Genesis 7-11 Devotional (Daily Bible Reading for January 3 (Day 3))
Genesis 7-11 Reading in the English Standard Version or the New International Version.
Summary
God remembered Noah and all the living things that were in the Ark
After 40 days, God remembered Noah and all the living things that were in the Ark. Consequently, after a further 150 days, He sent a wind to blow over the earth, which caused the waters to subside (Genesis 7:24-8:1).
He also closed the fountains and heaven so that after 150 days, the water had receded and the ark had settled on the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:2-4). And after 2 and 1/2 months, Noah could have seen the tops of mountains (Genesis 8:5).
Noah established that the waters were completely dried up
But Noah waited 40 days before he opened a window and sent a raven which went to and fro till the waters dried up (Genesis 8:6-7). He then sent a dove which came back, but after 7 days, he sent it out and it came back with an olive leaf, and he knew the waters had subsided (Genesis 8:8-11). And after another 7 days, he sent the dove and it never came back (Genesis 8:12).
Noah, his family, and the living things got out of the ark
Noah, therefore, removed the covering of the ark and confirmed that the ground was dry (Genesis 8:13-14). God then commanded him to get out of the ark together with his family and the other living creatures and multiply (Genesis 8:15-19 and 9:7).
Noah offered a burnt offering to God, who made a covenant with him
Consequently, Noah got out of the ark and offered a burnt offering whose aroma pleased God so that He vowed to never curse the ground because of man and strike down every living creature as He had done (Genesis 8:20-21). And God vowed that time will remain as long as the earth remains, and He blessed Noah and his sons, and charged them to multiply and fill the earth, and put the fear and the dread of them in every kind of living creature (Genesis 8:22-9:2).
God also gave them every moving thing, in addition to green plants, for their food (Genesis 9:3). But they weren’t to eat the flesh with the blood, which is its life, in it (Genesis 9:4). And for their blood, God would require a reckoning from both beast and man (Genesis 9:5-6).
The Lord God, therefore, established a covenant with Noah and his sons, and every kind of living creature (Genesis 9:8-11). He set the rainbow as the sign of His covenant (Genesis 9:12-17).
Noah and his sons dispersed over the whole earth
All in all, Noah and his 3 sons dispersed over the whole earth (Genesis 9:18-19 and 9:28-10:32). But Ham saw the nakedness of his father when he was drunk with wine and laying in his tent and told his two (2) brothers who covered their father’s nakedness (Genesis 9:20-23). And when Noah sobered up and learned about it, he cursed Ham’s son (Canaan) to the service of his brothers (Genesis 9:24-27).
Nevertheless, Ham’s son, Cush, fathered Nimrod who became a mighty hunter and established his kingdom first in Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in Shinar (Genesis 9:6-10, 11:2), then in Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen (Genesis 9:11-12).
Therefore, the people who settled in Shinar (Genesis 11:2) purposed to build themselves a city and a tower that reached the heavens because they spoke the same (one) language and wanted to make a name for themselves because they feared being dispersed on the face of the earth (Genesis 11:1-4). And when God saw what they had built, He reasoned that there would be nothing impossible for them, and He confused their language and dispersed them over the earth (Genesis 11:5-9).
Shem’s descendants
Additionally, Shem’s descendants down-lined to Terah who fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran (Genesis 11:10-27b). And Haran fathered Lot and then died in the presence of his father (Genesis 11:27c-28) and Abram and Nahor married Sarai (who was barren) and Milcah (who was Haran’s daughter) respectively (Genesis 11:29-30).
Terah’s settlement in Haran
Thereafter, Terah took Abram, Lot, and Sarai so that they could go Ur of the Chaldeans to Canaan (11:31). But when they got to Haran, they settled there, and Terah also died there (11:32).
Key/Memory Verse(s) from Genesis 1-3 Reading
- Genesis 8:1 (ESV) But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.
- Genesis 8:21 (ESV) And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.
- Genesis 8:22 (ESV) While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
- Genesis 9:3 (ESV) Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.
- Genesis 9:6 (ESV) “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
- Genesis 9:13 (ESV) I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
- Genesis 9:15-16 (ESV) 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Commentary on Genesis 7-11 Reading
God judged Man
In Genesis 4-7, specifically Genesis 6-7, God judged man for multiplying in wickedness and evil because He is sovereign over man and all other creation. That is, God demonstrated His sovereignty and power through the Flood. He, therefore, revealed Himself to be King and Judge because He is the Creator of all.
So God is not only King over and in your life, He is also the Judge of sin in your life. You, therefore, have to keep your heart in God’s will. And if you are not doing so, return your heart to His will by turning away from sin.
God began afresh after the Flood
God, therefore, in Genesis 7-11 Reading, began afresh with Noah, his family, and the living things that He saved from the Flood through the ark that Noah built. He, therefore, made the Flood waters subside and dry off from the earth so that Noah and the other occupants of the ark could disembark.
Moreover, when Noah disembarked from the ark, he offered burnt offerings to God, who purposed to never destroy living creatures as He did. He followed this up by blessing Noah and his sons and commanding them to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”, defining how they were to relate with other creations, and covenanting Himself to not destroy living creatures using flood waters.
The Lord God, therefore, enabled and commanded His creatures, especially images, to multiply and fill the earth because He was their King. This is because only God the Creator can initiate blessings, purposes, and covenants. And this is what He did as He instituted a new beginning on earth, which was in line with His overarching purpose to redeem man.
Prayer
Lord God, I worship You because You are King and Judge in the world and my life. I honor You because You deserve it.
I, therefore, submit myself and my life to You so that You may guide me in this world that features wickedness and evil. And I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Verse
Matthew 23:9 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
