Hi friends,
How are you today? I hope you are enjoying the Noah’s Ark Series. Today is the last post of the series. I will be highlighting verses and information in Genesis 9. I have seen and heard of Noah being compared to Adam theologically. After all, they were both “firsts” as far as men go. Adam was the first man created and Noah was the first or eldest of men to survive the flood. God spoke to both of these men in the Bible. As a matter of fact, God told both men very similar things. There have been times when I have even heard of Noah as “the new Adam” in a way. As a matter of fact, God’s message to Noah in Genesis 9:1-3 is very similar to God’s message to Adam in Genesis 1:28-30. The latter seems like it may be a little different in that, as I understand it God gives Adam plants and fruit to eat and in Genesis 9:3, God includes animals as food too. What is your understanding between the two passages? Although, in Genesis 9:4-6, God adds to his message to Noah. God tells Noah not to eat animals with lifeblood still in it. God stresses the importance of life to Noah. It is my understanding that God is saying not to be violent and hurt or kill others, because God and others will require accountability for your actions for it. Not only that, but I think God is also telling him that if a person kills another person the death penalty will be given on earth. What are your thoughts? This is different than in Genesis 1, because in Genesis 1:31 we see where God looks at all that He has created and sees that it is good. There is no reason to warn Adam about violence or killing others. No violence has occurred. In verses 8-17, God tells Noah and his sons about His covenant. He tells how never again will He destroy the earth and all people with a flood and how the bow in the clouds will be the token of that covenant. Maybe this is why so many people get enjoyment out of seeing a rainbow in the sky. Sometimes, I just seem to enjoy the beauty of it and the awe of it. However, there are times when I see it and I remember God’s words in Genesis 9 about His covenant with all mankind and the earth. Either way, seeing a rainbow often makes me smile. In preparing for writing this post and rereading Genesis 9, this seemed to have been where most of my memory of reading Genesis 9 before ended. However, there is more to the chapter. God has more to His message and more lessons for us to learn within Genesis 9. How much do you remember of the rest of the chapter? I seem to have more questions than answers for the verses in Genesis 9:18-29. We see sin in these verses, even after being recently saved from a flood in which everyone else perished. It may be easy to feel that Noah and his family should be so thankful from being saved and having a new beginning that they shouldn’t sin, especially so soon after the flood. Noah plants a vineyard. That sounds great. Fruit is good for you. However, as a result, Noah ends up making wine from the fruit of the vineyard and gets drunk. Not only does he get drunk, but also he lies around naked and not covered up. I wonder why Noah drinks wine. I wonder if he drank before the flood. I wonder why he got drunk. I wonder if he had stress from the flood that had sort of caught up with him, now that he was safe and out of the ark. The Bible doesn’t say and maybe it is none of my business. LOL! The important part is learning the lessons God wants us to learn from the passage and being thankful that God has given us the passage from which to learn. Then, to make things worse, so to speak, Noah’s youngest son Ham sees him naked and instead of covering Noah up himself, he goes and tells his brothers about it. Again, it may be easy to judge the inappropriateness and the sinfulness of dishonoring his father by telling others of his sin or by not covering him up so that others don’t see him that way. Yet, I don’t believe we are called to judge others in that way, especially if they are not neighbors or friends or part of our church family. Then, we may be called to point out the wrongdoing and encourage better behavior and repentance. I don’t believe we are called to gossip about others though. What are your thoughts? It may seem surprising that Noah and Ham can sin so soon after the flood and after being saved. It may seem like the only thing that they should have in their hearts is thankfulness. However, don’t we do the same? Don’t we sin when all we should have in our hearts is thankfulness? I wonder if that is part of God’s lesson for us in this passage. I find it interesting that the Bible doesn’t say anything about Noah saying anything bad to or about Ham as a result of the indiscretions. Noah does curse Canaan, Ham’s son. I wonder why. I wonder if Canaan was in on it in any way. Or, I wonder if Noah knew that cursing a child is more often painful for a parent than cursing the parent his or herself. (Parents would often rather go through pain than see his or her child go through the pain.) Maybe Noah couldn’t bring himself to curse his own child because of that same way of thinking. I don’t know. What are your thoughts? I also wonder if there is a connection of Ham’s son being named Canaan and the land that God wants to give the Israelites in Numbers 13, when God tells Moses to send people out to search the land which I will give you. (Numbers 13:1-2) The symbolism seems to fit to me. