†. Gen 8:15-16 . . God spoke to Noah, saying: Come out of the ark,
together with your wife, your sons, and your sons' wives.
It began to rain on the 17th day of the second month of the 600th year of
Noah's life. The Earth was dry on the 27th day of the second month of his
601st year. So, reckoning time according to prophetic months of 30 days
each, and not counting the final day, Noah's crew was aboard the ark for a
total of 370 days; which is roughly 5 days over a solar year, and 10 days
over a prophetic year.
†. Gen 8:17 . . Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is
with you: birds, animals, and everything that creeps on earth; and
let them swarm on the earth and be fertile and increase on earth.
Noah had to let all the animals return to the wild. That must have been
tough. By now he and his family were probably very attached to those
creatures, even to the spiders and the flies. A lot of people were very upset
here in Oregon when Keiko the Orca was taken from the Newport aquarium
and moved to Iceland. You can't blame them. It's just a human weakness I
guess. People love animals; what can I say. Even Wall Street sociopaths--
who would throw their own children to the wolves to protect their position
--often love animals.
†. Gen 8:18-19 . . So Noah came out, together with his sons, his
wife, and his sons' wives. Every animal, every creeping thing, and
every bird, everything that stirs on earth came out of the ark by
families.
The word for "families" is from mishpachah (mish-paw-khaw') and means: a
circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or
sort (of things); by extension: a tribe or people.
Verse 19 strongly suggests that already in Noah's day living things were
ranked by type because they came out of the ark according to their species.
How they were ranked is uncertain. It may have been according to
intelligence, and then again, maybe by usefulness to Man. Some might put
the primates first because they are so smart; but I would put a higher value
on beasts of burden, and any other creature that best serves Man's domestic
needs; I mean, monkeys are cute but what were they really good for after
the Flood?
It must have been a stirring sight. Everyone soaking up the sun, stretching
their legs, and feeling brisk and cheerful. Like astronauts back from a long,
tedious space mission; they were all so happy to be home at last. No doubt
the rats and mice probably were content to remain in the ark where it was
nice and cozy, and I bet they eventually moved in with the Noahs after their
new home was built. Many of the smaller creatures, like non-winged insects
and moles and centipedes, can't really travel very fast so it must have taken
them a pretty long time to multiply and spread out; unless they found a way
to hitch a ride aboard the larger animals.
The big guys would take a considerable amount of time to get back up to
numbers. The gestation period of a meadow mouse is about 21 days and
they can have anywhere from four to six babies at a time. At the extreme
are the African elephants. Their gestation is about 660 days. So they don't
multiply very fast. White rhinoceros take 480 days, cows 284, giraffes 457,
zebras 365, moose 240, hippos 238, gorillas 258, and camels 406. Most of
the domestic birds-- turkeys, pigeons, geese, ducks, and chickens --all
incubate within a month or less. Critters with the longest gestations usually
have the fewest number of babies in a litter typically only one; and two at
the most. Since many of the clean type animals are of the larger species,
and therefore would take longer to multiply, it was wise to take along seven
pairs of those.
So; how did all the various species end up in their respective environs-- e.g.
arctic, rain forests, deserts, and tropical islands? Nobody really knows, but
we can take an educated guess.
According to an article in the October 2011 issue of National Geographic,
around 56 million years ago, the Atlantic Ocean had not fully opened up and
it was possible for animals to migrate from Asia through Europe and across
Greenland to North America. They wouldn't have encountered a speck of ice
because the earth was quite a bit warmer than today.
We suggested previously that with the knowledge we have today of the
science of plate tectonics, it isn't unreasonable to assume that God simply
crunched all the dry land together in order to facilitate migrations to the ark,
and left the land that way until the Flood was over and it was time for the
animals to go back where they came from.
Sometimes when I contemplate the earth's crust consisting of solid stone
like granite, schist, and gneiss; its seems impossible to me that any force
could crunch it; but in the hands of the earth's creator, what's solid to me is
little more than modeling clay to its maker.
As the planet's topography underwent continual alteration by enormous
geological forces, resulting in a variety of global climatic conditions, many
species became isolated and underwent some interesting adaptations and
mutations in order to become the highly specialized creatures that we find
living around the world today.
