A couple items to consider when reading the story of Noah.
First, since Noah involves the destruction and restart of humanity, it is not too surprising that other cultures have a similar story to the account of Noah. Noah is a common ancestor to the whole world. These stories differ as would be expected and carry characteristics of the gods of the culture in which they were written, but it is still interesting to note. Probably the most popular of these tales is Gilgamesh. A link to the summary of this tale is attached.
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM
A second line of discussion that I have had with my own children and we have found fun to pursue is the historic pursuit of Noah’s Ark. There are many sites which explain one adventure or another but this one tends to include a lot of the search data, and even has a little children’s game (similar to Memory) where you have 40 seconds -40 days) to match the animals 2 X 2 before the flood.
http://www.noahsarksearch.com/
The story continues where we left off before. The catch phrase “These are the generations of Noah”, again sounds very much like that colophon format. The break from Genesis 6:9 onward does encompass a complete story by itself (see colophon theory in Bereshit entry).
Noah was a “righteous man” (Hebrew ‘Tza’deek’) This word is one that is lost to much of our English translations, but very common within Jewish thought historically and today. We have no automatic comparison within the evangelical Christian experience, although the Catholic concept of “saints” do come close to this. The Tza’deek (or Tza’deekim in plural) are literally translated “Righteous man (men)”, but it often means more then just that. The Tza’deek are understood as miracle workers. They are ones who live in such close communion with God that God responds to their requests very differently. These people are sought out.
Just a couple verses to bring to mind.
In a discussion, Jesus says people don’t die for each other, although they might die for a Tza’deek (Righteous man).
Some thought Jesus was a Tza’deek (Righteous man) but others thought no, because he deceives the people.
Jewish stories and folklore are full of stories of the Tza’deek. They are often the important player of the story who directs the hero to do something that brings about the happy ending. Much could be (and should be) written about the Tza’deek, but for this, we just wanted to highlight that Noah is one of those men.
Verse 11, 12 and 13 repeat over and over again that the whole world was corrupt and full of violence. Noah being the only exception. God reveals his plan to Noah.
Verse 14: make an ark. This word is so old that it doesn’t have much use in modern English. We think it’s a boat. It is not. It is literally a box. A long and skinny box with three levels, and a window on the top. It would look a bit like a mobile home. The size of the box is massive by any standard. Quick math puts this at about 150 yards so 1 and a half football fields. This would be an amazing creation especially without the benefit of arc welders and modern cranes. Also, remember, Noah is not building this in a dry dock form. The is no impression that there is the ocean nearby. He could have build this in the middle of a field. Make it out of “gopher wood.” This is an example of a difficulty in translation that could not be effectively fixed. The Hebrew root is obscure, so rather then attempt it, they just phonetically translated it and left it in the passage. This gopher wood likely has no relation to the small rodent in Saskatchewan called the “gopher”, some have suggested that it may come from a root meaning “house” or something similar, but no clear translation has been available. Perhaps someday if we find the true are we can test the wood and see what type of wood was used.
“Cover it with pitch both inside and out”. That word for “cover” I included in an earlier writing about “Yom Kippur”. The word hints at redemption, and atoning. This is not surprising when we see later Bible authors refer to the ark in terms of redemption. It sometimes is ties to salvation. Noah’s experience is intended to keep us thinking even today about God’s ability to protect his own people through all situations.
:18 God tells Noah he will establish a covenant with him. The first time this significant concept (covenant with God) shows up in Scripture. Here the covenant includes protection through an incredible destruction.
:19 Noah is told here to bring two of every living creature. Later we will hear that God also desires 7 of each type of clean animal. This is not a contradiction, but another inclusion. God is revealing that even Noah knew the difference between “clean and unclean” animals. However, God does not state the man can eat animals until after the flood. It is interesting to think how “clean” would have been understood if man were not actually eating the animals.
:22 Noah did everything as the God commanded. The action one would expect from a Za’deek.
Chapter 7:
:4 the rain would last 40 days and 40 nights (the flood lasted roughly a year) these 40 days were just the start of the cleansing of the Earth.
:6 Noah was 600 years old when the flood came. Noah was also 500 when his sons were born (Genesis 5:32). We don’t know how long this project ran, but if we are to understand that Noah and the start of the ark project is connected with Gen 6:3 then we suspect that building of the ark and preparation for the flood may have been 120 years. This means Noah would have done this work alone for 20 years before his sons were born. Noah was also doing something else during this time. (2 Peter 2:5) He was a “preacher of Righteousness”. Yet, no one except him and his family responded, in spite of 120 years of effort.
