Repeated phrase:
(1) v.11b ...on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
v. 11 "the great deep"-The same Hebrew term used to describe the watery deep in Gen 1:2 (תְּהוֹם, tihom) appears here. The text seems to picture here subterranean waters coming from under the earth and contributing to the rapid rise of water. The significance seems to be, among other things, that in this judgment God was returning the world to its earlier condition of being enveloped with water—a judgment involving the reversal of creation.
v.24 The waters prevailed over the earth for 150 days.
The Hebrew verb translated “prevailed over” suggests that the waters were stronger than the earth. The earth and everything in it were no match for the return of the chaotic deep.
Summary: The judgment is to reverse the creation
(2) v.2 You must take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, the male and its mate, two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate,
"a male and his female” (also a second time at the end of this verse). The terms used here for male and female animals (אִישׁ, ’ish) and אִשָּׁה, ’ishah) normally refer to humans.
The idea of male and female is repeated every time when the animals and Noah's family were mentioned v.3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16. The purpose is stated in v.3, "to preserve their offspring on the face of the earth."
Summary: The purpose of God to reverse the creation was to "re-create."
The same term, "after its kind," was used in v.14 to describe the animal just like the creation account in Genesis 1:25. That gave the reader hint that God was going to re-popluate the earth again just like the beginning.
Reflection: I see the mercy of God in His judgment. Although mankind sinned and did deserve to be wiped out. He gave the salvation not only to Noah, but also to his family, and together He gave them all the animals just like the beginning. He gave us one more chance. I pray that God will give us one more chance after the pandemic. Not that we deserve it, but out of His mercy.
On the other hand, I also see that we should model after God to give other people mercy. Sometimes the person who offended us may not worth to be forgive, but just like God gives us one more chance we shall give the offended person one more chance.
(3) v.2 You must take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, the male and its mate, two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate,
"clean and unclean" animals are repeated again v.8. Why the clean animals needed to be prepared for 7 pairs and the unclean only 1 pair? This term repeated again in chapter 8 when Noah came out of the Ark and offered sacrificed to God.
8:20 Noah built an altar to the LORD. He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar
The clean and unclean concept will be seen later in the OT, but here at least we understand the need to bring of the clean animals because they were the designated type of animals that used for offerings.
Reflection: Again, the purpose of God is to serve God. After the "re-creation" Noah served as the example to worship God in offering. He was prepared to do so when God commanded him to bring 7 pairs of clean animals. How do we do today in serving God? In what areas you can serve Him now?
Audrey
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