The next visit between Noah and Naamah was a week later at her home on her small farm. To preserve all decor Noah insisted Methuselah accompany him. As the day of the visit approached Noah became more and more fidgety, nervous and sweaty. He had trouble sleeping and had to pray desperately for the God of Eden to cleanse his thoughts of any impurities! He had never wanted to see anyone so badly in his life.
When Methuselah’s niece, Naamah, admitted them into her home her color was high, her eyes glowed with a soft brilliance and his niece’s expression was more tender than Methuselah had ever seen. Methuselah was delighted. So was the God of Eden. Satan wasn’t around, he despised these three people who seemed so impregnable to his unholy advances.
After the formalities they ate the delicious supper Naamah had prepared. After that Methuselah went out on the porch and sat a while then on out to the garden to work a bit. As they got acquainted Noah was surprised to find that #Naamah was 579 years old#, she didn’t look a day over 425. Noah, 497 year old Noah, figured she had held her age so well due to hard work and a clean lived life.
To make a long story short #Noah took Naamah for a wife when he was 498 years old and she was 580 years old#. It was a quiet wedding as Methuselah performed the ceremony. There were only 2 well-wishers and the country was filled with evil-wishers but when one well-wisher is the God of Eden who needs more? Noah and Naamah would live in her house. The God of Eden modestly went home with Methuselah where they rejoiced together. The four invisible angels, one on each of the 4 sides of Naamah’s house, had their backs to her house while they looked for enemies. They stood there silently in their shining raiment their flaming swords crackling inaudibly in the silence.
The newlyweds were more excited than they had ever been in their lives that beautiful night when they gently went exploring down the tender avenues of lover’s lane until the dark sky in the east started paling with the coming of the sun far down on the other side of the world. Snuggled together there in a careless entwinement of arms and legs Noah’s last thoughts before sleep claimed him; It is as the God of Eden said; “And they twain shall be one.” Memory’s picture flashed to when his own mother had died. During his own time of mourning Noah had tried to comfort his father, Lamech; “My son! My son! You don’t understand, the rest of me has died, the best part of me is gone!” And Noah could not bear to look into the pain swimming in his father’s terribly wounded, tormented eyes.
Noah’s last whispered prayer before he slept; “Ahhh, Oh great and beautiful Lord God, most wonderful God of Eden, my heavenly Father of us all, when our race is run here in this world and my work for Thee as a First Born is done I, thine unprofitable servant, ask, if thou wilt, to bring us together to live with thee that neither of us be left alone in this wicked, selfish, dangerous world.” And Noah slept. Noah finally understood his father Lamech and I hope you do too concerning your spouse.
The next morning they sat quietly on her porch, snuggled there on the long couch in the joy of their together. Finally, quietly, Noah started telling her the history about the large tract of straight grained, tall, large trunked cypress trees that grew in the swampy area along the river which flowed through Noah’s property there at his house. (Gen. 4:25-26) Then he told Naamah how Adam begat Seth then Seth begat Enos and then they began to call upon the God of Eden.
The God of Eden had instructed Seth to claim this property and hand it down to each First Born son and that each inheriting First Born was to protect the cypress trees. Noah said his father, Lamech, had handed it down to him. He also told her many of the trees were still standing that had been here (Gen. 3:23-24) when the God of Eden had cursed Adam and sent him (Gen. 3:20) and his wife Eve, the mother of all of them, to this earth.
NOTE: In 1986 the University of Arkansas determined some of the cypress trees in the Black River stand along the Black River in eastern North Carolina were alive in 364 AD. (Rev. 11:18) They have lived that long despite the way we have destroyed the air, water and soil; it is 2014 – 364 = 1,650 years is the age of the trees. END OF NOTE.
Naamah’s beautiful, tender, understanding, filled with love heart caused her to whisper; “Noah, its so beautiful at your house, do you think Methuselah would live here in my home?” The relief and joy she saw on Noah’s face was more than full payment for the tears she knew she would shed when she left the only home she had known for more than 300 years. Noah’s home was only an hour’s donkey ride from Naamah’s home (about 4 miles) but she never went to her home again after she moved her belongings to Noah’s house. Her home was with Noah. That’s the kind of woman she was and her physical home was left abandoned. Methuselah decided to build himself a small house near Noah’s and move out of the house Noah and he had shared so long.
