A New World Begins

Chapter Eight

8:1-4

“AND God remembered Noah”—Much is said in the Scriptures to indicate that God’s interest in his covenant people, and his care for them, have often been the reason for important decisions and moves on his part. Because God “remembered Abraham” he made provision for Lot to escape from the cities of the plain which were destroyed. (Gen. 19:29) “God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob,” and delivered the Hebrew children from Egyptian bondage. (Exod. 2:24) From a scientific standpoint the waters of the flood would doubtless have abated in any event, but God honored his servant Noah by this beautiful token of his remembrance of him.

We have in these verses a very colorful description of how the “fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped,” followed by the gradual receding of the flood waters until the ark rested “upon the mountains of Ararat.” It would be difficult to analyze the meaning of this language accurately, and with sufficient detail to know exactly all that is involved in the narrative. It is enough for us to know that in the New Testament both Jesus and Peter confirm the record; and Peter tells us that with the drying up of the Deluge there began a new world, referred to by Paul as this “present evil world.”—Gal. 1:4

The name Ararat means holy ground. It is well to note that the word “mountains” is used in the plural, and it is believed by scholars that the reference is to a mountainous district of Asia, and that it was the ancient name for a portion of Armenia. In its biblical sense it is descriptive generally of the Armenian highlands—the lofty plateau which overlooks the plain of the Araxes on the north and of Mesopotamia on the south.

It is probable that the ark rested on one of the lower portions of the range, rather than on the lofty peak to which Europeans have given the name Ararat. This latter in reality has two peaks, the higher of which is more than 17,000 feet. The lower is about 4,000 feet less. The higher peak is covered perpetually with snow for a distance of 3,000 feet down from the summit.

Many sensational and highly speculative stories recur from time to time about the ark having been discovered, buried—and thus preserved—in this snow and ice. It is quite unlikely, however, that the ark landed at so high an elevation. Great climatic changes occurred at the time of the flood which probably left these lofty peaks embedded in ice and snow as the flood waters receded, hence if the ark had remained on either one of them it would have been impossible for Noah and his family and the animals to have escaped.

It has been suggested that God has probably preserved the ark, and in due time will display it as a testimony to unbelievers. This hardly seems necessary in view of his plan to raise the dead, which will include Noah and his family. A testimony from them should, and will, convince all doubting Thomases; not only because they were on the scene when it occurred, but because they themselves will be living testimonies of a still greater miracle, even the resurrection of the dead.

8:5-12

Noah’s method of determining the degree to which the waters of the flood had receded from time to time, was unique. A close study of this narrative is quite revealing. Verse four tells us that on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark rested—meaning, evidently, that the water was not deep enough over that territory to keep it afloat. But, according to the fifth verse, it was more than two months after this before the tops of the mountains were seen.

Forty days after this, Noah sent forth a raven, which did not return; then a dove, which did return. He waited another seven days, and sent forth the dove again, and it returned with an olive twig. In other words, it took five months for the waters to recede sufficiently for the ark to rest on the ground, and only four months after this the dove found an olive tree. This would seem to prove that the ark did not rest on either of the high peaks now known as Ararat, for the speed with which the waters were receding would not, in that case, have left the earth dry in so short a time thereafter.

8:13,14

Here again we have a very accurate statement of a date—Noah’s six hundredth and first year, the first month, and the first day of the month. This is an example of the exactness with which chronological records are kept in the Bible. It is on the basis of this sort of time keeping that we have confidence in biblical chronology, a chronology which reveals that Adam and Eve were created 6,077 years ago.

8:15-19

In these verses we have a completion of the narrative of the manner in which Noah and his family, as well as a nucleus of the lower animals, were transferred from the “world that then was” to this “present evil world.”—II Pet. 3:6; Gal. 1:4

8:20-22

This is the second mention in the Scriptures of God’s servants offering sacrifice to him. The first was the case of Abel. God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice, and he was also pleased with Noah’s. It may have been partly in anticipation of this that God commanded Noah to take more than two of all clean animals into the ark.

