The Chapter-A-Day thread.

[brinny]

good question LOL

 

[graciesings]

Ok, I'm a little late saying this (again,) but it is February 23Rd. Here's a link to Genesis 7: Genesis 7 NLT - The Flood Covers the Earth - When - Bible Gateway

Again, this is a more liberal translation because of the cubits. I find that scripture means more to me when I understand the measurements! One more note, I did not see any mention of fish in any translation.

 

[bcmom]

Genesis 6...

What stood out to me the most was the pain God felt at the sin He in man. "6 He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." What He'd created that once was good was now evil. Except Noah.

 

[graciesings]

One idea on Genesis 7. How many people were in the ark? All my Sunday school homework has said 8 people, but it seems to me the text doesn't specify that each of Noah's sons only had one wife.

 

[brinny]

One idea on Genesis 7. How many people were in the ark? All my Sunday school homework has said 8 people, but it seems to me the text doesn't specify that each of Noah's sons only had one wife.

i was wondering too, if they had children.....

 

[~Anastasia~]

This is great! I was hoping that invitations everywhere would bring more people I over here


That would be cool to know my great-great-great grandfather. I only have one grandparent alive.

And God probably needed them to live that long in the beginning. If these guys were able to have children from 20 to 600, that would fill up God's huge world a lot faster!

Thanks for the welcome, and I'm afraid I missed a day. But I just wanted to comment briefly on your reply. What I noticed is that for the most part, it seems that men were having their first sons anywhere from 65 to almost 200 years old!

It could be that those were not firstborn sons listed, but in every case the Bible says that after the birth of the named son, the man lived so many years and begat sons and daughters. I see no implication any were ever born before the named son.

God would probably tend to carry the line through the firstborn son anyway.

So ... maybe people were "growing up" so much more slowly as well? I don't know. Why so many years before first children were born?

Unless this is some kind of Hebrew way of saying things, but taken as literally spoken, that's what I see.

Thanks again for the welcome!

 

[~Anastasia~]

What usually strikes me about this is thinking how the animals came and presented themselves and entered the Ark, it seems. Not only that but God shut the door behind them. The picture of God's hand so directly in what happens here just amazes me every time I think about it.

I always remember the childhood story of "two by two" and of course when I read it myself for the first time, I found it wasn't two of each kind, but extras were included for sacrifice and those that could later be eaten, I'm thinking.

It doesn't specifically say how many wives Noah's sons might have had, but if I had to guess I would think if children entered as well, I think it would be in Scripture. The Scriptures mention numbers of people and details so many times, so I would expect it.

I don't think fish were in the Ark. The Scriptures repeatedly mention classes of animals, and no fish are included. It also says those in whom are the "breath of life". I think it would be easier for God to keep the fishes alive, perhaps there were pockets of highly saline water, and other not so, or perhaps He made them able to survive it, or perhaps they were not so specialized back then - but I think God could keep them alive in the water since they are not mentioned.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Like you all, chapter 6 has always amazed me in that God "repented of having made mankind". It's like He had second thoughts. How is that possible? He had to know what would happen before it happened.

I think there's something more there - something interesting - and a lesson, most likely.

As far as the "sons of God" taking wives of the "daughters of men" - that has always interested me. I don't know the answer, but I have heard it explained that (a) fallen angels married women and contaminated the human line, which was why Noah as the only one "perfect in his generations" was chosen to carry on humanity, and which makes sense if they produced children that they might be somewhat super-human, (b) King's sons married common women - but so what? And what has that to do with creating men with special skills, unless they were well-trained as king's sons?, (c) Sons of Seth marrying daughters of Cain, which seemingly has no explanation for producing "giants".

 

[bcmom]

What I glean from Genesis 7 is Noah's unconditional obedience to God. How often in our lives do we do what God asks of us without question. Noah, and his family, must have been afraid, yet they obeyed God anyway.

 

[graciesings]

Interesting posts, Kylissa! And I find it completely amazing that all those animals just walked into the ark, that took the hand of God! My family has 25 chickens and we sometimes let them out of the coop to peck at bugs on all that stuff. It sometimes takes almost an hour to get every single one back into the coop! Animals are hard to herd, to get that many on the ark would require a lot of God's intervention!
I guess that also explains why some of Noah's neighbors thought he was so crazy. They had probably tried to herd chickens, sheep, and goats before. They knew filling that ark with animals would be impossible!

And I think bcmom is spot on in her analysis. I have spent a lot of time struggling to obey God lately. Noah had some amazing faith!

God bless,
Grace

 

[graciesings]

Ok, it's February 24th now. (My brother's birthday ) Anyway, today's reading is Genesis 8. Here's a link: Genesis 8 NIV - But God remembered Noah and all the - Bible Gateway

A few things that jump out at me. As the waters receded, where did the water go? Into the atmosphere? If so, why didn't it rain down again? I guess this may be something that can be explained only by the hand of God.