Classical evolution per se, is, I believe, an evil fantasy because it discounts
intelligent design and an outside source of all life. But Bible students have to
allow for a least a degree of genetic and somatic adaptations and mutations
or Genesis won't make any sense at all. It is just too unreasonable to
assume that the incredible variety of life existing in our world today all
existed during Noah's too. After all, every known variety of Man existing
today came from just eight people. If those eight are responsible for
producing all the different kinds of human beings in our world today, then
why couldn't the creatures aboard the ark have been the foundation for all
the varieties of non human life?
So; what happened to the ark? Well; the ark was shaped like what the whiz
kids call a right rectangular prism; which is nothing in the world but the
shape of a common shoe box. So most of the lumber used in its construction
was nice and straight; which is perfect for putting together houses, fences,
barns, corrals, stables, gates, hog troughs, mangers, and outhouses.
I think it's very safe to assume Noah and his boys dismantled the ark and
used the wood for many other purposes, including fires. Nobody cooked or
heated their homes or their bath and laundry water using refined fossil fuels
and electricity in those days, so everybody needed to keep on hand a pretty
fair-sized wood pile for their daily needs. There was probably plenty of drift
wood left behind by the Flood, but most of that would be water logged at
first. The ark's lumber, however, was treated. So underneath the pitch it was
still in pretty good shape and should have been preserved for many years to
come.
Some have objected that nobody in Noah's era had tools necessary for
milling trees into straight pieces of lumber. Well, I've no doubt it required
more than boards and planks to build a watercraft that was roughly 450'
long x 75' wide x 45' high. Noah would have needed stout beams too for the
framework. As to how he cut them; I don't know. But I do know that the
Bible's God provided the architectural drawings. Since that's the case, it is
not unreasonable to assume the Bible's God also provided the tools
necessary to complete the task He assigned Noah; and very, very possibly
chipped in to help out with the construction. When people fail to factor in the
Bible's God, they invariably end up mystified.
Others object that a wooden vessel the size of the ark would never
withstand the pounding of waves created by the Flood without steel
reinforcement. But again; those objectors typically fail to factor in the Bible
God's involvement in the project. You really think He left Noah, the ark, and
the only surviving beasts on the whole planet to the mercy of the elements?
With the Bible's God involved, even a house of cards would have survived
the Flood had He wished it to.
Cont.
/
together with your wife, your sons, and your sons' wives.
It began to rain on the 17th day of the second month of the 600th year of
Noah's life. The Earth was dry on the 27th day of the second month of his
601st year. So, reckoning time according to prophetic months of 30 days
each, and not counting the final day, Noah's crew was aboard the ark for a
total of 370 days; which is roughly 5 days over a solar year, and 10 days
over a prophetic year.
†. Gen 8:17 . . Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is
with you: birds, animals, and everything that creeps on earth; and
let them swarm on the earth and be fertile and increase on earth.
Noah had to let all the animals return to the wild. That must have been
tough. By now he and his family were probably very attached to those
creatures, even to the spiders and the flies. A lot of people were very upset
here in Oregon when Keiko the Orca was taken from the Newport aquarium
and moved to Iceland. You can't blame them. It's just a human weakness I
guess. People love animals; what can I say. Even Wall Street sociopaths--
who would throw their own children to the wolves to protect their position
--often love animals.
†. Gen 8:18-19 . . So Noah came out, together with his sons, his
wife, and his sons' wives. Every animal, every creeping thing, and
every bird, everything that stirs on earth came out of the ark by
families.
The word for "families" is from mishpachah (mish-paw-khaw') and means: a
circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or
sort (of things); by extension: a tribe or people.
Verse 19 strongly suggests that already in Noah's day living things were
ranked by type because they came out of the ark according to their species.
How they were ranked is uncertain. It may have been according to
intelligence, and then again, maybe by usefulness to Man. Some might put
the primates first because they are so smart; but I would put a higher value
on beasts of burden, and any other creature that best serves Man's domestic
needs; I mean, monkeys are cute but what were they really good for after
the Flood?
It must have been a stirring sight. Everyone soaking up the sun, stretching
their legs, and feeling brisk and cheerful. Like astronauts back from a long,
tedious space mission; they were all so happy to be home at last. No doubt
the rats and mice probably were content to remain in the ark where it was
nice and cozy, and I bet they eventually moved in with the Noahs after their
new home was built. Many of the smaller creatures, like non-winged insects
and moles and centipedes, can't really travel very fast so it must have taken
them a pretty long time to multiply and spread out; unless they found a way
to hitch a ride aboard the larger animals.
