The image associated with this article is typical of what you would find in a children's Bible story book about Noah and the flood. Do you know the details often left out? What we know matters.
What the Bible says about God, Noah, the animals, and the ark, tells us something very important. The promise God would never again flood the whole earth isn’t the only promise God made to Noah and the rest of us.
God made a promise which could ease some of the fears young children might have today. Do you know what it is? Knowing this promise and explaining it to your children could help them with any fears they might have about the world ending due to global warming or war.
Understanding that promise and everything that follows begins with understanding the number of animals Noah took on the Ark.
In Genesis 7 we are given some answers.
Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.
Noah took one pair of the unclean animals and seven pairs of the clean animals and the birds of the air, onto the ark. We are also told, in Genesis 8:20, after the Ark came to rest and Noah and his family disembarked, he built an altar and gave an offering of every clean animal and bird.
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Why does any of this matter?
The knowledge of clean and unclean animals, building an altar, and sacrificing on it was not only known about but practiced long before God met with Moses and made a covenant with Israel.
In most churches and Bible story books our children are not taught about the number of clean animals that were taken aboard. They are not taught about the sacrifices. They are not taught that due to this sacrifice God made a promise to Noah and all of mankind. In many cases, adults and children, only know the rainbow is a symbol of God's promise not to the flood the whole earth again. But, what else was promised?
In Genesis 8:20-22 we find this:
And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. “While the earth remains, Seed time and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night shall not cease.”
Noah made a sacrifice of clean animals on an alter to God, and the sacrifice smelled soothing to Him. Because of this we are blessed by a promise we can pass down to our children and our children's children.
That promise could alleviate many fears of young children today. Children who are taught in school the world is coming to an end, global warming will destroy us all, or war will destroy the earth we live on, can live in fear. This one promise tells us something different. We are told while the earth remains we will have the seasons and the ability to plant and harvest food.
Scripture tells us Jesus will return to this earth and bring His Kingdom with Him. The earth will remain, along with its seasons and Jesus will come.
Zachariah 14:4
And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
We have a promise from God, He will not let our world be destroyed by us, Him, or anything else.
That is not to say we don’t have our problems and war can be scary to think about. But the promise stands. There may be times when parts of the world suffer from natural disasters or those that are man-made, but nothing will come between this earth and the promise made by God to Noah and all of us by extension.
I hope you can see how important it is to take the teaching of your children as a serious matter and one that should not be left in the hands of others. While there is nothing wrong with children learning from others, it is up to you as the parent to ensure what they learn is true and the whole story.
May you and your children enjoy many hours learning about God and His ways. Cherish the Journey.
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