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for sharing with us the words in Genesis 9. Thank you for giving us this resource so we can read and gain knowledge. Thank you for teaching us and showing us what is right and wrong. Thank you for giving us rules to live by. Help us to learn from your Word and to walk in the way of righteousness according to your will for us. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Genesis 9: *What does Genesis 9 mean to me? *What can I learn from the message in Genesis 9? *Did I judge Noah and Ham when I read about their sins in this chapter? *Do I have the right to judge Noah and Ham or should I just learn from their experiences? *How do I feel when I see a rainbow and why? *Do I compare Noah to Adam in anyway? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? *What does God’s covenant in Genesis 9 mean to me? Now, it is your turn. Thank you for being here. I hope you have enjoyed the Noah's Ark Series by DUO Inspirations. What are your thoughts? Do you have any requests for other topics? (Feel free to comment or contact me.) If you are finding value in what I write, please share with friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to get the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations and other faith content in your inbox. (Sometimes, I even send treats. For example, those who are currently signed up as of the writing and sending of the email for this post, four word searches will be sent on the subject of Noah's Ark/Genesis 6-9.)
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Hi friends,
How are you? I hope you are enjoying this look into the possible thoughts and feelings of Noah. I like to consider the thoughts and feelings of others. I believe it helps you to get to know them better. We can even learn from the thoughts and feelings of those from long ago. In Genesis 8, Noah and his family, and the animals with him, mainly ride out the flood and wait for the waters to recede after the flood. However, at the end of the chapter, they are able to disembark and touch land once again. Then, Noah builds an altar and sacrifices a burnt offering to God. God is pleased with Noah’s sacrifice and enjoys the aroma, and thinks to Himself that we will never again destroy the earth. So, it is raining and raining and it probably feels to Noah and his family that the rains are never going to stop. How do you think they feel at this point? Do you think they are getting restless and maybe getting on each other’s nerves a bit? How do you think you and your family would do cooped up on an ark for days, weeks, and even months? (And, remember, there are no TVs, video games, or cellphones.) One thing that stood out for me when reading Genesis 8 was that Noah sent out a raven and a dove. I am not sure the meaning, but I wonder if it has to do with unrighteous versus righteous, anxious versus meek, human’s spirit versus God’s. What do you think? Any thoughts? Can you imagine everyone’s feeling when the dove didn’t come back and everyone was finally able to get off the ark after about a year of being cooped up? How would you feel? What would you think? Would you be tired? Happy? Apprehensive? Curious? Thankful? What would you want to do first after you got off the ark? Look for a place to set up your tent or build some sort of shelter? The Bible doesn’t mention Noah doing that in Genesis 8. It says that Noah built and altar and sacrificed some of the clean animals for God. I don’t know, but I can imagine that Noah was so thankful to be alive, to be saved from the flood, to have his family safely with him, and to be on dry ground again, that he just wanted to thank and praise God for it all. What are your thoughts? Heavenly Father, Oh, Lord, thank you for new beginnings and new adventures. Thank you for being our protector and our provider. Thank you for remembering us as we go through difficult times. Help us to be thankful, to praise you and glorify you for all that you do. And, help us to give you our first and best thoughts, prayers, praises, and thanks, just as Noah did when he first got off the ark so many years ago. Help us to learn all that you want us to learn from your words in Genesis 8. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Genesis 8: *What does Genesis 8 mean to me? *How would I feel after being in an ark with seven other people and many animals for about a year? *What can I learn from Genesis 8? *Am I apt to give thanks to God for everything He provides and does for me? Now, it is your turn. Friends, I am so glad you are here. I look forward to reading your thoughts. I learn from you as well. God often uses others to inspire us. Please, leave a comment below. (Feel free to contact me, if you don't want to share publicly.) If you find value in what I write, please consider sharing the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations with your friends and family. Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up to receive the Faith Blog in you inbox as well as other faith content. Thank you. Note: Remember, for those who are signed up next week when I post the Faith Blog and send out the email, there will be some Noah's Ark word searches with your email. 