The three of them were sitting on Methuselah’s porch one day and they started discussing sports. Methuselah brought up the subject because he had lived almost a thousand years and he had seen the changes; “When I was a boy Adam told me how he, Seth, and Enos organized games to help men retain their hunting skills.” That statement shocked Noah because Methuselah’s stories had always been in the past tense and Noah realized only the stories were in the past tense and not the men involved. Methuselah had TALKED TO ADAM! Methuselah went on; “We were a farming and herding society but they worried we might have to move because of some disaster or something and become hunter gatherers again.”
“At first it was spear throwing, rowing a boat, running and lifting. We had long been a ball playing society. That was fun, we would make two marks in the dirt 100 long steps apart , one side would kick the leather ball to the other side and they would try to get the ball across the first team’s line (crude soccer) so they included ball in the games. Each community had a team and once a year we would have games until the best team emerged. It was a great honor for a community to have the best team and each year we would do it again.”
“Then the Cain-ites started coming and gradually the games changed. They wanted fighting sports so boxing and wrestling were added. They were a cruel, violent society and they changed us because we had to become cruel and violent to live with them. (Eccl. 1:9, 1Ki. 15:11-13, Rom. 1:24-32, 1Cor. 6:9-10 & Rev. 17:1-6) They brought their strange gods, they shunned marriage, worshipped their god (Pen-Vul) and indiscriminately slept with whoever they wished. They worshipped every kind of forbidden sex, men with men (god Pen-Pen) and women with women (god Vul-Vul), and they brought their god of incense, Qunubu (cannabis), and taught our society to use that.”
Eccl. 1:9 “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
NOTE: Methuselah was on a roll but he was preaching to the choir. He and Noah had preached the very same message everywhere they went but people would not listen. (Gal. 5:20 keyword: witchcraft–>is from the NT Greek word pharmakeus–>which means medication, a spell giving potion, a druggist or poisoner and by extension it means magic, sorcery): God already knew He would have His prophets write about the very same thing in the far future in a book that would be called the Holy Bible.
Even further into the future a language called English would be developed from many languages and English would take its word pharmaceuticals from that Greek word. English would base all uses of pharmacy, pharmacist and etc. on the word pharmakeus and those potions would give rise to what would be called the illicit drug culture and it would once more destroy individuals, societies and it would help bring about the destruction of the world again. END OF NOTE.
“That god they call Qunubu is nothing more than a cursed plant in a cursed world. Tubal-cain introduced what he calls god Qunubu’s son, god Lachryma, but that is nothing but the extract from another plant, a flower (opium poppy). (Rom. 1:21-32) When they worship their god Pen-Vul it is nothing more than an excuse to have marriageless, forbidden sex between a man and a woman. Their worship of the god Pen-Pen is nothing more than an excuse to have forbidden sex between a man and another man. Their worship of their goddess Vul-Vul is nothing more than an excuse to have forbidden sex between a woman and another woman!”
“Since they discovered the rare metals they make their gods out of gold, silver, brass and stone. (Psa. 115:4-8) “Their idols are the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is everyone that trusteth in them.”
(Ex. 21:22-25 & Prov. 6:17) “They don’t care that the God of Eden hates those who shed innocent blood. (Lev. 18:20-30 & Psa. 106:35-40) They throw their babies into the fire as offering to their false gods. If a woman is with child and she does not want the baby she makes a steeped tea over dried black cohosh root, the blue cohosh root and the flowers of the pulsatilla to make her delivery time early and her aborted baby dies. (Lev. 20:2-5) Or, the worst of all, they time their pregnancy to coincide with their false god festivities so they can abort the child early and offer it fresh born and alive into the fire as an offering to their false god.” Methuselah’s voice grew shrill and angry; “It’s murder! It’s murder!”
“They chew the wild carrot seeds, boil smartweed leaves and soak the stoneseed plant root and drink the tea from them so they will not conceive and they can freely commit sex with anybody or a dozen anybodies without fear of becoming with child.”
