Matthew Henry Commentary Genesis 7
Matthew Henry Commentary
Genesis 7
Matthew Henry Commentary
Genesis 7
"And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his female: of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the ground. And Noah did according unto all that Jehovah commanded him. And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons` wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creepeth upon the ground, there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah`s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." — Genesis 7:1-12 (ASV)
The call to Noah is very kind, like that of a tender father to his children to come indoors when he sees night or a storm coming. Noah did not go into the ark until God commanded him, though he knew it was to be his place of refuge. It is very comforting to see God going before us in every step we take. Noah had taken a great deal of pains to build the ark, and now he himself was kept alive in it.
What we do in obedience to the command of God, and in faith, we ourselves will certainly have the comfort of, sooner or later. This call to Noah reminds us of the call the gospel gives to poor sinners. Christ is an ark, in whom alone we can be safe when death and judgment approach. The word says, “Come;” ministers say, “Come;” the Spirit says, “Come, come into the Ark.” Noah was accounted righteous, not for his own righteousness, but as an heir of the righteousness which is by faith (Hebrews 11:7). He believed the revelation of a Savior, and sought and expected salvation through Him alone.
Thus he was justified by faith, and received that Spirit whose fruit is in all goodness; but if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. After the hundred and twenty years, God granted seven more days for repentance. But these seven days were trifled away, like all the rest. It was to be only seven days. They had only one week more, one Sabbath more to make use of, and to consider the things that belonged to their peace.
But it is common for those who have been careless of their souls during the years of their health, when they viewed death from a distance, to be just as careless during the days, the few days of their sickness, when they see death approaching, their hearts having become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. As Noah prepared the ark by faith in the warning given that the flood would come, so he went into it by faith in this warning that it would come quickly. And on the day Noah was securely settled in the ark, the fountains of the great deep were broken up.
The earth had within it those waters which, at God's command, sprang up and flooded it. In the same way, our bodies have in themselves those elements which, when God pleases, become the seeds and springs of mortal diseases. The windows of heaven were opened, and the waters which were above the firmament (that is, in the air) were poured out on the earth. The rain usually comes down in drops, but such rains fell then as were never known before or since.
It rained without stopping or lessening for forty days and forty nights, on the whole earth at once. As there was a special exercise of the almighty power of God in causing the flood, it is futile and presumptuous to attempt to explain its method by human wisdom.
"In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah`s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; they, and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him: and Jehovah shut him in." — Genesis 7:13-16 (ASV)
The ravenous creatures were made mild and manageable; yet, when this occasion was over, they were of the same kind as before, for the ark did not alter their natures. Hypocrites in the church, who outwardly conform to the laws of that ark, are still unchanged; and it will appear, sooner or later, what kind they truly are. God continued His care for Noah.
God shut the door to secure him and keep him safe in the ark, and also to keep all others out forever. In what manner this was done, God has not chosen to reveal. Much of our gospel duty and privilege can be seen in Noah's safety in the ark. The apostle makes it a type of Christian baptism (1 Peter 3:20–21). Observe then, it is our great duty, in obedience to the gospel call, by a living faith in Christ, to enter that way of salvation which God has provided for poor sinners.
Those who come into the ark should bring as many as they can with them, by good instruction, by persuasion, and by good example. There is room enough in Christ for all who come. God put Adam into Paradise but did not shut him in, so Adam threw himself out. But when God put Noah into the ark—and similarly, when He brings a soul to Christ—the salvation is sure: it is not in our own keeping, but in the Mediator's hand.
But the door of mercy will shortly be shut against those who now make light of it. Knock now, and it shall be opened (Luke 13:25).
"And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered." — Genesis 7:17-20 (ASV)
The flood was increasing for forty days. The waters rose so high that the tops of the highest mountains were overflowed by more than twenty feet. There is no place on earth so high as to put people beyond the reach of God's judgments. God's hand will find out all his enemies (Psalms 21:8). When the flood increased in this way, Noah's ark was lifted up, and the waters that broke down everything else bore up the ark. That which signifies death to death for unbelievers, signifies life to life for the faithful.
"And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. And every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days." — Genesis 7:21-24 (ASV)
All the men, women, and children who were in the world, except those in the ark, died. We may easily imagine what terror seized them. Our Savior tells us that until the very day that the flood came, they were eating and drinking (Luke 17:26, 27); they were deaf and blind to all divine warnings. In this condition, death surprised them.
They were convinced of their folly when it was too late. We may suppose they tried all ways and means possible to save themselves, but all in vain. And those who are not found in Christ, the Ark, are certainly undone, undone forever. Let us pause and consider this tremendous judgment!
Who can stand before the Lord when he is angry? The sin of sinners will be their ruin, first or last, if not repented of. The righteous God knows how to bring ruin upon the world of the ungodly (2 Peter 2:5). How tremendous will be the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men! Happy are those who are part of Christ's family and safe with him as such; they may look forward without dismay and rejoice that they will triumph when fire will burn up the earth and all that is in it.
We are apt to suppose some favorable distinctions in our own case or character; but if we neglect, refuse, or abuse the salvation of Christ, we will, despite such fancied advantages, be destroyed in the common ruin of an unbelieving world.
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