Bible Knowledge Project: Genesis 7
Read: Genesis 7
Genesis Seven continues the flood narrative that started in chapter six. There are two main sections in this chapter to consider. First, the preparation for Noah to enter the ark. God gives the direct command to Noah for the building of the ark, and it is God who tells Noah what to do as he prepares to enter the ark. Next, in 7:1-10, we see God’s specific instructions for preserving the creatures he made. Though all of God’s world has been infected with sin, the animals are only subject to it due to man's sin. God preserves them in the ark as he does Noah and his family. Then, in 7:11-24, we witness the judgment of God on the earth and its inhabitants. In some sense, this entire act of God is a baptism of sorts in which the earth is ceremonially cleansed from the pollution of sin. Two items within the flood narrative are essential: The preservation of Noah and his family through God’s sovereign work and the picture of cleansing that comes from the floodwaters. The work of salvation and baptism are acts of God and not man.
Applications:
God does save people through his work. It is not an act of man but one of a gracious sovereign God.
God does judge sin, and he will in this life and the life to come.
Your baptism is a picture of the redeeming work of Christ to deliver you from the judgment to come.
Learn:
The types and kinds of animals that Noah was told to bring into the ark.
The duration of the rainfall and the length of time for the flood.