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“In like a lion, out like a lamb” usually refers to the month of March, but 2011 has had a jump start on that old American adage. With below freezing temperatures and several inches of snow across most of our country, it looks like January not only came in, and is now roaring through February like a lion as well! Hopefully, March will do the lamb thing! So much for the theory of “Global Warming” which the more elite scientists have debunked by proving that the earth has actually cooled by 2 degrees, since they began measuring the global temperature (“Origins”-CTV). God made this planet and He shall preserve it. “It is a world without end...Amen”. Yes, it will have had various alterations as it has had in the past, but it shall remain.


[If you want to see how the weather patterns have consistently fluctuated since Old Testament times, check with the CBN program, The 700 Club, (aired on 2/3/11). The guest speaker, Joe Bastardi, an Accuweather Meteorologist, did a short segment on the 3 reasons for periodic weather shifts: 1. Natural Reversal, 2. Solar Activity, and 3. Volcano Activity].


The Message Bible begins Genesis 1:1 with, “First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.”

So, we see in the very beginning, it looked nothing like it does now...yet all the current and necessary elements were present.


Several centuries later, the earth had undergone another tremendous change. Once again, it was reduced to water, which now supported an ark containing every species of animal known at that time. The large animals were youngsters, more than likely, yet old enough to fend for themselves. (Many Christian archaeologists believe from the pottery, drawings, etc. that have been found, that baby dinosaurs were on the ark as well)!


God told eight people to get on board this ark: Noah and his wife, and their three sons and their wives, with enough food to feed them all for about 2 years. They had to take a lot of food because Noah was also told to take 7 pairs of clean animals, male and female; 1 pair of unclean animals; and 7 pairs of every kind of bird. This was due to the judgment God was about to bring upon His first creation of Planet Earth.


Within the first 6 chapters of time, every human being on Earth had turned against God except for one righteous family. Genesis 6:4 speaks about the sons of God coming unto the daughters of men, and begetting giants. Many believe that these “sons” were fallen angels, but the scripture doesn't support that theory. Angels are sexless beings (Matt. 22:30). It is more than likely this refers to the line of Cain who chose not to follow God after the Eden exile.


Some may have wondered where Noah's sons' wives came from, who obviously were also from the line of Seth...so we can only surmise they were their sisters!


For 120 years Noah and his 3 sons, (Shem, Ham, and Japheth) toiled on this amazingly constructed ship designed by God. I'm sure, all the while, they were testifying to the neighbors, relatives, and curiosity seekers, that God the Father was telling them to build this vessel and WHY! God was heartsick over men's sin to the point of being sorry He ever made them. Terrible destruction was coming but even now anyone who would repent and believe Noah's message was welcome on board. All would be lost if they refused because the entire earth would be covered with water that was going to fall from the sky. But none believed, and probably laughed, since up to that time, the earth was watered from underground springs and people had never seen rain!


After all the animals quietly walked on board under the unction of the Holy Spirit, and everything was loaded, including Noah and his family, God waited another 7 days before HE sealed the door. When it began to rain, I believe the people realized that Noah was right, and beat on the door of the ark in terror...but it was too late. The entire Earth's population: human, animal, and even insects perished. Trees and even mountains were covered 22.5 feet above the highest peak, so that not even one bird could find a place to rest. The rain beat down so long and hard, not even a fly could take refuge on the roof of the ark.


Meanwhile, back inside, the adults fed and tended the young animals on that ship for over one year. By the time they were able to leave the ark, the animals were able to live on their own, as the waters had subsided and food was plentiful. Being a farmer, Noah probably kept several pairs of the clean animals to start their own farm. Just as he had stored grain on board ship to feed the animals for over a year, Noah also had to stock seed to plant their own crops, once the land was dry and tilled.


Genesis chapter 8 tell us how the water subsided. God caused the wind to blow and the floodwaters began to go down. The underground springs were shut off, the windows of Heaven closed and the rain quit. Inch by inch the waters lowered. (We know from Genesis 7, that Noah was 600 years, 2 months, and 10 days old, when God had sealed the ark after all were aboard. This was the first week Noah and family spent on board the ark, after all the work of getting the animals, everything that flew or crept upon the ground, and all the provisions loaded). After the week had ended,on the following day it began to rain. It rained 40 days and 40 nights, yet the ark gently floated upon the waters for 150 days. Genesis 8 continues on with the description of the subsiding of the water. By the time you get to verse 18, you realize that the humans and animals were shut up together in the ark for 1 year and 10 days!


