Sunday, March 3, 2013

Genesis 7 and 8: What's With the Waiting?

Genesis 7 and 8 : What’s With the Waiting?

So… I quickly perused chapters 7 and 8, but when I went back over them some important details hit me.

If you ask how long Noah was on the ark, many may say 40 days and 40 nights…. but that is how long it RAINED. Noah and family were actually on the ark over a year. Can you imagine being holed up with your family? Alone? We may love our families dearly, but when you can’t run out to the store or walk around the block to get away… all that togetherness may take its toll. However, I think the uncertainty of what lay before them would have been more stressful. What is going to happen when the door opens? Is Dad nuts? Did God really speak to him? And what is up with the water falling from the sky?
Remember, up to this point water had only come up out of the ground. I’m sure Noah’s family was thinking of what lay behind them. The friends they lost. The lives that would never be the same. And in the midst of lamenting what was behind them they had to deal with the fear of what may lie ahead.

You only hear about the animals going in 2 by 2. But of CLEAN animals, God told them to take 7 each. A clean animal was one that was pure, or perfect. God was planning ahead. Since all animals were going to be destroyed, Noah had to take extras with him so he had some on hand when he had to offer a thank offering or sacrifice to the Lord.

So they’re on the ark a long time. Here is my question. They sent birds out several times to see if the water had dried up. The first few times the results were negative. And they had to wait another week to try it again, while the water slowly receded. My beef with God would be… Why make me wait? Here I have been on this boat for over a year. You miraculously sent the flood… can’t you just as miraculously dry up the water?? Now that everything is dead, can’t you just get out the cosmic shop-vac and take the water and debris away? What is the purpose of making me wait?? Obviously, there are reasons I wasn’t born to be Noah. But still… what was the purpose of the waiting time? If you have any theories, or better yet, revelation… please share.

Like Noah, I wait. I wait for the flood to recede. I wait for my ship to come in. I wait for the phone to ring. I wait for the acceptance email. And I wonder WHY I have to wait one more day. What is the point? Am I learning something? Should I be?
waiting
When the door came open, and Noah and family left the ark… what was the very first thing he did? He took one of EVERY clean animal, and EVERY clean bird, and he offered a sacrifice. Burnt offerings on the altar. Genesis 8:21 says “And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma.” Noah’s offerings were pleasing to God…and God says that EVEN THOUGH He knows that man’s heart and intentions are evil, He will God never destroy man again “while the earth remains.”

I wonder…. if I got off the ark after a year, what would be the first thing I would do? Here’s what I am ashamedly thinking…. I think I would run and skip and jump and find a little pond to take a bath. Then I would scope out a nice little spot for my hut, and plan my future. And then… when I felt “settled” I would offer thanks to God. Not Noah.  His thank offering was the FIRST thing he did. That is where I fail daily. I need to think of me, less… and of HIM and His goodness to me, MORE.

No comments:

Post a Comment