Today I read Genesis 7 and 8 which was about the flood. The flood covered the whole earth after 40 days of rain, but Noah’s family and the animals in the ark were spared. Today I considered how powerful flood waters can be, why the rain was for 40 days, and the importance of obedience and offerings to God.
The Flood
Water can be powerful, destructive, and yet also life sustaining. Consider today how waters have moved houses, destroyed towns built in flood plains, and carved rivers in mountains. Yet, we need water to drink to stay alive. Watching the whole world flood would have been beyond my imagination, but almost every civilization has a story about the flood from Native Americans to Mayans to the United Kingdom to African countries and other countries.
Forty Days
This is the first passage I noticed in Genesis talking about 40 days, 40 days and nights of rain (Genesis 7:4 & 17). But I am thinking about another event in the Bible in which there was a 40 day period when the Israelites scouted out the land of Canaan. As I read I hope to understand the connection of the 40 days as another step bringing me closer to God.
Obedience and Offerings
There are blessings in obedience and offerings to God. Noah’s obedience concerning the ark blessed the lives of his family members and provided for an abundance of animals dwelling on earth, after the flood. God smelt Noah’s offerings and decided never to curse the ground nor smite everything living on the earth again.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
What do you think is the significance of 40 days periods to God?