Hi friends,
How are you? Last week, I started delving into the possible thoughts and feelings of Noah regarding his circumstances in Genesis 6. This week, I will continue with his possible thoughts and feelings regarding his circumstances in Genesis 7. In Genesis 6, Noah was mainly getting the instructions to build the ark as well as building the ark. In Genesis 7, Noah is mainly loading everyone into the ark and riding in the ark during the flood. Can you imagine being in Noah’s shoes? Have you ever thought about being in Noah’s predicament? I have tried to imagine myself in his circumstances some, but I don’t know that I can really get the full feeling or picture of it. I wonder if at this point, Noah was hoping that everything was just a dream. I mean it is one thing to say that one will do something kind of scary, different, and outside of one’s comfort zone when it is a ways in the future. However, as the time for the actual event gets closer, sometimes worry sets in and one’s feeling may change. One may get nervous or have second thoughts. During the pandemic, there have been times when it has been mandated that people should stay home, except for essential outings. During the flood, Noah was cooped up in an ark with seven other people and a bunch of animals for days, weeks, and even months. I doubt there was much room to “get away” and have a personal moment in the ark. What can you imagine about being in an ark with seven other people and a bunch of animals? Can you imagine the room (or lack of), the smell, or the noise? I wonder what Noah and his family were thinking and feeling. Do you? I wonder if the animals were in pens, cages, or stalls. Were they “free” in each deck of the ark? Did some animals chase others, as they were accustomed to doing? Or, did God supernaturally quiet the animals to make it a more pleasant voyage for all involved? God had told Noah that He would make it rain for forty days and forty nights in Genesis 7:4, so Noah probably realized he would be in the ark for a while. I wonder what one does in an ark for over forty days. Do you? (It isn’t like Noah had video games and TV back in the day.) Maybe the animals, meaningful conversation with family, and prayer kept Noah and his family busy. I wonder if they thought about being the only people alive. I wonder if they thought about where the rains were taking them. I wonder what it was like to look out the ark window and see the water rising and then one day, only seeing water. I wonder how they felt. I wonder if they talked about this “adventure” they were experiencing and what their life might be like in the future. What do you think? Heavenly Father, Thank you for the story of Noah, so that we may be motivated to be righteous in your sight as well. Thank you for the earth and all you have given us. Help us to trust you, as Noah did, and to do your will. Help us to learn from Noah’s experience all that you want us to learn. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Genesis 7 (KJV): *What does Genesis 7 mean to me? *How would I feel about being cooped up in an ark with seven other family members and a bunch of animals for so long? *How would I feel knowing that my family and I were the only people alive? *How would I feel being tossed about with the water during the flood in such a tiny ark? *What can I learn from Genesis 7? Now, it is your turn. How do you think you would feel if you were in Noah's shoes? What do you think he was thinking and feeling? I look forward to knowing your thoughts. Also, if you are finding value with what I write, please share with your friends and family and feel free to signing up to receive faith content in your inbox. Thank you. 
