The Spirit of God Moved

On the second month; which appears to be of that present year; Noah, his wife, their sons and their sons wives went into the ark, at God’s invitation, after all the animals had already been boarded. You can find this in chapter 7:11. We read in the 24th verse of chapter seven that the “Waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days”. The word “Prevail” according to the MERRIAM/WEBSTER DICTIONARY means, “To win mastery: TRIUMPH”, and “PREDOMINATE”. According to Strong’s it means pretty much the same – “Gaw-bar” is the pronunciation in Hebrew, and meaning “A primitive root; to be strong; by implication to prevail, act insolently: – exceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, put to more [strength], strengthen, be stronger, be valiant.” (From E-sword).

With the water prevailing upon the earth means that it has the rule. It seems that it is progressing upward in depth after the rain stopped, and continued up to 150 days. There is nothing stopping it. For those who advocate a local flood, I would ask, “Where is the dam? How is it holding when God says the waters prevailed upon the earth?” In the Hebrew reckoning of months there were 30 day, and 29 day months. Their year would have had only 354 days, and about every three years there would be an extra 29 day month. It is uncertain if Moses wrote this with the Hebrew calendar in mind. It would be most likely, but I am not dealing with the months. I only point this out due to the time of departure, and arrival at the destination of the ark. One hundred fifty days would equal to about 5 months that the waters prevailed upon the earth.

Assuming this 150 days included the forty days and forty nights of rainfall that means they have been in the ark a very long time. Noah and the family could have began to get very discouraged, and just plain ole cranky with one another. Who knows, they may have even began to think that they had been forsaken by God. We just do not know what was going on on that ark. Hear what God says.

“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.” Genesis 8:1-5 (KJV)

It is with much comfort we are told, “God remembered Noah…”. Though it is not that he forgot him, this is a reminder of God’s covenant promise with Noah and all that went into the ark (Gen. 6:18-21). Noah was the intelligent one of God’s creation. He was the one who bears the image of God. He is the one to whom God for the salvation of the human race and the animal kingdom.

Noah is the one for whom the window was built for the beholding the heavens, and speaking with God the Creator. God remembering has more to do with Promise and with God’s faithfulness. He is the faithful God.

God also remembers every living thing on the ark. Those things which many of us would just as soon never had in the earth. There were serpents, creepy crawly things, flying insects, like, mosquitoes, flys, etc. According to something I read sometime ago; it used to be thought that the common housefly was made by spontaneous generation, but that has been proven wrong. In these things we must realize that God knows best. All of these things have their purpose in God’s ecology. He is the All Wise One.

We are also told that God remembered the cattle. Surely this text goes through all of this to assure us that God does not forget his promises. His covenants are part of who He is. His Word will not fail. The cattle; these livestock which we be closer to home; these are the source of their food, and the food of the world, and the means of clothing, using the skins.

God made a wind to pass over the earth, and it was because of that wind that the waters began to recede. They were no longer prevailing upon the face of the earth. The LORD God showed He was still in control. Noah certainly needed this assurance. His family needed this assurance. The wind came as it was made to do. It began to dry away the waters. The mountains began to show. The ark settled, and came to rest upon the peaks of Ararat.

The word “Wind” in verse one is the same word as “Spirit” in chapter one verse two. “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”. On the third day of creation the land came forth in a day. On this day with Noah and his family it took time. It was not until the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month that the earth was dry. They would be on the ark until the second month and twenty seventh day when the earth dried, and God would command them off (More on this later).

There must have been such joy and rejoicing as the ark settled into a crevice in the rocks, and rested there. They must have felt that surely we can leave this boat soon. Encouragement, though, comes only in pieces. We should know that this prepares us with patience. When it seems as though the storm is never going to end. When it seems as though the waters of trial and tribulation rush all around you. When it seems the rocking and twisting of your salvation is never going to stop. You can rest assured it will. The storm will end the rush of the trial will cease. Your faith will be made stronger in your salvation. God will come through.