(Jude 16) “They have men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. They make idols out of the people who win in the games; they hold the greatest musicians up as gods; and those who act in the foolish plays that come from men’s imaginations are called stars, gods and goddesses and many people adore them, hold them high and worship them. (Mark 8:36-37) The rich worship their riches and the powerful worship their power over others. They shall all one day face the God of Eden with the abominations they have done and the God of Eden speaks; (Ezek. 8:17-18 esp. V.18) “I will also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.”
“Now the games demand violence, breaking of bodies and the shedding of blood. Murder, theft, robbery and cruelty became commonplace and are getting worse. (Gen. 3:1-6 esp. V. 5-6) Adam himself told me Lucifer is a liberal because he told them what made them feel good was the right thing to do and through their sin we will all die! Then they introduced the fights to the death between the giants. Noah, can you and Naamah see what has happened to bring us to where we are?”
“Over hundreds of years the Cain-ites changed the Seth-ites into Cain-ites, (John 3:3) except for the First Borns who came from (Matt. 23:35) righteous Able because (Gen. 4:25) he rose from the dead by being born again through the body of (Luke 3:38) righteous Seth. (2Tim. 3:1-5 & 13 then Heb. 11:25) The Cain-ite gods bring pleasure, excitement and pleasing sensation and people would rather have that than the (Psa. 29:11) peace, love, joy and tranquility the God of Eden brings.”
Methuselah wound down and was silent except for his rapid breathing. Moments became seconds and the seconds became a minute of silence then Naamah finally spoke; “Methuselah, I can remember seeing Seth when I was a child but somehow I lost sight of the fact you actually knew Adam. What was he like?” Noah grunted ascent.
Methuselah sat in contemplative silence as he mentally changed gears to collect his thoughts and concentrate on how to satisfactorily answer her question. Like all great communicators Methuselah knew what he was going to say but, for him to successfully communicate, he knew he would have to slow down and say it in a way they could understand.
“Basically Adam was a sad person because he blamed himself for our situation and he had to live with that knowledge for 930 years. Adam was a brilliant man. He and Seth were the ones who made the first wheel and showed us how it would make heavy loads light.”
“Naamah, all people know today is that their life here is controlled by this thing called time and they refuse to believe there was no time in the Garden of Eden. In a place of no time there is no aging. So when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden by the Lord God of Eden they stepped out of the garden into this world and at that time they started aging! When a minute passed they were 1 minute old, when a year passed they were 1 year old.”
“(Gen. 5:3) So, Adam was 130 years old when he begat Seth. (Gen. 5:6) Seth was 105 years old when he begat Enos and Adam was 235 years old. (Gen. 5:9) Enos was 90 years when he begat Cainan, Adam was 325 and Seth was 195. (Gen. 5:12) Cainan was 70 when he begat Mahalaleel, Adam was 395, Seth was 265 and Enos was 160. (Gen. 5:15) Mahalaleel was 65 when he begat Jared, Adam was 460, Seth was 320, Enos was 235 and Cainan was 135. (Gen. 5:18) Jared was 162 when he begat Enoch, Adam was 622, Seth was 492, Enos was 397, Cainan was 297 and Mahalaleel was 227.”
“(Gen. 5:21) Enoch was 65 years old when he begat me, Adam was 687, Seth was 557, Enos was 462, Cainan was 362, Mahalaleel was 292 and Jared was 227. (Gen. 5:25) I was 187 when I begat Lamech, Adam was 874 years old, Seth was 744, Enos was 649, Cainan was 549, Mahalaleel was 479, Jared was 414 and Enoch was 252. (Gen. 5:28-29) Lamech was 182 years old when he begat you, Noah, Adam had been dead 126 years, Seth had been dead 9 years, Enos was 831, Cainan was 731, Mahalaleel was 661, Jared was 596, Enoch had been taken 89 years before, I was 369 years old and Lamech was 182 years old when he begat you.
I remember Adam from the time I was 5 years old so I personally knew Adam 238 years even though he knew me for 243 years.” Naamah was open mouthed in wonder while Methuselah rattled off his list of years.