When Noah opened the ark, all the animals, birds, and creeping things, disembarked in families. The Hoy Spirit remained in control. God's Presence had been upon all creatures as they gathered and made the journey to the ark; dwelt together inside the ark for over a year; and left the ark to go to their designated places with that same peace abiding upon them.


Genesis 8:20 tells us that Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean animal and bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. God was pleased and said to Himself that He would never again curse the ground because of man, for his heart is evil from his youth: neither would He ever again smite and destroy every living thing as He had done. It seems that God was in a no-win situation. He repented that He made man, then He felt bad that He had to destroy all that He had so lovingly created.


In verse 22, God also promised that while earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

(I cannot count the many times I have heard people say, “In the last days the weather is going to be so messed up that all the seasons will run together and you won't know when to plant your gardens”!) This verse should settle that error.


Genesis 9 begins with God pronouncing a blessing upon Noah and his sons and said to them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. God also said that every creature on the earth, in the air or under the sea, would be in fear of and under man's dominion. He also said that every plant and animal would be for food, but no flesh could be eaten with the blood still in it. The life is in the blood (Lev. 17:11). God promised that He would require an accounting and a reckoning of any man or beast who shed man's lifeblood; for man was made in the image of God.


God made a pledge to Noah, his sons, their descendants, every creature that came out of the ark, and their descendants, that never again would the earth be destroyed by flood. He said that every time it rains, God will set a rainbow in the clouds, as His everlasting covenant between Himself and all men and creatures upon the earth.


Genesis 9:20 is a bit of a mystery to me. One can take it as it reads, or there are two other possible interpretations. Here again, we cannot surmise, but need to seek truth. I have researched the resources that are available to me. One of the possible explanations that I heard many years ago just doesn't prove out...so I have dismissed that one. However, the other possibility seems very feasible, but I cannot prove it. Therefore, we must continue on with the teaching as it reads: “Noah began to cultivate the ground, and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine, became drunk, was uncovered, and lay naked in his tent”.


As the story unfolds: Noah's son, Ham, walked into the tent, saw his father passed out naked, went outside and told his brothers. The Bible does not infer that Ham laughed or made any disrespectful remark. It only says that he told his brothers. Obviously, the embarrassment would have been a huge enough of an offense. Shem and Japheth took a blanket, placed it across their shoulders, walked backward into the tent, and covered Noah. Since they were faced backward, they did not see the nakedness of their father.


When Noah awoke and knew what Ham had done, he cursed his youngest grandson, Canaan (Ham's son). He said “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servant shall he be unto his brethren. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant”.


I do not understand why Noah cursed Canaan for what his father did, but it was a prophetic utterance as much as an expression of anger. However, Noah did not see the final outcome of Canaan's line, or he would not have merely called them “servants of servants” (Duet.27:16) if he had foreseen their destruction, (Amp. Bible).

And Noah lived another 350 years after the flood, making him 950 years of age when he died.


At the end of last month's article we said that the flood established the Noahic Covenant as stated in Gen. 9:1-17, with Noah as the second Patriarch in the Patriarchal Age. The Third Dispensation (a period of time when man's obedience to God's will is tested): Human Government is now established (Gen. 8:20—11:9). Man utterly failed under the last two dispensations and now the declaration of the Noahic Covenant subjects humanity to a new test. Its distinctive feature for the first time is human government—the government of man by man. Man is now responsible to govern the world for God.


The elements of the Noahic Covenant are:


    (1). The relation of man to the earth under the Adamic Covenant is confirmed (Gen. 8:21).

    (2). The order of nature is confirmed (Gen. 8:22).

    (3). Human government is established (Gen. 9:1-6).

    (4). Earth is secured against another universal judgement by water Gen. 8:21—9:11).

    (5). A prophecy is given that from Ham will descend servants.

    (6). A prophecy is declared that Shem's line will have a special relationship with God.

    (7). A prophecy is given that the advanced races will come from Japheth's line. Sciences, the arts and governments have historically proven to have come through Japhath's line, thus exactly fulfilling this declaration.


God Bless You All,

Pastor Moser

February, 2011


W.O.W.


There are many Plan B's in our lives!