As I read about the flood, I wondered if God's decision to "blot" out mankind/animals is carried over into today, essentially a reversal of Creation through fires/hurricanes/typhoons/earthquakes, etc. Yes, God was angered with man, but after the flood he made the covenant with Noah -the rainbow being the sign established between God and Noah that the earth would never again be destroyed by a flood. Further, in 8:21, God says that He will never again curse the ground because of man...so I guess that answers that!
Question: If all mankind was blotted out, things on dry ground and every living thing that was on the face of the ground were blotted out, then wouldn't that mean that water creatures survived? Unless the water is considered the face of the ground...
So, God found pleasure in Noah and spared him and his family. Just as we are, Noah was a sinful man, yet he was spared. Isn't that encouraging? To know that even though we are sinful, God can choose us to carry out His plan. He HAS chosen us already.
Note: Both clean and unclean animals were brought onto the ark- clean ones that would later be used for sacrifice (8:20 Noah builds an altar for the Lord- as a sign of atonement and also to indicate that God’s attitude had changed. It expresses tranquility and also gratitude for divine deliverance). I'm not exactly sure why sacrifices and altars were made- even though they were to the Lord, but I'm sure I'll uncover more about it as I read on.
Remember my comment on vegetables? Well, in 9:2 God allows man to have rule over every beast/bird/fish, “Into your hand they are delivered.” This is the point where God allows man to eat meat. Did I mention I love meat?!
Yeah, i was wanting to read when meat was available for consumption - i LOVE MEAT too.
ReplyDeleteMeat. . . yummmm! :) But question: verse 4 of chapter 9 says not to eat meat with its lifeblood still in it. What does that really mean?
ReplyDeleteFunny, I thought the same thing about the water animals. And why did animals need to be blotted out for the sin of man? Didn't you find verse 6 of chapter 6 interesting? "The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth. . . ." I find this so sad, but so confusing, too. If God is God and He is omniscient, then didn't he know that this was going to happen? Grieve means "to feel great sorrow, to distress mentally." Maybe it's like when someone passes away after a long illness - you know they are going to die, but it doesn't make the pain any less. This verse does encourage me, though, not to do anything that would cause God to grieve because of me.
love verse 22:"Noah did everything just as God commanded him." Don't you want that said of you one day? To be that faithful to God. What a testimony!
Lastly, what a bum deal for Canaan! And he wasn't even the one who sinned. I don't get it, or why God would honor the curse called out by a man.
The Torah prohibits consumption of blood. Lev. 7:26-27; Lev. 17:10-14. This is the only dietary law that has a reason specified in Torah: we do not eat blood because the life of the animal (literally, the soul of the animal) is contained in the blood. This applies only to the blood of birds and mammals, not to fish blood. Thus, it is necessary to remove all blood from the flesh
ReplyDeleteof kosher animals.
As to the curse of Canaan, this may explain it.
http://www.theologyonline.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-13268.html
Fred. (for some reason I can't select my name to post)
I checked out that link. Thanks for posting it, Fred. Interesting take on the story. I'd never heard that position before.
ReplyDelete