God’s promise here that he would not again curse the earth evidently means that he would not curse it additionally. Certainly the original curse was not removed by the flood. God’s promise not to again smite every living thing can be depended upon. When Jesus described the great tribulation with which the present world is coming to an end, he said that those days would be shortened in order to prevent the destruction of all flesh.

“While the earth remaineth”—Other scriptures assure us that “the earth abideth forever,” and that God “created it not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited.” (Eccles. 1:4; Isa. 48:16) God’s promise to maintain human life on the earth is made in this passage—as the margin indicates—even though the imaginations of men’s hearts are evil continually. God loves his human creatures, and has made provision for them through the redemptive work of Christ to live forever on the earth if obedient, but in still another world—the world to come “wherein dwelleth righteousness.”—II Pet. 3:13

Chapter Nine

9:1

Noah and his family had demonstrated their faith in God by their obedience to him, and now God’s blessing was upon them, and through them a new world was established. God commanded Noah and his sons to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. This command is very similar to the one given to Adam at the beginning of the “world that was”—the world that came to an end as a result of the Deluge. Just as that world became wicked sand was destroyed, so the world which began with Noah and his family also became corrupt, and is designated by the Apostle Paul as “this present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4) This world is even now coming to an end in a “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.”—Dan. 12:1

9:2

When God created man he gave him dominion over all the lower animals, and apparently that dominion was exercised in a peaceful manner, and without instilling fear into the animals. The animals, for example, were brought before Adam to be named, indicating that they were obedient to him. How different is the statement found in this verse—“the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth.” The reason for this change is undoubtedly the fact that man had fallen from perfection and now could control the animal kingdom only through coercion.

9:3

Probably another reason the lower animals from this time, onward would be fearful of man was because they were to be slaughtered to provide him with food. This text would seem to indicate that meat was not eaten before the flood. The herbs of the field had previously been given to man for food, but now the Lord also gave him meat for food.

9:4-7

In these verses is given one of the early hints of the Scriptures concerning the importance of blood in God’s provision of life for man. “The life of the flesh is in the blood,” the Scriptures declare (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11), and that is the reason the Lord emphasizes that without the shedding of blood there can be no remission for sin. (Heb. 9:22) When the Scriptures speak of Jesus shedding his blood for the life of the world the thought is that he gave his life, that he “poured out his soul unto death.”—Isa. 53:12

9:8-17

The word “covenant is used seven times in these verses, indicating the great importance God attached to the promise he made never again to destroy all flesh with a flood of waters. And, according to the Scriptures, all flesh will not again be destroyed by any other means. Even in the great “time of trouble” which brings this “present evil world” to an end, we have the Lord’s promise that it will be shortened before all flesh is destroyed. (Matt. 24:22) This proves that the prophetic end of the world is not the destruction of the earth, but merely of an order of things existing on the earth. “The earth abideth forever,” and is to be man’s everlasting home.—Eccles. 1:4; Isa. 45:18; Psalm 115:16

This is the first mention in the Scriptures of the rainbow. No rainbow had appeared before the flood because of the unusual atmospheric conditions which then existed. It had not rained, the Scriptures tell us, but instead a mist went up to water the earth. (Gen. 2:5,6) This indicates that dense clouds hovered over the earth continually, and this of course would preclude the possibility of there being a rainbow.

The sudden precipitation of the “waters above the firmament” not only caused the flood, but also cleared the atmosphere, making possible the appearance of the rainbow. The rainbow was therefore an evidence that the dense canopy of vapors which previously had encircled the earth, no longer existed, hence was a proof, a “token,” that there would never be another flood.