“Adam appeared to take a special interest in me and I remember him telling me about the wonder and joy in the Garden of Eden and how special it was to be in the presence of the God of Eden. (Isa. 11:6-8) Many times he told me how it was to lay by the river with his head propped against a lion’s side and how there were no biting insects or poisonous, reactive plants. (Luke 2:13-14) He loved to talk about hearing the angels praise the God of Eden. (Gen. 2:19) Did you know the God of Eden would walk with Adam and let Adam name the animals after He had taught Adam our language?”
“Adam spoke many, many times how sorry he was that he took for granted the God of Eden and His Garden of Eden (1Tim. 2:14) and did what Eve wanted him to do instead of listening to what the God of Eden told him not to do. Adam was a very patient man because he never held a grudge against Eve and he defended her when others wanted to persecute her for taking the forbidden fruit. He actually told them it was his fault because he should have protected her from Lucifer and that he was the one who knew what he was doing when he took the forbidden fruit from her.”
“Noah, if you remember correctly you were 74 years old when Enos died, 179 when Cainan died, 234 when Mahalaleel died and you were 366 years old when Jared died.” Noah shivered when he remembered Jared’s death bed story about Shaqar-Owr, the False Light. “And, Noah, you were 495 years old when my dear son Lamech died.” Naamah blurted out; “You tell us these things so quickly it sounds as if you are reading them from a written record!” Methuselah shot Noah a hard look from underneath frowning brows but Noah shook his head imperceptibly and by that he told Methuselah he had kept secret from his wife the fact he, Noah, was the keeper of the records. “The God of Eden blessed me to remember.” It was not a lie.
Then on a more serious note he quietly said; “As you can see, both I and my son Lamech knew the first 9 of the First Borns all at one time if we count ourselves. And you Naamah, you missed knowing Adam but, being 82 years older than Noah, you have known 8 of the First Borns all at one time even though you were a tiny child when Enoch was taken. And you Noah, you knew all the First Borns at one time except Adam, Seth and Enoch. Now there is only you and I left of the First Borns.” He didn’t ask but his hidden meaning was very clear; “Noah, you are almost 500 years old and have no children, what are you waiting for?”
Noah, ever alert, to the slightest nuance from his mentor knew exactly what Methuselah meant, the answer was right on the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t say what he was thinking; “I’m trying my very best and tremendously enjoying every minute of it but the God of Eden has not blessed us with conception.” and he mutely hung his head in shame. Naamah innocently looked off toward the cypress grove as if she hadn’t heard but if one had looked closely he would have seen that her ears and sweetly curving cheeks and neck were slightly red.
Writer’s note: next 7 paragraphs: In (Gen. 4:1 thru 5:31) God set up two lineages of people who came from Adam’s loins, the Seth-ites and the Cain-ites. (1Tim. 1:4-6 esp. V.6 & Titus 3:8-9 esp. V.9) There are people who love to detract from God’s word, declare that mistakes are found in the scripture and endlessly argue about this, that or the other concerning subjects in the Bible.
You will notice in the above 2 scriptures I have included multi-verses with attention focused on specified verses. The specified verses tell us to “avoid foolish questions, genealogies, contentions and strivings about the law because they are unprofitable and vain (proud).” The other verses basically tell us as Christians to worry about and build up our relationship with God. (Matt. 23:23-39) Jesus had some things to say about those vain, unprofitable people too.
EXAMPLE: (Gen. 5:32) “Noah was 500 years old: and Noah begat”, Noah was 500 years old and after that he begat his sons because there was an age difference in his sons and they could not have been triplets. Noah’s sons are listed as Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Some people get all red in the face, all bowed up in the back like a mad tomcat ready to fight and declare the order of names is wrong and they build great detractions, arguments, stories and meanings all based on (Gen. 9:24) “Boys I know what I’m a talkin’ about! Its wrong and it means this, that, or the other! The Bible plainly says Ham is the youngest son ‘n that’s got to mean somethin’.”
