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NOAH'S FLOOD: FLESH OR BEAST? PART ONE
by Pastor Jeromy John Visser
(Introduction:)
The story of Noah and the flood sent by Yahweh is certainly known by a majority of Christians, or is it? While Hollywood's trash media has released numerous movies and television mini-series all attempting to tell the story of these "eight perfect souls" who escaped destruction, few ever honestly explain why Noah and his family were chosen. Through children's books and traditions the average Christian can tell "the story" complete with numerous animals but will usually omit the part about "the everlasting covenant" that was made with every living being upon the face of the earth. These verses are important just like the rest of Yahweh's perfect Word.
Jesus Christ taught "As in the days of Noah, so will also be the appearance of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37 ffb)" making knowledge of this account mandatory for all Christians so we'll examine what caused Yahweh's flood and learn what to look for in the 'end times.' I'm naming this morning's sermon Noah's Flood: Flesh or Beast? Part #1 in dedication to a recent thread that was started about my teachings on an internet site attempting to belittle what I am teaching you today. I leave it to you to weigh all the evidence.
A word of warning right from the start -- if you have no faith in the Word of God this study won't help you very much. We'll look deeper into the meanings of certain Hebrew words but I don't intend to stray too far outside of Bible passages when presenting this evidence. Prayerfully, I might be able to shed some light on some common misconceptions pertaining to Noah's ark by simply reading the account from both the Authorized King James Version and Ferrar Fenton Bibles.
Jesus teaches us; "As it was in the days of Noe [Noah], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe [Noah] entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. And [they] knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be (Luke 17:26-27 & Matthew 24:37-39)."
Here we get a glimpse of both a past and a future end-time event. No man knows the day or hour but here Christ says that His returning will be when 'the days' are like they were in Noah's time with creatures "giving and taking" in marriage. Is getting married a sin? Not when it's done correctly in the eyes of Yahweh. For further explanation on what caused the flood of old we need to go directly to the account in the book of Genesis itself.
We'll start reading in chapter 6; "But when corrupt Men increased upon the surface of the Earth, and sons and daughters were born to them, then the sons of God admired the daughters of Men who were beautiful; and they took to themselves wives from all they desired. Consequently the Ever-living said "My spirit shall not call to man for ever, for he is sinful flesh; but they shall have a hundred and twenty years (Genesis 6:1-3 ffb)." Pay close attention to the placement of capitals in these verses.
These passages are very important because they unlock certain keys into future prophecy. Here we discover that Yahweh shortens man's lifespan to 120 years from a much longer promised life that can be found by obeying His Word. Nonetheless, the fallen 'sons of God' or angels came to earth and impregnated many of the "daughters of Adam" and the result was bastard children born of mixing. Don't consider that term too harsh as 'bastard' means "a mongrel or child of mixing (Strong's #H4464)." The next few verses deal with the mamzêr (pronounced mam-zare') offspring of these unholy unions.
Let's continue reading; "The Nephalim were upon the earth in those days, and also afterwards when the sons of God came to the daughters of men, and they bore to them mighty men, who were men of renown of old. And the Ever-living saw that the sin of man increased upon the earth, and that every effort of the thought of his heart was to promote sin every day. And the Ever-living sighed for the doings of man upon the earth, and it grieved His heart (Genesis 6:4-6 ffb)."
The King James Version reads "It repented Yahweh that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Either way, the Father doesn't like it when people refuse to do things His way and this entire situation 'grieved' or 'repented' Him towards sinful man. "Men of renown" means that these mamzêr were all of great reputation and power in the earthly realm, no wonder Yahweh sends in "the flood upon the world of the ungodly (2 Peter 2:5)."
Now that we know why it happened, here's where Yahweh passes sentence; "And Yahweh said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of Yahweh. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 6:7-10)."
These verses make the 'politically correct' groups squirm because they teach the reason why Noah was chosen and his family justified alongside him (1 Corinthians 7:14). We've just read the words "Noah was a just man perfect in his generations" which is in itself the answer. Of course, the main reason for Noah being chosen is because the future Messiah would spring from Israel through Shem's seed (Genesis 11:10-27) and eventually through Mary who, being Elisabeth's cousin, would've been "of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5)" or from the law-protecting tribe of Levi. Again, we discover protection of the seedline. Let me explain, the word 'generations' used in this verse is taken from dôr dôr (pronounced dore, dore) and it means "posterity, age or dwelling (Strong's #H1755)." One could say he had a 'perfect' or unmixed 'pedigree' unlike a majority of mankind that had melded with fallen angels producing the mongrel "Giants."
