Noah's Ark

From Seth’s line came Noah, and out of all of humanity, Noah was the only one who found favor with Yahweh (see Adam to Noah family chart). Humanity had become so evil that everything they thought and did was evil all the time (Gen. 6:5). Because of their sin, Yahweh was going to judge them with a flood. He would return the earth back to a dark, chaotic, watery mass that was formless and empty (Gen. 1:2). And, once again, Yahweh demonstrated his mercy by delivering Noah and his family from the chaotic waters that would again cover the earth. Yet Yahweh demonstrated his mercy to the wicked people of the world as well. What is often missed is where Yahweh states that humanity has been given 120 years until the flood comes (Gen. 6:3). This would have given Noah a long time to preach to the people and given them every chance to repent (1 Pet. 2:5). The fact that none came onto the boat with him showed how evil and hardhearted they were.

Yahweh also commanded that seven of all clean animals1 (for eating and sacrifices) and two of every unclean animal were to be brought onto the boat (Gen. 7:1-3). (Yes, the children’s song is wrong.) This number of animals is physically possible because he did not have to bring every type of animal onto the ark, and he might have brought baby animals or ones still in their eggs to conserve space.

The rains lasted for forty days, which is symbolic of judgment and testing. (The number forty shows up in other places in the Bible as well.) Yahweh demonstrates His provision in taking care of the ark and Noah and his family during this time.

Notice that it is the wind of Yahweh that causes the waters to recede (Gen. 8:1). The word for wind here is the same word for spirit in Gen. 1:2. Just as Yahweh undid the negative state of the earth at creation, so He undoes the negative state of the earth after the flood through His wind/spirit.