Sorry Pal, (Gen. 9:24) does not say Ham is the youngest son. It says Ham is the younger son. SO: To spell out the names in (Gen. 5:32) Shem, the oldest son, the First Born; Ham, the younger son, the second born; and Japheth, the youngest son, the third born. (Gen. 9:24) simply backs up what (Gen. 5:32) states. It always amazes me how people want to argue with God. What is written here in the first 1550-60 years man was on earth shows how Satan leads man around by the nose and causes him to fail in his relationship with God! I have stressed the lineage of the First Borns in the genesis of man (Luke 3:23-38) because the lineage of the First Borns is important to God. If you make it through the flood with me I promise I won’t drag you through the OT time of Israel like I have here.
I have established exactly how Satan works in his relationship with man to destroy man and that is enough. Sure, I might have gotten a few things ki-boggled about their techniques of living and even a little bit wrong about some of the personalities but, according to scripture, it is right on the money about the First Borns and Satan. (1Cor. 12:31) “But covet earnestly the best gifts:” and one of those gifts (1Cor 12:10) is discerning of the spirits. How in the world can you; (James 4:7) “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” if you don’t even know how Satan diligently observes you, uses all his ‘stored up’ knowledge about all of humanity who ever lived, learns all about you and works to deceive, charm and lead you.
On the other side of that coin is the statement (Rom. 8:9) “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” The only way possible for you to know if you are saved is through the indwelling Holy Spirit – see the commentary The Holy Spirit and You the menu article Who is the Holy Spirit for a complete study of the identity of the Holy Spirit. I hope you see how important it is to have the gift of spiritual discerning. *** Below denotes not in Bible. END OF NOTE.
SO:
(Gen. 11:10) “Shem was 100 years old when he begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:” SO: Noah was 502 years old when Shem was born. It was a few months after Noah’s 501st birthday. In the cool of the day before they started their work they were on the porch sipping honey laced sassali (sassafras) tea. Naamah scooted even closer to Noah; “Noah?” Absentmindedly; “Hmmmm?” “I’m with child!” That stalwart of the God of Eden, the slayer of giants, the preacher of righteousness turned snow white, sank back against the back of their couch and fainted!
It was only for a few moments and he would always deny it but Naamah knew and it delighted her. After he regained his composure Noah held her as tenderly as a fragile flower while they discussed the event. Sometimes they giggled like giddy children, sometimes they whispered tender endearments and surely, surely they exchanged a bawdy comment or two. They were human, human like you, human like me, human like all of us.
Methuselah was delighted with the news and the months flew by until time for Naamah’s delivery. She was a strong, healthy woman and she knew exactly what to eat to help the baby be strong and healthy. The time came to call the midwives. Methuselah and Noah waited on the porch. Methuselah relaxed in a chair and watched Noah with great amusement as he walked back and forth, wringing his hands and muttering prayers. Then they heard the weak, wavering cry of Noah’s first child and Noah was transfixed.
Noah ran excitedly to the door then a great timidity overcame him and he became hesitant and shy, turned around in a circle and finally tapped on the door. A midwife opened the door, beckoned him in and muttered; “Don’t stand around out there all day”. Methuselah was right behind him, they bent over the bed and Naamah proudly uncovered Noah’s son.
Noah’s great heart almost burst with love, his breath was short and his finger looked so huge as he gently touched the tiny face of his son; “We shall call him Shem ben NOAH, (Shem the son of Noah).” And Methuselah quietly prophesied the meaning of the name; “He shall be of good character, he shall receive honor and authority and he shall be renowned.” Naamah was proud and beautiful as she tiredly closed her eyes; “I love you my husband.” “And I love you my beautiful wife Naamah.”
Satan ground his teeth in impotent fury. “I thought the First Born sons would end with Noah because he waited so long and now here’s another one. I’ve tried everything I can to stop this pregnancy but nothing worked!” The unseen God of Eden looked at Satan with cold, cold spiritual eyes. Satan didn’t know with the birth of that squirming, red, tiny, fist gnawing, 6 pound bit of beautiful surging life they had named Shem, the God of Eden had drawn a line in the sand in the battle between good and evil, a line filled with water, the dividing!
