Genesis 7:1-10 “The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you (alone) righteous in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.” And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.”
“The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you (alone) righteous in this generation.” One hundred years! Noah and his sons have been working on this ship for one hundred years. Not only have they completed the ship, but they have also gathered up all kinds of food for the animals God has promised to send. If the neighbors were derisive before, that’s nothing compared to what they are saying and doing now. As Noah and the family load the last animal food on the ark and begin climbing up the ramp to enter, the neighbors are jeering so loudly that the noise is incredible.
And now the animals are beginning to come and spontaneously climbing the ramp to enter the ark as well. It’s amazing, but all Noah and his sons have to do is to escort the animals to their various pens and everything is fine. The noise inside the ark is far less than the noise outside. God is sending the animals and birds He wants to save in the numbers He has already outlined for Noah. Noah’s job is not to gather up the animals but to make sure there is sufficient food for them. Given the rain that is coming, water should not be a problem. As the animals are trooping into the ark, huge black storm clouds are beginning to gather and the wind is picking up, blowing dust into the eyes of the mocking neighbors. Just as the last animals and birds are loaded and Noah’s family brings in the last of their possessions, there is a loud crash of thunder as lightning strikes the earth close to the ark. Rain begins to fall in torrents. Most of the neighbors head home to get out of the rain, wondering why it is raining at this time of year when it’s normally dry season.
There are many questions we would love to ask Noah if we could. What did Noah’s family members think of his conviction about the ark? Was Noah’s wife in agreement, or did she try to argue with him? What about Noah’s sons and their wives? If the time given is accurate, this family suffered for a century before vindication came. Those of us who are farmers might also have other questions: how did he handle the urine and manure from all those animals? What kept the carnivores from feasting on their neighbors or on Noah’s family members? How did Noah know the quantity and nature of the animal and bird food to collect? What was the noise level like on the ark? Were Noah and his family able to sleep soundly? The longer you consider this story, the more you realize that God had to work a lot of miracles for things to run smoothly.
Throughout the Middle East there are many areas that testify to the fact that at some point, there was a huge flood. There is also strong evidence that Noah’s ark did eventually wind up on the top of Mount Ararat. For answers to many of the questions I have posed, you might visit the replica of the ark built in Williamstown, Kentucky. The Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky is also well worth visiting. Whether or not you choose to believe the account in Genesis, these two museums strive to address a number of the controversies.
Noah and his family found themselves in the midst of an unfolding catastrophe. How could they maintain spiritual peace? They prayed and worshiped God and then trusted Him. We never know when our lives might be turned upside down-tornadoes, floods, fires, accidents-any of us can be hit with catastrophes. But when we know God and trust Him, we can be sure that God will take care of us. Romans 8:28 Tells us that “”All things work together for good to those who love the Lord.”
Does this mean that things will always be easy? Far from it! The same man who wrote the words I have just quoted died by being beheaded at the command of a wicked Roman emperor. If ever there were a man who lived a chaotic life, the Apostle Paul was that man. But throughout all Paul’s life, throughout beatings, danger from robbers, shipwrecks, imprisonment, and even being stoned, Paul still had the peace of God in his heart. When we have God’s peace, we can face anything that life throws at us. When we don’t have God’s peace, no amount of wealth, possessions, or power will suffice.
They Cast Their Nets in Galilee
“They cast their nets in Galilee Just off the hills of brown
Such happy simple fisherfolk Before the Lord came down
Contented peaceful fishermen Before they ever knew
The peace of God That fill’d their hearts Brimful and broke them too.
Young John who trimmed the flapping sail, Homeless, in Patmos died.
Peter, who hauled the teeming net, Head-down was crucified.
The peace of God, it is no peace, But strife closed in the sod,
Yet, brothers, pray for but one thing–The marvelous peace of God.”
William Alexander Percy 1924
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to seek Your Peace above everything else, knowing that You are the Giver of Peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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