It is Settled!

A series of lessons from the Bible

by Howell Lasseter

Noah

Last week, two questions were posed to you readers; the questions were: 1-How long was it from Adam's creation to the birth of Enos? Answer: Adam was 130 when Seth was born; Seth was 105 years old when Enos was born; these 2 figures equal 235 years; 2-How long was it from the birth of Enos until it repented God that He had made man? Answer: Enos was 90 when Cainan was born; Cainan was 70 when Mahalaleel was born; Mahalaleel was 65 when Jared was born; Jared was 162 when Enoch was born; Enoch was 65 when Methuselah was born; Methuselah was 187 when Lamech was born; Lamech was 182 when Noah was born; and Noah was 500 when God made His pronouncement against man; these figures total 1321 years. Adding these two figures (235 and 1321), we learn 1556 years after Adam was created, God, because of man's wickedness, determined to destroy man from the face of the earth (Genesis 6:7,13). We learn in Genesis 6:3, there will be 120 years before this destruction happens. Noah would have been about 480 years of age when God stated this. At the end of the 120 years, Noah would be 600. Due to space constraints, we will not print Genesis 6:14-21, but please read this passage now. God told Noah to build an ark. This was a large boat! It was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high, with one door and one window; there were three stories in the ark. God told Noah to build it out of gopher wood; it was to be pitched within and without with pitch.

God has given Noah instructions as to how to build the ark. He further instructs Noah on what to take into the ark, both passengers and food. Before we proceed, let us recall to mind things we've already noticed in past articles: 1- Eve, then Adam, disobeyed God's commandment, and ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6); 2-Cain offered a sacrifice to God that was not acceptable, then murdered his brother because his brother's sacrifice was acceptable (Genesis 4:1-8); 3-Man had become evil in the sight of God; every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). In all three instances, man disobeyed God. Now, look at Genesis 6:22: "Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so did he" (Emphasis mine - HL). As we continue our study through the Bible, noticing Old Testament examples, let's keep ever in mind that man was judged as to how he kept all of God's commands. The examples will teach us that man is accepted with, or rejected by, God on the basis of whether man keeps all of God's commands.

At the age of 600, Noah, along with the passengers and items God had commanded, went into the ark. God shut the door of the ark, and the great flood came. Using the most commonly accepted date for the beginning, 4004 BC, the flood came around the year 2348 BC. Keep up your study of God's Word!