The Lord Told Noah to Leave the Ark
In our last topic, we saw that we want to help our physical and spiritual children learn to explain how God took Noah and his family through the flood. We also saw that God wants all the people on earth to hear how they can have spiritual life as well as physical life. That is the key message that we want to help our children learn to explain to others. In this topic, we will see that God told Noah to leave the ark.
Noah sent out the dove in Genesis 8:12 and it did not return so Noah knew it had found a place to rest, which meant that the earth was becoming dry. Genesis 8:13-14 says, “And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried.” Here, we see that the waters of the flood had receded and the surface of the ground had become dry. However, God had not yet told Noah to leave the ark.
The word translated “covering” is used sixteen times in the Old Testament. In all of the other verses where this word is used, it refers to the coverings made from animal skins for the tabernacle or the things in it. Exodus 26:14 says, “‘You shall also make a covering of ram skins dyed red for the tent, and a covering of badger skins above that.’” Here, we see that there was a covering of ram skins and an additional cover of badger skins that was spread over the tent of the tabernacle. As a result, it is possible that the window that went around the top of the ark had been covered with skins during the time of the flood to protect the ark from the rain or the splashing of water into the ark. Genesis 6:16 says, “‘You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.’” Here, we see that this window was a cubit high and probably went around most of the ark.
In these verses, we see that Noah removed this covering because it was no longer needed. Once the covering was removed, Noah could look out the window in various directions and see what was happening on the earth. As he looked, Noah was able to see that the surface of the ground was dry. That made it possible for the dove to have plenty of places to rest. However, it did not mean that the ground beneath the surface was dry yet because God had not yet given instructions for Noah to leave the ark and God had not yet opened the door. Instead, God allowed the earth to become completely dry before He told Noah to leave the ark. We see that God waited until the twenty-seventh day of the second month until the earth was completely dried. This meant that Noah spent a year and ten days on the ark after the flood began. Genesis 7:11 says, “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”
Genesis 8:15-19 goes on to say, “Then God spoke to Noah, saying, ‘Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.’ So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark.” Here, we see that God was the One who told Noah when it was time to leave the ark.
God gave Noah specific instructions to leave the ark with his wife, his sons, and their wives. Then, God told Noah that they were to bring out of the ark every living thing of all flesh that was with them on the ark. God specifically told them to bring out the birds, the cattle, and all creeping things. Many of the creeping things were very small, but God wanted every kind of creature on the ark to continue to multiply once they left the ark. Since the mountains of Ararat were over seventeen thousand feet high, Noah, his family, and the animals would be moving from the mountains to the valleys once they left the ark, so God wanted them to get everything off the ark. God had told Noah in Genesis 6:19, “‘And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.’” Now, God wanted all of these creatures to continue to live as they came off of the ark.
In fact, God made it clear that He wanted the birds, animals, and creeping things to be fruitful and multiply on the earth in addition to the people. God wanted all of these creatures to multiply and abound on the earth. The word translated “abound” means to bring forth abundantly. God had said in Genesis 1:20-21, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’ So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” God had created a large number of fish, birds, animals, and other things when He created the earth. The fish and other sea life were in abundant supply after the flood because the flood did not destroy them. However, of the other creatures, only those on the ark had survived, so God wanted every creature that had been on the ark to be fruitful and multiply on the earth.
As a result, we read that every creature left the ark according to their families. Most of the creatures only had two of each kind. As a result, it was necessary for those creatures to leave together so they could be fruitful and multiply. There were seven of the clean animals and birds, but we also see that they left the ark according to their families. We go on to read what Noah did with one of each of these clean animals and birds. Genesis 8:20-22 says, “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.’” Here, we see that the first thing Noah did after they were off the ark was to build an altar where he and his family could offer burnt offerings to the Lord.
We see that these burnt offerings included one of every kind of clean animal and every kind of clean bird as a sacrifice to God. When Adam sinned, God had to kill animals to provide coverings for Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:21 says, “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” The first sacrifice was by God in order to provide a covering for Adam and Eve because of their sin. In contrast, the first sacrifice after the flood was offered by Noah as an act of worship to God to thank God for His faithfulness in taking Noah and his family through the flood and preserve them alive. This was very pleasing to the Lord. This was a smell that brought delight to God. It was a sweet odor to Him. The word translated “aroma” means an odor that is pleasing. In most of the uses in the Old Testament, it is talking about sacrifices offered to God. Numbers 28:6 called the lamb offered at the morning and the evening sacrifice a sweet aroma, “‘It is a regular burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.’” (see also surrounding verses 1-8) Here, in Genesis 8, is the first time we read God was pleased with the smell of the sacrifice because it was offered in worship to Him.
God immediately responded, in His heart, by making a covenant with His creation because of the worship of Noah. God said He would never again curse the ground for man’s sake. He also said He would never again destroy every living thing as He had done. This was true even though God recognized that the imagination of the heart of mankind is evil from his youth. God had seen the evilness of the heart of man and it had grieved Him Genesis 6:5 says, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” In contrast, God saw one act of worship by Noah and promised never again to curse the ground for man’s sake or destroy every living thing. In a very real sense, the worship of Noah looked forward to the promise given in Romans 5:19, where we read, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” God was well-pleased with the worship of Noah.
God also gave further promises about the earth as long as the earth remains. The earth experienced many changes both during the flood and as a result of the flood. However, God promised that four sets of events will continue as long as the earth remains. First, seedtime and harvest will continue as long as the earth remains. This had been stopped for one year, but it would now continue. Second, cold and heat will continue. This began in the garden, as Genesis 3:8 says that Adam and Eve heard the sound of God walking in the cool of the day. Third, God said winter and summer would continue as long as the earth remains. Winter and summer were not mentioned before the flood, just as there was no rain before the flood. As a result, storms, severe hot and cold, natural disasters, and many other things may be present that were not present before the flood. Romans 8:22 says, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” These may be some of the results of the flood. Fourth, we see that day and night will not cease.
Noah brought great joy to the Lord by his worship of God through the offering of one of each of the clean animals of God as a sacrifice. We want to help our physical and spiritual children learn to practice and explain to others the fact that true worship, from the heart, brings great joy to the Lord. May the Lord richly bless you as you help your children learn to explain how the Lord views true worship.