The big guys would take a considerable amount of time to get back up to
numbers. The gestation period of a meadow mouse is about 21 days and
they can have anywhere from four to six babies at a time. At the extreme
are the African elephants. Their gestation is about 660 days. So they don't
multiply very fast. White rhinoceros take 480 days, cows 284, giraffes 457,
zebras 365, moose 240, hippos 238, gorillas 258, and camels 406. Most of
the domestic birds-- turkeys, pigeons, geese, ducks, and chickens --all
incubate within a month or less. Critters with the longest gestations usually
have the fewest number of babies in a litter typically only one; and two at
the most. Since many of the clean type animals are of the larger species,
and therefore would take longer to multiply, it was wise to take along seven
pairs of those.
So; how did all the various species end up in their respective environs-- e.g.
arctic, rain forests, deserts, and tropical islands? Nobody really knows, but
we can take an educated guess.
According to an article in the October 2011 issue of National Geographic,
around 56 million years ago, the Atlantic Ocean had not fully opened up and
it was possible for animals to migrate from Asia through Europe and across
Greenland to North America. They wouldn't have encountered a speck of ice
because the earth was quite a bit warmer than today.
We suggested previously that with the knowledge we have today of the
science of plate tectonics, it isn't unreasonable to assume that God simply
crunched all the dry land together in order to facilitate migrations to the ark,
and left the land that way until the Flood was over and it was time for the
animals to go back where they came from.
Sometimes when I contemplate the earth's crust consisting of solid stone
like granite, schist, and gneiss; its seems impossible to me that any force
could crunch it; but in the hands of the earth's creator, what's solid to me is
little more than modeling clay to its maker.
As the planet's topography underwent continual alteration by enormous
geological forces, resulting in a variety of global climatic conditions, many
species became isolated and underwent some interesting adaptations and
mutations in order to become the highly specialized creatures that we find
living around the world today.
Classical evolution per se, is, I believe, an evil fantasy because it discounts
intelligent design and an outside source of all life. But Bible students have to
allow for a least a degree of genetic and somatic adaptations and mutations
or Genesis won't make any sense at all. It is just too unreasonable to
assume that the incredible variety of life existing in our world today all
existed during Noah's too. After all, every known variety of Man existing
today came from just eight people. If those eight are responsible for
producing all the different kinds of human beings in our world today, then
why couldn't the creatures aboard the ark have been the foundation for all
the varieties of non human life?
So; what happened to the ark? Well; the ark was shaped like what the whiz
kids call a right rectangular prism; which is nothing in the world but the
shape of a common shoe box. So most of the lumber used in its construction
was nice and straight; which is perfect for putting together houses, fences,
barns, corrals, stables, gates, hog troughs, mangers, and outhouses.
I think it's very safe to assume Noah and his boys dismantled the ark and
used the wood for many other purposes, including fires. Nobody cooked or
heated their homes or their bath and laundry water using refined fossil fuels
and electricity in those days, so everybody needed to keep on hand a pretty
fair-sized wood pile for their daily needs. There was probably plenty of drift
wood left behind by the Flood, but most of that would be water logged at
first. The ark's lumber, however, was treated. So underneath the pitch it was
still in pretty good shape and should have been preserved for many years to
come.
Some have objected that nobody in Noah's era had tools necessary for
milling trees into straight pieces of lumber. Well, I've no doubt it required
more than boards and planks to build a watercraft that was roughly 450'
long x 75' wide x 45' high. Noah would have needed stout beams too for the
framework. As to how he cut them; I don't know. But I do know that the
Bible's God provided the architectural drawings. Since that's the case, it is
not unreasonable to assume the Bible's God also provided the tools
necessary to complete the task He assigned Noah; and very, very possibly
chipped in to help out with the construction. When people fail to factor in the
Bible's God, they invariably end up mystified.
Others object that a wooden vessel the size of the ark would never
withstand the pounding of waves created by the Flood without steel
reinforcement. But again; those objectors typically fail to factor in the Bible
God's involvement in the project. You really think He left Noah, the ark, and
the only surviving beasts on the whole planet to the mercy of the elements?
With the Bible's God involved, even a house of cards would have survived
the Flood had He wished it to.
Cont.
/