Noah was 504 years old and he and Methuselah were on a preaching mission through some of the northern cities. Noah knew when Naamah was due but they were delayed and the baby was a day old when they returned. Naamah was asleep when the midwife let them into the house and pointed them to the baby’s bed and went to do some other chores in another part of the house. Noah was tender eyed as he and Methuselah quietly approached and looked down at the baby. *** Not in Bible–> Suddenly a light blossomed on the baby’s forehead and coalesced into a perfect, supernatural mark of Cain!
It held there for several seconds as if to make sure they could see it, almost like a challenge, then it slowly faded. Unbelieving as to what they had seen both men touched the baby’s forehead where the light had been, the place was hot, they jerked their hands away and looked at each other with shocked eyes then Noah slowly breathed the word; “Ham.” and he had named his son; Ham defined: Hot.
***–>They had seen the original mark of Cain on Cain’s forehead, they had seen the mark of Cain in thousands of tattoos, Jared had told Noah about the time he and Methuselah had seen the very same light on Shaqar-Owr’s (False Light) forehead but none of the First Borns had ever noticed; hidden within the whorls of the mark of Cain was a coded prophesy, (Rev. 13:15-18) hidden there were three numbers, 666, that would be revealed in due time.
Noah was 506 years old when Naamah became pregnant again and gave birth to a third son. Noah was unable to give him a name because he was unwilling to give him the name that came to mind. He and Methuselah retired to consider what to do. Methuselah gave Noah the best advice he knew. “Noah, my son’s son, let us pray. The God of Eden has all power and there is something going on with your sons that He has not revealed. After we pray we will both secretly write the name He has given us and then compare them. If they are different we must fast and pray until He does answer.”
They prayed, they wrote and they compared; “Japheth“! “Father of my father, how can this be, it is a strange name and the meaning is more strange; expansion, enlarge, make roomy?” All Methuselah could say was; “The God of Eden has His reasons which He will reveal in the process of time.” They would write the name in the records, describe the strangeness of it and the name Japheth would be used no more.
(Gen. 6:5-12) The God of Eden knew the time of decision was at hand just like He knew it would come; (V.5) “The wickedness of man is great in the earth, every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually.” (V.6) “It repented (defined: OT: Strong’s #5162: sigh, to be sorry, suffer, grief: in a favorable sense to pity, to console: in an unfavorable sense to avenge oneself) the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved (defined: OT: Strong’s #6087: pain, hurt, vex, anger) him at his heart (the feelings, the mind, soul).” (2Sam. 22:31) God is perfect, (Num. 23:19) God does not lie, (Lev. 19:2) and God is holy. (Ezek: 14:6 keyword: repent: OT: Strong’s #7725) God does not need to repent (turn around and go in the opposite direction) like man does.
God had been sending a message to the people through the first born sons, especially Noah, to return (repent) to His standards of living so He could pity and console them (Gen. 6:5) but they were only interested in doing evil and now God was going to avenge Himself. That’s when the God of Eden decided to destroy everything (Gen. 7:22) “that lived on dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life”. (Gen. 6:8) “But Noah found grace (favor, to stoop in kindness to an inferior, be merciful, have pity upon) in the eyes of the Lord. (1Thess. 4:13-18 & Rev. 7:9-17) It is a perfect representation of the catching away of the church before God destroys the world at the end of time.
In no uncertain terms, in the quietness of their souls, the God of Eden summoned them to Adam’s cave. They prepared the sacrifice and waited, and waited, and waited. They looked fearfully at each other, they completely trusted the God of Eden but they did not trust themselves. The God of Eden was perfect but they, being mere men, were not and they wondered if they had somehow offended Him. Suddenly the cloud formed and the lightening flickered in an almost brusque manner when it took their offering of fat and blood. It had never been like this before and it frightened them even more. They had the distinct feeling a decision had been made, it concerned them and well, one never knew, and they were afraid to express their thoughts.
(Gen. 6:13) “Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Gen. 6:14-21) Then the God of Eden told Noah to build an ark (box) from gopher (cypress) wood, He gave Noah the dimensions and verbal blueprint and told Noah He was going to destroy all flesh that drew the breath of life but that He would make a covenant with Noah. (Gen. 6:20) He told Noah that “seed stock” of every living thing would come to him to enter the ark when the time was right and (Gen. 6:21) the Lord God told Noah to gather food for Noah and his family and all his passengers to tide them through the flood.
