Noah’s Obedience and Faith — Genesis 7 Daily Word

Discover how Noah’s unwavering obedience and faith saved his family during the flood. Explore the spiritual lessons from Genesis 7 about trusting God’s commands and timing.

Genesis 7:10-16 [Daily Word]

1. [Scripture]

[10] And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth. [11] In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. [12] And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. [13] On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, [14] they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. [15] They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. [16] And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in. (Gen 7:10-16, ESV)

2. [Daily Word]

Just before the flood began, we read in verse 7:5 that Noah did all that God had commanded him. The mention in verse 6 that Noah was six hundred years old implies that he had spent one hundred years building the ark to preserve life. When the floodwaters came upon the earth, in accordance with God’s word, Noah and his family boarded the ark along with the clean animals, the unclean animals, the birds, and every creature that moves along the ground, and they were kept safe from the flood. Then, exactly as God had declared in verse 4, seven days later the floodwaters began to cover the earth.

The phrase “after seven days” here means that God works in a seven-day cycle, and so God first gives Noah a sabbath rest before beginning His great work on the seventh day. In this sense, we can see that Noah also ministered in a seven-day cycle in accordance with God’s working. (8:10) He waited another seven days and sent forth the dove from the ark, and (8:12) he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove — this carries great significance for us as well. God calls us to work for six days, to focus on the Lord on the Lord’s Day, and then, renewed and cleansed, to go out and face the work of the world together with Him.

# Rain begins to pour down for forty days and forty nights.

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, on that very day the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the windows of heaven were opened, and rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. “The fountains of the great deep” is a poetic expression. It generally refers to the sea, but here it describes an even deeper, vast subterranean ocean beneath the earth. Thus, all the deep waters beneath the ground — apart from the waters held in the sky — would be fully mobilized for the judgment of a sinful world. Notably, ancient peoples believed that the earth and the sky each had windows through which water poured down upon the land.

Now, seeing the rain filling the earth, Noah and his entire family entered the ark, and verse 15 records that every living creature of all flesh came to Noah two by two and entered the ark. Here the text notes that the living creatures came to Noah first. This calls to mind what had previously taken place in the Garden of Eden.

(Gen 2:19) [19] Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. (Gen 2:19, ESV) Through this passage we can see that the animals did not come to the ark by their own will in order to save themselves, but rather came in obedience to God’s command.

[19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. [20] For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope (Rom 8:19-20, ESV) Just as God saved the creatures through Noah, who practiced complete obedience, so too in this world where we live, God saves all who come to us through us—His children—when we walk in complete obedience.

Finally, let us look at verse 16: all the animals entered, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah, and then the LORD shut him in. What is significant in this passage is that two different names of God are used.

The first is Elohim, and the second is Yahweh (the LORD). The name Elohim is used to reveal God’s power and authority. Therefore, it signifies that every single animal entered the ark in perfect order, without a single exception, exactly as God had commanded. Yahweh, on the other hand, is the name God reveals when He protects and saves. Just as the LORD is the God who saved Moses and Israel, here He shows that He personally brings Noah in and shuts the door Himself, in order to safely protect all those inside the ark.

3. Application

# The ark of salvation is safe under the protection of Almighty God. And the door of salvation is not always open—there comes a time when it will be shut according to God’s decision.

Therefore, salvation is not available to just anyone at any time, but only during the time that God has opened the way for us. God gave 120 years to the corrupt generation as a period of grace and forgiveness. Yet we find that not a single person was changed. We must remember that God is also giving us today a time of forgiveness, even as He warns us that He will come like a thief in the night.

Therefore, let us believe that when we live as those who obey God—as true children of God—we will be used by Him and will dwell forever in the kingdom of God. May you walk in victory in the Lord today.

The Floodgates of the Heavens 9

Noah’s obedience, God’s command, the flood judgment, preservation of life, salvation through the ark

Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com