9:18, 19

Nearly all the names used it the Bible have a special significance attached to them. Shem means “name,” Ham means “hot,” or “sunburnt,” while Japheth means “enlargement.” The following chapter indicates the different portions of the earth occupied by the descendants of these three sons of Noah.

9:20-27

One reason we can have confidence in the Bible is because of its frankness in relating historical facts, even though they may not always be complimentary to those involved. It tells us that Noah “walked with God,” yet does not hesitate to relate the fact of his becoming intoxicated with wine made from his own vineyard. (Gen. 6:9) This is the first time wine is mentioned in the Bible, and evidently because prior to the flood the atmospheric conditions surrounding the earth were not conducive to fermentation; which might well explain why Noah became intoxicated—that is, through lack of experience. If fruit juices did not ferment prior to the flood, Noah could not be blamed for not realizing what effect the fermented grape juice would have upon him.

This narrative is furnished apparently because of its bearing on the curse placed upon Ham. The fact that Ham and his descendants were to be servants of other people has led to the belief that he is the father of the colored races. Perhaps also the fact that his name signifies “sunburnt,” has a bearing on this viewpoint.

9:28, 29

Noah lived to be twenty years older than Adam, who died when he was 930 years of age. Methuselah was the oldest of the ancients, living to the ripe old age of 969 years. The average length of human life decreased rapidly after the flood. The change of atmospheric conditions doubtless had much to do with this. There was also the fact that each succeeding generation was getting farther away from man’s original perfection. Later the general expectancy of life for fallen man was declared to be “threescore years and ten.”—Psalm 90:10

Chapter Ten

10:1-5

The descendants of Japheth (enlargement) occupied the “isles of the Gentiles”—generally supposed to be the coast lands of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe and Asia Minor; whence they spread northward over the whole continent of Europe and a considerable portion of Asia.

10:6, 7

In the Scriptures, Egypt is identified as being the land of Ham. See Psalms 78:51; 105:23; and 106:22. Cush, a son of Ham, and his descendants, the Cushites, appear to have spread along tracts extending from the higher Nile to the Euphrates and Tigris. History affords many traces of this relation of Babylonia, Arabia, and Ethiopia.

The name Mizraim, given to another of Ham’s sons, is a term frequently used in the Old Testament to denote Egypt. It is the plural, or dual, of Mazor, and its dual meaning probably refers to Upper and Lower Egypt. The use of this name is a further confirmation as to the territory occupied by the Hamites.

Phut was another son of Ham. The few mentions of this name in the Bible clearly indicate a country, or people of Africa, and probably not far from Egypt.—Nahum 3:9

Canaan was the fourth son of Ham, and the progenitor of the Phoenicians (Zidon), and of the various nations who before the Israelites’ conquest peopled the seacoast of Palestine, and generally the whole country west of the Jordan. The inhabitants of this whole area were called Canaanites.

10:8-10

The name Nimrod means “upstart” or “rebellion,” and evidently indicates his rebellious attitude toward God. The statement that he was a “mighty hunter before the Lord” might well mean that through his skill and strength in hunting he put himself ahead of the Lord in the eyes of the people. The Jewish historian Josephus says of him:

“Nimrod persuaded mankind not to ascribe their happiness to God, but to think that his own excellency was the source of it. And he soon changed things into a tyranny, thinking there was no other way to wean men from the fear of God than by making them rely upon his own power.”

Nimrod was the founder of Babylon, and Babylon became typical of the great counterfeit system of Christianity which developed during the present Gospel age, referred to in the Book of Revelation as that great city which ruleth over the kings of the earth. It seems evident, therefore, that even in those early days shortly after the flood Satan again began his efforts to oppose God and righteousness.

10:11-14

The Hebrew form of the name Asshur is Assyria. Through this son, Nimrod extended his kingdom, and Nineveh became the capital of Assyria. It is believed that Lehabim was the progenitor of the Libyans, who later inhabited the northern part of Africa.