NOTE: If you want to drive yourself insane just read all the information, arguments, crack-pot ideas and ‘proofs’ people have published about the flood, the food, the seed and the ark. I don’t know how God did it, I don’t know how Noah’s family handled it, I don’t know how Noah stood it, BUT I do know I serve the God of impossibilities; (Matt. 19:26 & Luke 1:37) because “with God nothing shall be impossible.” A good read is John Woodmorappe’s book “Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Study”. END OF NOTE.
(Gen. 6:22) The scripture simply says; “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” God said it and that’s good enough for me, why belabor the subject?
Methuselah lived 187 years and begat Noah’s father Lamech. Lamech lived 182 years and begat Noah. (Gen. 5:25- 187 years & V.28- 182 years added together = 369) Methuselah was 369 years old when Noah was born. (Gen 5:27) He was 969 years old when he died. (Gen. 7:11) Noah was 600 years old when the flood came, 369 + 600 = 969, so Methuselah died the year of the flood.
When the word got out Noah was cutting down the gopher wood (cypress) stand of timber on his property and sawing it into lumber people didn’t pay much attention. But when Noah kept it up people started asking questions and Noah was glad to answer and tell them he was preparing for the day when of the Lord’s judgment would come. They quit asking questions. In the process of time the stacks of lumber grew larger, and larger, and larger!
It had been a tough 90 years especially with the preaching. (2Pet. 2:5 keywords: bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly) Noah had preached his heart out telling them a great dividing was coming and they must repent and come back to the ways of the God of Eden before the end of all mankind came upon them in a great flood. Most of them simply ignored him, others mocked him, and some preached their false gods. (2Cor. 4:4) Satan helped all he could to keep them blinded. (2Pet. 2:5) They had been warned over, and over, and over; now their blood was upon their own hands. Just like our world is now, 2/25/14, isn’t it?
Noah’s sons were grown and they worked with him. There was something wrong with Ham and Noah couldn’t put his finger on it. As Ham was growing up he was a difficult son. He was a little rebellious. After he was grown into manhood he would disappear for days at a time without explanation. It was rumored he was going to see girls that worshipped Pen-Vul but Noah couldn’t catch him. When questioned, Ham was sarcastic and asked Noah why he didn’t trust him like he did Shem and Japheth. “You’ve never seen me do one thing out of line or anything evil yet you question me!” Ham never told a lie, he never told the truth either; he had become an expert at half truths.
As the years passed it seemed as if Ham never put his whole heart into their work for the Lord God; “I’m doing the best I can, if that isn’t good enough for you I can’t help it!” Sometimes he was surly with his brothers; “Help me move this!” “You can lift 4 times that much; I’ve got my hands full.” “I won’t strike another lick ’til I get some help!” and Ham would sit down. Ham was even critical with Naamah; “Mother, you’ve scorched the meat again!”
Ham would feel Noah’s cold stare, look into his frowning face, quickly look away then frown and glower, his expression the sharpest criticism of all. Ham was a troublemaker. When he was growing up Noah had to discipline him many times and even now that he was a man he had fought with one brother or the other several times. Shem and Japheth had permitted Noah to select their wives from the same family as Naamah but Ham chose his own wife who was the granddaughter of a more remote cousin to Naamah. We’ve all met at least one of those obstinate, opinionated, mule-headed, malcontents and they are a misery to be around. Ham’s progeny would breed true to the example he set. Satan was delighted with Ham, even as he hated him!
Somebody reported Noah had started building a monstrously huge, ungainly boat. Other people came and looked, the word was passed on and people had started coming from further and further away to look at what Noah was doing. It took years for the word to reach the far reaches of the country where the humans had settled and people even came from that far to see what they called (1Cor. 1:21 keyword: foolishness) “Noah’s Foolishness”. They had never dared to trespass on Noah’s property, not with those guards with their white clothing and their drawn swords, standing so silent and motionless but somehow threatening. Noah had never seen them even though 4 of them always went with him when he went off his own property.
