Answers for a study in the book of Genesis, Chapter 8

“Answers for a study in the book of Genesis” is a weekly post in addition to the regular “apologetics” posts on the weekend where the original questions can be found at the bottom of the study, and then answers appear here mid-week. This gives you time to do your own research, and then check your answers. Keep in mind these will be basic answers with a little depth, but you can go much deeper for discussion if you’d like.

2.  Chapter 8 begins with: “God remembered Noah…” (Note: Keep in mind that Hebrew language uses terminology that is picturesque, and it is purposeful when God is given human characteristics in order for the reader to understand. It was at this point God stopped the flood—He had not forgotten Noah). What does the Scripture say about how and when God stopped the flood (8:1-5)?

“But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained; and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of one hundred and fifty days the water decreased. In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. The water decreased steadily until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible.”  Genesis 8:1-5

“God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. He also closed the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky, and restrained the rain. The waters then receded steadily, and at the end of 150 days the water decreased. In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. The water decreased steadily until the tenth month.” Note: The language indicates that the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky was something different than just regular rain – a catastrophe never seen before, and never again.

3.  How long did it take for the floodwaters to recede in order to see the tops of the mountains, and how much time did it take before the earth was dry enough for Noah to leave the Ark (8:3-14)?

220 days for the tops of the mountains to appear; 364 days for Noah to leave the Ark.

Discuss: Would “receding of the waters” have an effect such as we see in places like the Grand Canyon? Why, or why not?

“and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of one hundred and fifty days the water decreased. In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. The water decreased steadily until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible. Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land; but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth. Then he put out his hand and took her, and brought her into the ark to himself. So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark. The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth. Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again. Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.”  Genesis 8:3-14

The violent and catastrophic nature of a global flood would have been even more destructive as waters receded. The pulling and scraping of the land masses and dam breaks, along with large debris runoffs, would have drastically reshaped the Earth’s crust. In addition, the upward and downward thrusts of the Earth’s crust would have caused mountains to rise and valleys to fall; it would have caused massive and swift movement of the plates (plate tectonics) as we see evidenced in the break-away pieces of the major continents of the Earth. Scientists have measured and reported that all of the water on the Earth, if the continents were level, would cover the Earth up two miles or more above the land mass.

4.  What did God tell Noah when they exited the Ark and why (8:15-19, and also in 9:7)?

God told Noah to go out from the Ark, him, his family and all the animals, and be fruitful and multiply. In 9:7 God specifically said to “populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.” This was important as it designated a specific purpose for males and females and the importance of having offspring, not only to continue the species, but for humans to continue the legacy of God’s truth. The “next generation” of humans are always important, not just for survival and continuation of a species, but for “knowing” the story of God, His plan and purpose.

5.  What did Noah do after leaving the Ark, and what specifically did God say to him about “man’s heart” (8:20-22)? Discuss:  Do you think humans are born basically good or basically evil? Can you defend your answer Biblically?

“Noah built an alter to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the alter.” God accepted Noah’s offering and said “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”  Genesis 8:20-22

Discuss Note (answers may vary here): The culture we live in today teaches that humans are born basically good and that we learn to be bad or evil. Is that not Satan’s deception at work, always in opposition to God’s Word? According to God’s Word, the knowledge of good and evil became part of the human experience at the Fall (Genesis 3:15). From that point on we are born from our original parents (Adam and Eve) and possess their DNA which includes a bent towards doing evil. This is easily proven when we watch small children left to their own devices, and this plays out into adulthood if not tamed. What we discover is that we are basically selfish, lustful and self-indulgent. In reality we must work at, and learn to be good. Even at that, Jesus said, no one is really good except God, and, even though we might try, all our works are like filthy rags, according Scripture. We need Jesus to stand in the gap for us before our holy, righteous and just God, and thus the need to be born again through the death, blood and resurrection of Jesus.

6.  Going Deeper: How long was it between the start of the flood (go back to chapter 7) and when Noah left the Ark? Write out your timeline/calculations.

Information taken from Creation Ministries International (creation.com):

The number of days given is the total amount of time Noah was on board the Ark with his family and the animals: 364, not 370 or 377, as is usually supposed. Note that this analysis assumes that Noah did not enter the Ark until the rains actually began to fall and the fountains of the deep began to open, pairing verses 7:11 and 7:13 as referring to the same day. 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, but this was rounded to 29 days for some months and to 30 for others. The lunar year was 354.36 days long, compared to the solar year of 365.3 days.

Note: The fact that God’s Word includes dates, amount of time and other specific details of the Flood, indicates it was a factual (not mythical) event.

Bible	(Date on the lunar calendar) Events and activities	Length of time mentioned	Running total of days
7:6– 10	Noah gathered the animals onto the Ark and waited.	7 days	0 days on board
7:11– 16	(2nd month, 17th day) Rain began to fall, so Noah entered the Ark with his family.	Heavy rain for 40 days	40 days on board the Ark
7:17– 24	The waters swelled on the earth until all of the mountains were covered and all the land creatures and people had died.	150 days	150 days on the Ark
8:1–4	(7th month, 17th day) God sends a wind and stops the water and rain. The Ark runs aground at Ararat.	The end of 150 days	150 days (same as above)
8:5	(10th month, 1st day) The waters keep receding and the mountain tops appear.	No length of time mentioned	220 days (29.53 x 8 – 16)
8:6 9	Noah sent out a raven and then a dove, but both return to the Ark unsuccessful.	40 days	260 days
8:10– 11	Noah sends out the dove again and it brings back an olive branch.	7 days later	267 days
8:12	Noah sent out the dove and it did not return to the Ark.	7 days later	274 days
8:13	(1st month, 1st day) Noah removed the Ark’s covering and saw dry ground.	No length of time mentioned	309 days (29.53 x 11 – 16)
8:14– 20	(2nd month, 27th day) The earth had dried out sufficiently and Noah left the Ark with all of the animals.	No length of time mentioned	A total of 364 days on board (29.53 x 12 + 10)

Please continue to join us as we read and study the Bible as part of our Christian Apologetics’ class each week!