10:15-20

The name Heth mentioned in this geneological list, means “terror,” and he is thought to be the forefather of the Hittites. While all the names mentioned in these verses recur elsewhere in the Scriptures, and the places mentioned can be identified, they are relatively unimportant in so far as the plan of God is concerned. The detail with which Moses records this information, however, is impressive, and indicates the accuracy with which historical records of that time were kept.

10:21-32

The portion of the earth occupied by the descendants of Shem begins at its northwestern extremity with Lydia, and includes Syria (Asshur), Chaldea (Arphaxad), parts of Assyria (Asshur), Persia (Elam), and of the Arabian peninsula (Joktan). Modern scholars have given the name of Shemite or Semitic to the languages spoken by his real or supposed descendants.

“By these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood,” wrote Moses. (Verse 32) Thus does he sum up his outline of the manner in which the descendants of Noah spread out and began to fill the earth. The remarkable part of this is that no authentic historical records apart from the one thus given in the Bible furnish this information. We hear much, for example, about the Semitic races, but no book except the Bible gives any indication of their origin, at least not in the concise manner in which it is presented in the Bible. And every archeological discovery in this ancient cradle of the race helps to substantiate the accuracy of the biblical record.

Chapter Eleven

11:1-9

This is one of the most interesting chapters of the Bible. It begins with the story of men’s attempt to unite and protect themselves within the shadow of a great tower, which they were to use as a symbol of their unity. Then it tells us how God frustrated this effort, and it ends by introducing Abram (Abraham), the one through whose seed God purposed to bless all nations by uniting them under Christ, when, in the “dispensation of the fulness of times” he will “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him.”—Eph. 1:10

Shinar is believed to be Babylonia. It was a plain country where brick had to be used for stone, and slime for mortar. It has been suggested that Shinar was the name by which the Hebrews knew the country, and that it was probably first given to the territory by Abraham, when he went there from “Ur of the Chaldees.”

The motive for building the Tower of Babel is said to be that of a desire for unity—“let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” The thought we get from this is that the “name,” together with the tower, were to serve as a symbol of unity and strength. It was a form of worship calculated to divert the mind from God, the only true source of oneness and protection.

God’s interference with this plan illustrates the truth elsewhere taught in the Scriptures, that while he has permitted sin to reign in the earth, it has not been without restrictions. He permits selfish man to go only so far. God is able to make the wrath of man to praise him when he so wills, otherwise he may restrain it.

It was here that the language harriers of earth were first set up, and how effectively they have prevented all nations from forming a giant combine apart from God, and in defiance of him! It is not God’s will, however, that the nations of earth shall always be scattered and at odds with one another, for later, through Jacob, he promised the coming of “Shiloh,” and said that unto him there would be a genuine gathering of the people. (Gen. 49:10) It will be then, also, that the Lord will turn to the people a pure language, and they will all call upon him, and serve him with one consent. (Zeph. 3:8,9) His glorious name, not the name of a tower, or a city, will then be the bond that will unite them in peace and in righteousness.

Here was the origin of the name “Babel,” meaning confusion. This later became Babylon; and the significance of the name, derived from the circumstances of its origin, is undoubtedly one of the reasons the Lord uses it in the Book of Revelation to symbolize that false system of Christianity which has so greatly confused the worship of the true God with the worship of men and of devils, and promoted conflicting, God-dishonoring creeds which blaspheme his name.

11:10-32

Here we have another link in the Bible’s chronological chain. It furnishes us with the number of years from the flood to the time when God entered into a covenant with Abraham. It can be briefly set forth as follows:

“Shem … begat Arphaxad two years after the flood.”	2	years
Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begat Salah.	35	“
Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber.	30	“
Eber lived thirty-four years, and begat Peleg.	34	“
Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu.	30	“
Reu lived thirty-two years, and begat Serug.	32	“
Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor.	30	“
Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begat Terah.	29	“
“And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.”	205	“
	----
Total	427	years

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