Here's another verse we must pay attention to -- continuing on; "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (Genesis 6:11-14)." We'll cover the measurements of the ark a little later, skip down to verses 17 and 18; "And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee."
Notice that the scriptures teach that 'all flesh' had been corrupted and that 'all flesh' would be destroyed? I make mention of this fact because while animals are listed among those numbers having 'the breath of life' who where brought to Noah's ark, they are not mentioned exclusively and the Bible continues to reiterate that 'two of all flesh' were spared. Flesh is flesh and includes other races in addition to the beasts. While not every 'flesh' upon the ark was listed as having "souls" except for Noah's eight (1 Peter 3:20), it's important to take notice of this terminology because it continues throughout both the remaining flood account and the upcoming 'Noahic Covenant' which is "everlasting" and still in effect today, thank goodness.
Here's another reason why Noah's family was chosen -- they obeyed Yahweh. Here's what he was asked to do by God; "Of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he (Genesis 6:19-22)."
So far, we've covered the entire sixth chapter of Genesis with the exception of the specific ark measurements so I feel we should now discuss how it happened and see how perfectly Noah obeyed the voice of Yahweh. As we progress, be sure to pay attention to the wording of 'flesh' and 'beast' in this next chapter so we can keep things in their proper perspective.
Let's continue the account; "Afterwards the Lord said to Noah, "Go yourself and all your household into the Ark, for I have seen that you have been righteous in the face of this generation. Take with you of all clean cattle, seven, male and female, and of beasts which are unclean two of them, a male and a female. Also from the birds of the sky seven, seven male and female, so as to preserve a seed of life upon the surface of the land. Because at the end of seven days, I will pour unto the earth for forty days and forty nights; and I will sweep away every creature that I made from off the surface of the ground. And Noah did all that the Ever-living instructed him (Genesis 7:1-5 ffb)."
Again we notice that Noah obeyed Yahweh and he was 'righteous' in that particular 'generation.' We can also glean from these passages that the very reason for Noah's Ark was "to preserve a seed of life upon the surface of the land" and to "sweep away every [remaining] creature that I made from off the surface of the ground." Also worthy of note is the number forty which is according to Biblical Numerics "the number of probation." Who exactly was being punished by water? Noah or the 'earth?'
Continuing on; "And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth (Genesis 7:6-10)."
At the risk of digressing I might add that in Biblical symbology 'waters' are representative of 'people (Revelation 17:15 & 19:6)' and the 'Ark' represents the perfect Law (Deuteronomy 31:9). Still, I hold that this is a literal account but these facts should still be considered because the Bible says that "two and two" of all living flesh were called to Noah's ark, let's keep reading.
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and Yahweh shut him in (Genesis 7:11-16)."
Again, two of all 'flesh' not just cows, chickens and snakes. More specifically, the Word says "two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life" were all aboard the ark in addition to Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives that comprise the "eight souls" mentioned. Please notice that "Yahweh shut him in" sealing his perfect seed from the world's coming destruction. Another interesting tidbit is the Hebrew word transliterated 'earth' in these and the following verses come from 'erets (pronounced eh'-rets) which means "land, area or ground (Strong's #H776)." This is different than the word found in Genesis 4:14 where Cain says to Yahweh "Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth" taken from 'ădâmâh (pronounced ad-aw-maw') which literarily means "red [ruddy] soil (Strong's #H127)." Still, both words refer to a specific locale -- not the entire world as many teach.
"And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days (Genesis 7:17-24)."
Interesting of note is the measurement "fifteen cubits" which would be equal to about twenty-eight feet. Indeed, thirty feet of water over the entire face of the earth would destroy all mankind but what about valleys and canyons? Thirty feet more logically would destroy a specific area with no problems in keeping with the word 'erets or "area." Still, this is only my opinion. Here we also read that "every man" and "all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died" and these are the same words used to describe the 'two of all flesh' on the ark who were spared. Man is counted in both numbers. We're halfway done with Noah's flood account so we'll pick it up next Sunday -- look for a fresh study Wednesday evening.
(Intention:)
My intention with this sermon is to glorify Jesus Christ. The Word must always come first so we can "Prove all things [and] hold fast that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21)." [Part #2]
[ Date:
Sunday, April 10th,
2005 ]
Last Page Update:
February 08, 2006
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