:16 the LORD shut the door. After they entered, it was God who put the final act for Noah. Their fate and the fate of the world was sealed.
:20 the mountains were covered by 15 cubits. (about 22 ½ feet) People will note that some of the mountains today (Mt. Everest for example) have very limited air, not enough to maintain life. Further, the water at that altitude is frozen, how much more so if they were high still.
Creation scientists often point out that the waters from Noah’s flood are likely still here. The topography of Earth may have been (like was) flat with minor hills. The present theory of plate tectonics
Suggests that our present land formations including Mt. Everest and the deep oceans did not exist at the dawn of creation. The following article gives more detail.
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-floodwater.html
:24 water stayed 150 days. Still haven’t left the ark, but our initial 40 days of storm becomes 150 days of floating (almost ½ a year).
8:1 The God remembered Noah. Again the “Aleph Tav” appears here (see note Gen 1:1). This doesn’t imply that the God was ignoring Noah, but this serves as an introduction to the restoration of Noah to Earth.
8:4 On the 17 day of the 7th month. (Note: the festival of Sukkoth falls on the 15th ) so this would have been during the annual celebration of Sukkoth (Sukkoth is 8 days long). On this day the Ark rested (basically got) stuck on the mountains of Ararat. There is no sure way to know if the mountain that we call Ararat today is the same mountain. You can learn more my referring to the Ark search I put at the start of this entry.
8:5 on the first day of the tenth month. It is assumed since Moses is the author he uses the calendar that he instructed for Israel from God. So, this would be the “new moon” of the 10th month. (Roughly our December). The word for month is cho’desh. The word we use for new moon. Now they can see mountains, but still in the ark.
8:7- 8:10 sending out the raven and then the dove to see if there is dry land yet.
8:11 A dove with an olive leaf. The symbol of peace comes from this scene. Even if people don’t remember the story, they still recognise this symbol as peace.
8:13 On new moon, on the first month of the year, when Noah is 601 years old they finally pull back the cover of the ark and see that the Earth is dry. They continue to use this as their shelter for another almost 2 months. This time is roughly 2 weeks before the annual event of Passover.
8:14 On the 27th day of the second month (about a week before Pentacost) God tells Noah it’s time to go out.
Jewish legend says that the destruction of the world was so great that Noah was frightened to leave. Which is why even though it says the ground was dry, they still stayed in the ark. God had to force them out.
* Redemptive history- they enter the Ark between the time of celebration Passover and Pentacost. The Ark rests around the time of Passover (the next year). They leave the ark just before Pentacost. The first real Passover is the redemption of Israel from Egypt. Pentacost is when they receive the Law of God. Passover is when Yeshua dies on the cross. Yeshua goes back to heaven about the same day as Noah leaves the Ark. The Holy Spirit comes at Pentacost. I would suggest that these could months are pivotal for God’s teaching on redemption.
8:17 be fruitful and multiply. The commandment is repeated again since creation.
8:20 Noah built an alter. God smells the burnt offering and promises not to destroy the world again. Literally “curse the ground”. God acknowledges the depth of man’s corruption, but that will not bring an end like he did before.
8:22 the Earth (Eretz) exists there will always be the seasons. I knew one lady who used this verse to always argue there would always be a harvest pulled from the Saskatchewan fields. However, the verse doesn’t suggest that there might not be a killing frost or a famine. It is about the times (seasons), which have continued regardless of whether there is a good harvest.
9:3 Man is given meat to eat. Prior to this, he was a vegetarian.
9:4 There is not a list of animals that he can and can’t eat, but he is not to eat blood. A dietary prohibition for the sons of Noah. He also does know what a clean and unclean animal is and certainly he knows that a clean animal can only be used for sacrifices. It is difficult to argue that Noah did not eat “unclean animals” It is simply an argument from silence.
9:5-6 Noah is instructed about justice (capital punishment). The synagogues today refer to faithful “non Jews” as “Noahics” and they perceive God’s instructions for the non-Jew is here.
9:9-17 The Noahic covenant. The rules of this covenant is completely one sided. Man had no obligations. God would not destroy the earth, and his “bow” literally a bow as in bow and arrow would be placed in the clouds. *Note the bow does not have a string. A bow with a string and arrow would be a weapon. A bow without a string on it would show that there is no hostility.