One morning the air had a peculiar, charged, oppressive, threatening feeling when Noah went out on his front porch. Out on the far edge of his property line even the usual jeering crowd of mockers and hecklers was subdued. Noah stood looking at them thoughtfully. The ark had been finished and provisioned a few weeks ago and Noah was suddenly glad he had built the strong, waterproof, wooden chest that was built right into the frame of the ark. Secretly, by night, Noah had made a trip to and from Adam’s cave and had tenderly moved the clay tablets of the record of the First Borns and lovingly packed them and their padding in the chest.
Noah sensed the God of Eden somehow protected him because he knew many people wanted to shut his mouth and some of them wanted to shut it permanently. He heard Naamah leave the porch to take Methuselah his breakfast. Suddenly Noah had a realization; “I really can’t remember ever a time that I have not completely depended upon the God of Eden!” and he was surprised. Suddenly Naamah’s urgent voice jerked him out of his reverie; “Noah! Noah, get in here quick, its Methuselah!”
When Noah entered Methuselah’s small house he was struck by a feeling of great peace, he looked at Naamah’s face and he saw she felt it too; “Noah, Methuselah is dead and you must see.” and they entered the room. In all the years of Noah’s life with his grandfather he had never seen Methuselah’s face so peaceful, a tiny, tender smile was frozen upon his face, his elbows were still on the bed at his sides but his forearms were raised and his hands were extended as if he was reaching out to someone who had come to take Methuselah with Him.
With tears spilling from his brimming eyes Noah bent, gently pushed back a lock of thin, snow white hair with his sun darkened, work gnarled fingers, kissed his beloved grandfather’s forehead and whispered; “I thank thee oh glorious Lord God for I know my grandfather shall always smile in thy presence and thy peace will never leave his heart.”
At noon the 8 of them said farewell to Methuselah and buried him in the shadow of the ark which stood about half way down the meadow toward where the cypress grove had once stood. They turned to go back to the house but a pair of wolves trotted out of the forest and started toward the ark. Noah stopped and was transfixed as if he was listening, and he was, (Gen. Ch. 7) because the God of Eden was quietly giving Noah the final instructions.
After a few moments Noah appeared to snap back to the present and he quietly said; “Its time to go into the ark.” Naamah took his arm as if to draw strength from him. Shem and Japheth put their arms around their wives, drew them close and with grim faces they started toward the ark. Ham looked startled, then angry, then fearful. Noah noticed Ham’s wife looking longingly toward the silent crowd in the distance, on Noah’s property line. She almost took a step in that direction but Ham roughly grasped her wrist and started toward the door of the ark.
Noah heard hoof beats and a pair of horses raced toward them. On further 14 sheep came ambling toward them and Noah was sure there were 7 rams and 7 ewes. Flights of birds were fluttering about. (Gen. 6:20) All that afternoon and evening animals, birds, bats, insects, all of every kind came into the ark, for 6 more days they came. Great crowds gathered at Noah’s property line but they dared not cross the line guarded by the shining guards. They watched in open mouthed wonder at the flurry of activity around Noah’s ark.
On the afternoon of the 7th day the activity stopped and they saw Noah and his sons draw the entry ramp up and disappear into the ark. There was a dead silence; not a bird, not an insect, not an animal, not a human made a sound; dark clouds from horizon to horizon hung heavy and pregnant with rain; it was oppressive and hot; (Gen. 7:16) then without human hands the door to the ark started closing and when closed there was no seam; it was as if there had never been a gaping doorway into the ark.
The spectators started drifting away, a few drops of rain started falling, they stopped in surprise and looked up. It had never rained and they didn’t know what it was. Then the heavens opened, the rain pounded upon them and they ran screaming into the darkness of the suddenly darkened day.
Tubal-cain was awakened by the thunderous roar of rain on his roof. He had awakened cold sober, his mouth was dry, his head was bursting and he stank from the night’s debauchery; “Oh no, Gods Qunubu and Lachryma are scattered all over the kitchen table!” Tubal-cain rushed into the kitchen but he was too late, the shutters had blown open and his gods were soaking wet and useless and Tubal-cain was unable to rescue them. He rushed back into the bedroom, slapped the two young boys out of their drug induced stupor and turned to face the rain.