A New Beginning and a New Promise brings forth many questions. How long was Noah and family on board the Ark? How long did it take for the water to lower? What promise did God make? What was man’s new beginning? Were there in new rules? What was the Rainbow Covenant?
How long was Noah and family on board the Ark? From childhood up I have heard that it rained 40 days and 40 nights and I am sure that I am not the only one that concluded that when it stopped raining, Noah and family could leave the ark. WRONG! That is only how long it rained. The water did not start to lower until 150 days and was about 361 to 370 days before Noah could leave the ark. According to Creation.Com (Creation Ministries International):
“Between 361 and 370 days.” “At the time of the worldwide Flood, the Hebrew calendar was based on the movement of the moon (lunar), rather than the sun (solar). Each month had 29.53 days,1 but this was rounded to 29 days for some months and to 30 for others.2 The lunar year was 354.36 days long, compared to the solar year of 365.3 days.” Journal of Creation 22(1):62–64, April 2008 (Earnest et al., ref. 1, p. 20.) They back this by when it started the flooding process, “Genesis 7:11 KJV In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” The Noah family exited, “Genesis 8:13-14 KJV And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
After leaving the Ark and setting free all the animals to breed and replenish themselves; Noah built an alter to God and presented God with sacrifices.
“Genesis 8:20 KJV And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”
The bible tells us that Noah’s sacrifices touched God’s heart and he promised never to curse the ground again for man’s sin nor kill everything again. He also promised as long as the earth exists there will always be planting and harvesting, cold and heat, seasons of summer and winter, and day and night.
“Genesis 8:21-22 KJV And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
Wait a minute, does that mean there will be a time his promise will come to an end? Unfortunately (or fortunately) depending on how you look at it and your relationship with God. After the Great Tribulation there will be a new earth and a new heaven that only those whose names are found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, will be a part of it.
God blessed Noah and his sons and gave them their new roles. They were to populate the earth and be over all other life. He instructed them on what they were allowed to eat. He also said not to tear apart a live creature or eat a live creature or drink its blood.
“Genesis 9:1-4 KJV And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. 3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. 4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.”
There is one important new rule that I see. Today many disregard this rule and the value of life has decreased. Before the Great Flood, Cain murdered Abel and Cain’s descendant (Lamech) murdered at least two people. God cursed the ground that Cain resided on and made him a vagabond. Cain was marked so no man would kill him during his punishment. Lamech was also allowed to live. This all changes after the flood.
“Genesis 9:6 KJV Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”
God made a covenant (contract) with Noah, all his family that follows him and all the creatures of earth that he would never flood the whole earth again by a flood. As a reminder to Him and to man he would put a rainbow in the cloud.
“Genesis 9:12-17 KJV And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”
Stand Up for Jesus Christ 