9:20 Noah plants a vineyard. A Jewish legend says that it was actually Satan who (as he left the Garden of Eden stove a vine from the garden and presented this vine to Noah. Noah planted this fine (still perfect from the garden and it bloomed and brought forth the most amazing fruit. Noah then took the fruit and crushed it and made wine, and it instantly became a wine far too strong for fallen men. So, he was instantly drunk. There is no basis in reality for this story, but it is kinda fun.
9:21-27 Confusing passage. It almost appears to be spoken in code. For better or worse, I will pass on the interpretation I heard from a professor “Ken Guenter” at Briercrest Bible College.
Reviewing the facts. Noah is drunk. Ham sees this and “sees his father’s nakedness”. The older brothers put a garment over their shoulders and walk backward to cover their father. Noah awakes and knows what happens so he curses Ham’s son, and blesses the other boys.
If one was to look at Lev 20:11 it reads as such:
Lev 20:11 And the manH376 thatH834 liethH7901 withH854 his father'sH1 wifeH802 hath uncoveredH1540 his father'sH1 nakedness:H6172 bothH8147 of them shall surely be put to death;H4191 H4191 their bloodH1818 shall be upon them. (note: I kept the Strongs numbers in place if you want to check it’s meaning)
So Moses (who wrote both passages), uses a term that a wife is a her husband’s “nakedness” . This relationship of son and mother is forbidden. It was Guenter’s position and has become mine that while Noah was out cold his son’s action was the taking of Noah’s wife (likely his mother). The older sons found out about this, and did this strange item with the coat. Again, I don’t know how this proves anything to Noah, but when he awoke, he seems to have gathered what happened, and curses Canaan (the son of Noah, and in this scenario, his wife). Then he blesses his other sons. This also helps to justify the mass genocide of them when the children of Shem (Children of Israel enter the promised Land-up to that point called the land of Canaan.)
9:27 God shall enlarge the Japheth and “he” will dwell in the tents of Shem. Strange blessing. Obviously, a positive situation for Japheth and Shem while minimizing Ham (Canaan), but how does dwelling together come across as a blessing. This could mean that these other brother share greater peace. Some have suggested that the “he” is not referring to Japheth, but to the greater “he” that has been hinted to and aluded to since the beginning. There is the “He” that would crush the head of the serpent. He would later be connected to the “Aleph Tav”. This is the position of authors like Brad Scott.
www.wildbranch.org/Articles/10bradbrickstone.htm
And one of my teachers, Dr. Walter Kiaser
To be fair as well, others have suggested that this may be a prophecy of a time where the Gentile nations (Japheth) will dwell with Shem and learn from Him the way of God (The Torah).
Chapter 10: to history of the nations of the world and their locations as they divide the Earth. Note that this chapter starts and ends with the same words “These are the generations of the sons of Noah” This follows the colophon format as mentioned in the Genesis 1 entry.
Chapter 11: The Tower of Babel
Possible remains of the ancient tower found near the ruin of Babylon
11:1 everyone spoke the same language. (makes sense, they were all part of the same family)
11:2 valley of Shinar. This is generally assumed to be the area around the present day city of Bagdad. This is also the historical area around the ancient city of Babylon.
11:3 Bricks and mortar. Generally, of the 30 ancient structures in the region (Ziggurats) they are all made from brick and mortar. They also all served religious purposes. There were many structures that were built for military purposes which did not use this brick and mortar design, but in the area, they all appear to be religious in origin.
11:4 The reason for the city and town to the sky (literally heavens-Sham’mayim) So that they 1) won’t be scattered and 2) make a name for themselves. Remember, God had told them (9:7) they should increase and fill the Earth. This is in opposition to God’s revealed word. Make a name for ourselves is an issue of pride.
11:5 God comes down and investigates, and decides that if they can do this with one language then God should give them multiple languages.
This story more then any other makes God look like the ancient gods of other traditions (cf. Greek gods). They are often worried that people are too smart and therefore have to frustrate those efforts. So, God divides their languages (thus explaining how people of a common origin don’t have a common language). If this story was not correct, then we do have a significant sociological problem. Mankind genetically comes from the same single man, and yet some languages have almost no association. Why? How would this benefit any people?
