Hurry Up and Wait

This Morning's Reading from Noach:
Genesis 7:17-9:7

Today's reading begins with the flood sent to destroy the earth. In Genesis 7:21 and following we read that all living things on the earth that were not in the ark perished. Many of us have heard this story throughout our childhood. When we tell this story to children the focus is on those in the ark who were spared, and rightfully so. But as adults, perhaps it would do us good to take a closer look at this story.

Genesis 7:23 says that G-d "blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky" (NASB). Presumably men, women and children were all destroyed. On first reading, I find this rather shocking. But then I consider, here we have a Holy G-d and a depraved creation. I think we often look at this and picture bad people, but not a truly evil society. As a Jew, it strikes me that if Hitler had succeeded in his plan of world domination, this might very well be what the earth would have looked like. In that context, I can visualize a world where every being on earth has been or is being indoctrinated to extreme hate and a callousness to inhumane acts of torture. What is the future for a society like that? What response would we expect of a Holy G-d looking down on such a society?

Once Noah, his family and the selected animals were in the ark, the rain fell for forty days. According to Eerdman's Bible Dictionary, however, the flood itself lasted for 150 days. So after all that time spent waiting for the rain to fall, the rain does fall and Noah is asked to...wait...again. We might be tempted to think that a second round of waiting would be easier to bear, since G-d proved Himself faithful after the first. But is that always the case? Don't we, as humans, tire quickly of waiting for anything? Surely G-d wouldn't make them wait long this time, right? But it isn't until the third bird released from the ark finds roost and does not return that Noah is assured that his wait is almost over.

At the close of our reading, we see that G-d, in mercy, decides he will not destroy every living thing again (Gen. 8:21). We end with G-d's blessing on Noah and his sons (Gen. 9:1) and instructions to them (Gen. 9:2) that sound strikingly similar to those given to Adam and Eve. They are given dominion over all creation, and they are given explicit instructions on what not to eat (the life, that is the blood of a creature). It is now their responsibility to honor G-d's faithfulness by following His commands.

My prayer today is that I will not give in to discouragement, but instead hold fast, trusting G-d in faith.

This Afternoon: Genesis 9:8-10:32