Hi friends,
Do you ever think about the people of biblical times and wonder what it would be like to be in their shoes? I think this gives us a better understanding of the Holy Bible and the messages God gives us. So, I thought for this month, I would look at Noah and his family to try to get a better understanding of how they may have felt or how I would feel in their situation. In Genesis 6:13, God tells Noah that he is going to flood the land and kill all the people in it because of all the violence. At this point, we don’t know much about Noah other than that he is old, he has three sons, and that he has found favor with God because he is a righteous man. I wonder how Noah felt getting this message from God. How do you think Noah felt? How would you feel if you lived in Old Testament times and all of a sudden God tells you that he is going to destroy the earth and all people in it? In 2 Peter 2:5 we find out that Noah is a preacher of righteousness. I am guessing that Noah probably knew that the world around him was violent and probably didn’t like it. He probably felt a struggle in trying to reach the people around him and get them to see God’s ways. He may have been distressed about the lack of loyalty to God from the people around him. Maybe he was worried for the safety of his family with the violence all around him. Noah may even have been praying that God would touch his neighbors, family, and friends so that they would better heed God’s Word. So, did he have a congregation? Did he have relatives? Did he have neighbors? Was he worried that God was going to kill all those around him? Did Noah think that killing everyone was kind of drastic? Did he worry about being the only family alive? Did he worry about being lonely with only having his family with whom to talk and interact? What are your thoughts? In Genesis 6:14-16, God tells Noah to build an ark and tells him with what specifications it should be built. Now, we aren’t sure what kind of tools or skills Noah may have had in order to build an ark. If Noah was a full-time preacher with a congregation, most of his time may have been reading the Word of God, working up a sermon, or preaching. He may have had other ministerial duties as well. He may not have had all the latest carpentry tools or the latest skills in order to build an ark. I wonder what Noah thought when God said build an ark. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Noah talked back or questioned God. However, I wonder what he thought. Was he thinking, “An ark? You want me to build an ark? You know I am a preacher and not a carpenter, right? I have never in my life built an ark and you want me to build one now, so you can flood the earth? Okay, if you say so.” Maybe Noah’s thoughts went something like that or maybe, Noah knew that God knows his every thought too. In Genesis 6:17, God tells Noah again that He is going to flood the earth and kill everyone. But, there is good news for Noah. In Genesis 6:18, God tells Noah that He will establish a covenant with him and Noah gets to board the ark with his wife, his sons, and his sons’ wives. They will be saved from the death by flood. I wonder if Noah felt thankful that his family would be saved when all of his neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and kinfolk would perish. Do you think that Noah wondered why the ark needed to be so big just for him and his family? If he did, his answer came in Genesis 6:19-21. God told Noah to bring two of each sort of animal and to bring all kinds of food on the ark with him. I wonder what Noah thought about that. I wonder if I would have thought something like, “Can we leave behind the snakes? You know what they did to Adam and Eve. And, can we leave out the ticks, spiders, mosquitos, mice, rats, and bats too?” What about you? What would you think if God asked you to bring one of each animal with you on the ark? Scripture doesn’t tell us what Noah thought. However, in Genesis 6:22, it does tell us that Noah did just as God told him to do. And, I am pretty thankful of that. We might not be here, if Noah had refused. Why do I think it is important to consider the thoughts, feelings, struggles, and actions of someone who lived thousands of years ago? I think it is important, because it is noted in the Bible. God wouldn’t have placed such words in the Bible, if He didn’t mean for us to consider their meaning and impact. Also, even today, God calls us to do some things that may seem to be out of the blue, out of the ordinary, and out of our reach. If we consider Noah’s thoughts, feelings, and situation, we may not feel too bad, when God asks us to do things that may seem extraordinary. Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. We may not understand why you ask us to do things that seem beyond our skills, experience, and comfort zone. We may not understand why you call us to do things that seem extraordinary and even absurd. Yet, I thank you and praise you for giving us the story of Noah about which to read, ponder, and pray. Thank you for calling us to do extraordinary things outside our comfort zone as well. Help us to follow Noah’s example and do all that you ask us to do. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Genesis 6: *What does Genesis 6 mean to me? *What would I think if God asks me to build an ark, especially if ark building wasn’t my vocation or hobby? *How would I feel hearing that God was going to kill everyone, except for me and my close family members? *How would I feel if God wanted me to bring every kind of animal with me? *How do I answer when God asks me to do things that may seem strange and out of my comfort zone? *What can I learn from Genesis 6? *What can I learn from considering Noah’s thoughts and feelings? Now, it is your turn. Tell me what you think. How would you feel if you and your immediate family were suppose to build and ark and be the only ones to survive a world flood? Please, leave a comment or feel free to contact me. Also, if you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please share it with your friends and family. If you haven't already, you may want to sign up to receive the Faith Blog in your inbox. Subscribers may even find a bonus in their inbox once in a while. |
Hi friends!
This is Jodi. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian and life-long learner. I enjoy sharing and encouraging others. I pray you are blessed by this blog. Thank you for being here. Archives
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