Down in the Flood

Genesis 6-8

It seems the more I read, the less I know.

Here's the important message I get from this passage: Even when God is at His most irate, He is still merciful. He's ready to wipe out virtually all He's created- yet still thinks of His servant Noah. It's good to know that in the midst of potential wrath- Hes till loves His children- and that soft spot should be more than enough to let us feel His grace.

Sometimes though, it's a real challenge to believe that I'm "Noah" and not a scoffer (or just sinking sinner) lost in the flood.

OK -more random thoughts, queries and confusions:

Chapter 6 begins with a description of the evolution of mating rituals of the human race. It seems that God's children started to go "outside the family" and mate with those who were "daughters of men." Where did these daughters come from? Is this an implication of so much more that was created outside the scope of the garden? When Adam and Eve left their home- was there a whole world waiting there for them? Or is the language here just confusing and the chronology just a little altered?

It seems these unions created a race of giants. OK-that's really cool- why don't I remember ever hearing that before in a Bible class?

In God's anger (I assume it's anger- since it's in response to the mating) He reduces man's lifespan to a mere 120 years. Is there any modern day application here? With modern technology and scientific advancements, we don't come close to this often...just why is that?

If God is angry at the evil in men's hearts, why is it he destroys the animals? Is it just so the ratio between man and beast won't be all out of kilter once the waters evaporate? Is it because the animals are meant for man's pleasure and there won't be too many of them to please in the next chunk of time?

Is there some irony in the fact that because of the violence on the earth (6:13), at least in part anyway-God chooses to virtually wipe out mankind? It must make sense- it feels sacreligious just to type it- but this violence for violence thing is a little puzzling.

Toward the end of chapter 6 we see all the ark particulars. Over the course of my life I've heard that section used as justification for what I would deem legalism. See- you must follow God's law to the letter to please Him. He told Noah to build the ark450 feet wide. If Noah had done it 430 feet, it wouldn't be obedience. This concept seems not only silly (yet haunting) but dangerous. We don't have the ability to do it all just right- and that's what Jesus's death and resurrection was for- so in light of that- what do we need all these specifications for?

Jana just reminded me that we heard in a Bible class recently that these same ratios are used in contemporary ship building. Noah would never have known how to do this on his own- and maybe these instructions are (at least) 2-fold. 1) The boat willwork for My purpose if you follow the blue print and2) thousands of years later- men will see how far ahead of the technological curve I was and know that I am God.

Seems cool to think that all the animals came to Noah for boarding on the ark- I don't think I've ever envisioned it that way before- but it must have been pretty cool to experience- a gentle stampede, with noone hurt, but all ready to get on your big boat.Gathering all food known to man seems like quite a task. I wonder how they kept the ice cream frozen.

It seems that the instructions in chapter 6 (2 ofeverything) change when we get to chapter 7(2 of some,7 [7 pairs perhaps?] of others). Is chapter 7 a more detailed version of the same account? Does God changeHis mind?

I'm guessing that fish aren't part of the all animal decree- I'm also guessing that fish were quite a common meal for the Noahs after leaving the ship while the animals procreated. I assume that their production began on the boat- yet another issue for them all to deal with.

Can you imagine the smell in that boat over that period of time? Can you imagine not leaving a boat for that period of time? Can you imagine not being annoyed at every other person on the boat before the door opened to let them all out?

Why does Noah choose the birds he does to see if all's clear? Why the raven? Why the dove?
At this point, how does Noah know what constitutes a clean animal and what is unclean? He's 601 at the end of this chapter- a little beyond the 120 mentiond inchapter 6. Is this a reward from God for hisGodliness?

I've got plenty of questions- just not too many answers.