Verse 22 says that "every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood." I have grown up hearing the doctrine of original sin, but I had always heard it backed up by verses from Romans, Psalms, or maybe Genesis 3 (the fall) - not Noah's story.

 

[SkyeMist]

Hi graciesings and everyone on this thread,

This bible study looks really good. I hope it is ok for me to join in even though I may not be able to post every day.

 

[bcmom]

Hi Skye Glad you could join us.
God Bless

 

[~Anastasia~]

Ch. 8

I am always a little surprised when I read "God remembered Noah" ... of course He never forgot him. Just the way these things are expressed.

I think about how the raven did not come back (and is an unclean bird), but Noah took the dove back into the ark with him. The intervals were 7 days (I always notice 7s and 3s in Scripture), and the dove returned with an olive twig - symbol of peace (between God and man at that time?).

It makes sense to me that the first thing Noah did was to build an altar and sacrifice to the Lord. No small sacrifice either, apparently, since he sacrificed of every clean animal and bird.

I also appreciate the promise God made. The rhythm of the way it reads is comforting that natural seasons and so on will continue, God will sustain the earth - even though mankind devises evil in his heart. He is faithful, though we do not deserve it.

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

 

[brinny]

Ok, it's February 24th now. (My brother's birthday ) Anyway, today's reading is Genesis 8. Here's a link: Genesis 8 NIV - But God remembered Noah and all the - Bible Gateway

A few things that jump out at me. As the waters receded, where did the water go? Into the atmosphere? If so, why didn't it rain down again? I guess this may be something that can be explained only by the hand of God.

Verse 22 says that "every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood." I have grown up hearing the doctrine of original sin, but I had always heard it backed up by verses from Romans, Psalms, or maybe Genesis 3 (the fall) - not Noah's story.

Happy birthday to your brother

Reading Genesis 8 now. I'll be back.

 

[brinny]

Ch. 8

I am always a little surprised when I read "God remembered Noah" ... of course He never forgot him. Just the way these things are expressed.

I think about how the raven did not come back (and is an unclean bird), but Noah took the dove back into the ark with him. The intervals were 7 days (I always notice 7s and 3s in Scripture), and the dove returned with an olive twig - symbol of peace (between God and man at that time?).

It makes sense to me that the first thing Noah did was to build an altar and sacrifice to the Lord. No small sacrifice either, apparently, since he sacrificed of every clean animal and bird.

I also appreciate the promise God made. The rhythm of the way it reads is comforting that natural seasons and so on will continue, God will sustain the earth - even though mankind devises evil in his heart. He is faithful, though we do not deserve it.

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

my thoughts exactly, and yes, God did not "forget" Noah...the wording IS interesting. It is also interesting about the raven, i noticed also that the raven did not return (but didn't think of it being an unclean bird....) and didn't think about the olive leaf the dove brought back being a symbol of peace...that's quite significant.

 

[graciesings]

Welcome, Skye!

Thanks, Kylissa! I was trying to remember the significance of the olive leaf... knew it meant something but not sure what! You're right, that has to mean something

My favorite part of the chapter is the promise at the end.
“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

I think that sheds an interesting light on the idea that the earth could experience a terrible global ice age soon. (Yes, the prevalent theory is Global Warming but I know people who are preparing for the next ice age.) God has promised that summer and winter, cold and heat will not cease. That's neat.

The other important part of that promise is seedtime and harvest. God's promising to feed and care for His people. In the more agrarian culture of the day it would have been seen as a promise they could live, not just a declaration that "science says it's this way!" Somehow seed-time and harvest don't make as much of an impact on people who live in modern cities!

God bless you,
Grace

 

[SkyeMist]

Thanks bcmom and graciesings for the warm welcome.

Ch.8

God could have destroyed the entire human civilization as all humanity deserved destruction because of its sin; but through his grace and mercy, "he remembered Noah".

I see the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It represents the salvation of Noah and mankind through Jesus Christ.

John 1:32:

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him."

It is wonderful to see how pleased God was with Noah's sacrifice. It reminds me that God does not turn away from the heart-felt gratitude of a faithful person.

 

[bcmom]

Genesis 8. What stood out to me was how Noah must have felt. Months on the Ark and then seeing land for the first time again, God's beautiful promise... The range of emotions Noah, and his family, must have felt: relief, joy and happiness, and humility. I can see why he built a large altar before God.

 

[graciesings]

Skye, that's a good point about John 1:32. (One of my favorite verses is just after that. "I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.") I wonder if that's why a dove represents peace, because the Holy Spirit brings peace.

I think building an altar would be an easy task to someone who just built an ark!