds of the sky, and they were wiped off the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark. And the water surged on the earth 150 days.
🚢 The Righteous Man and the Coming Storm: Genesis 7
Good morning. We turn our attention today to Genesis chapter 7, a critical passage that narrates the final preparations for and the terrifying onset of the Great Flood. This chapter is not just a chronological record; it's a powerful lesson in divine judgment, faithfulness, and salvation.
The Call and the Command: Righteousness and Preservation (Gen 7:1-5)
Our passage begins with a direct address from God to Noah:
“Then the Lord said to Noah, 'Enter the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation.'" (Gen 7:1)
This verse is the lynchpin. Why was Noah saved? Because in a generation marked by overwhelming wickedness (as described in Genesis 6), Noah alone was found righteous—a man who walked with God and was obedient to His commands.
The Lord then gives Noah his final instructions:
Humanity: Noah, his wife, his three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth), and their wives—a total of eight people—would enter the ark. They represent the preserved lineage for the next world.
Animals: The instruction is specific and crucial for the preservation of life on Earth:
Clean Animals (for sacrifice and consumption): Seven pairs (male and female) of each kind.
Unclean Animals: Two of each kind (a male and its female).
Birds: Seven pairs of each kind.
The purpose is explicitly stated: "in order to keep offspring alive throughout the earth" (Gen 7:3). This highlights God's plan for restoration even in the midst of destruction.
This preparation period was short. God declares: "Seven days from now I will make it rain..." (Gen 7:4). The clock was ticking.
And what was Noah's response to this massive, world-changing command? Verse 5 provides the simple, profound answer: "And Noah did everything that the Lord commanded him." This single sentence summarizes the core of Noah's righteousness: complete and immediate obedience to God's word.
The Final Day: Entry and God's Seal (Gen 7:6-10, 13-16)
The preparations culminated at a momentous time: Noah was six hundred years old (Gen 7:6).
In the seven days leading up to the downpour, Noah and his family entered the ark, followed by the animals, who "came to Noah and entered the ark, just as God had commanded him" (Gen 7:9). The text emphasizes that the animals were drawn to the ark by divine influence, underscoring the miraculous nature of the event.
The climax of the preparation is captured in a single, powerful sentence: "Then the Lord shut him in" (Gen 7:16).
Significance of God Shutting the Door: This detail is profoundly theological. It signifies that the opportunity for others to enter was over. God, having given ample warning and time for repentance through Noah's preaching and ark-building (as referenced in the New Testament), now seals the fate of the world. Salvation is secured by God, and judgment is about to be executed by God. No one could open that door, and no one inside could close it; it was God's action.
The Deluge: The Bursting of Creation (Gen 7:11-12, 17-24)
The Flood begins precisely on the day God predicted, on the seventeenth day of the second month in Noah's six hundredth year. The description of the flood's onset is dramatic, painting a picture of cosmic upheaval:
"...all the sources of the vast watery depths burst open, the floodgates of the sky were opened, and the rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights." (Gen 7:11-12)
This was not merely a long, heavy rain. It describes the disruption of the established order of creation—water coming from below the earth and above the sky. The language suggests a reversal of the creation account in Genesis 1, where God separated the waters. Now, those waters were reunited in judgment.
The consequences were devastating:
The Ark: The ark, an instrument of grace, was lifted up and floated, suspended between the earth and the heavens.
The World: The waters surged until all the high mountains under the whole sky were covered (Gen 7:19). The water rose more than twenty feet above the highest peaks, ensuring the complete and total coverage of the earth.
The Judgment: Verses 21-23 are stark. "Every creature perished"—wildlife, livestock, crawling creatures, birds, and all mankind not in the ark. Everything with the breath of life in its nostrils on dry land died.
The result of the forty days of rain and the continued surge of the water is clear: "Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark." (Gen 7:23). The waters surged for a total of 150 days (Gen 7:24), confirming the absolute scope and severity of the judgment.
Key Takeaways from Genesis 7 🗝️
Righteousness is Key to Salvation: Noah was saved because he was "righteous" in a wicked age, demonstrated by his complete obedience to God's difficult and unprecedented command.
Divine Grace and Judgment are Total: God provides a path to salvation (the ark), but His judgment on sin is total and universal. The destruction was not localized; it covered the entire known world of that time.
God's Sovereignty: God controls the timing, the execution, and the means of salvation. He gave the seven-day warning, He provided the blueprint for the ark, the animals came to Noah, and He shut the door.
Genesis 7 challenges us to consider: Are we living with the kind of obedient righteousness that would cause us to stand out in our own generation? The promise of the ark is God's grace, but entering it requires faith and obedience.
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