ON THE VANGUARD

BUBBLE BURSTING
“Of every clean animal you are to take seven couples, and of the animals that are not clean, one couple.”
Genesis 7:2

Over the weekend I found myself talking with my kids about some realities in life. I love how my kids are still at that innocent age where they believe everything ends as happy as an 80’s episode of Full House. But as we were chatting Saturday night after watching the movie, October Baby, I had to explain to them what an abortion was. As I explained, I watched their faces grow sad and tearful. Thought that a parent would not want a child had such a great impact on them both. With hesitancy in his voice, my son asked, “Were we wanted?” My response in the grandest of hugs was, “Yes! I wanted you both so badly.”
The statement is filled with truth, as even now I watch my children getting ready for school. I wanted them more than they will ever understand. But as I recall our conversation and movie, I cannot help but wonder something else. How many other bubbles need to be popped? I do not mean this in a rude fashion. I simply mean that as their understanding of a parent not wanting a child was popped, so I question also other realities. For example, as one who has grown up in the church, I wonder how many things I take as fact that really aren’t fact. How many things have been preached from a pulpit that sound good but carry only slight, if any, truth? Sadly, one only has to look at Genesis 7 to a major flaw in preaching, a bubble bursting so to say. That said, I feel I may need to burst your bubble a bit as we move forward.
I grew up in a Baptist church as a young lad, and then later in a non-denominational church from about ten years of age and all through college. With that said, I grew up hearing the story of Noah and the ark and with the image of cuteness when thinking on the story of Noah. I mean, honestly, when we hear the story of Noah we automatically think of the cute baby backdrops of cartoon drawn animals bundled together, giraffes extending their long necks out the windows, and a bird perched on the top of the ark. What we do not think of, however, is that the story of Noah has a grim plot. Only eight people survived. We focus on the animals but fail to remember all those who were not righteous and perished. That easily could have been us had we lived in the time of Noah. Sure, we all say we are living right for God, but are we? Are we living our version of righteous (TZEDEKAH) or His? Noah was saved because his lifestyle matched God’s definition, because he was blameless (TAMIM). Let us come to a simple understanding here by agreeing that Noah was not perfect. No one is perfect. But he walked in the aspects of keeping God’s commands. So already, I am sure I have changed your opinion on the account of Noah and his family. But, there is more. Allow me to continue before you chose to stone me.
In Sunday School growing up it was always taught that the animals went in to ark in pairs. With this idea it always seemed as though only two animals of each kind went in the ark. So there was a male and female lion, male and female kangaroo, and male and female aardvark, and so on and so forth. But having read this passage again, the true story is different. While the animals did go in perhaps two by two, there were not two of every animal. According to Genesis 7:2, some breeds of animals came in sevens, and per Genesis 7:3, the birds of the air also came in sevens. Did I just change your theology? It was these clean animals that were used in sacrifices and for food while Noah and his family were on the ark. I realize that this may not be the way you learned it either, but this is coming directly from God’s Word. But maybe the question you have is what makes an animal clean verses unclean? The word for clean is TAHOR and means ritually fit. An unclean animal (TAMEI) denoted the animal as ritually unfit for both sacrifice and food.
But here is the challenge I find myself facing, and maybe the same challenge you are facing. For so long, being raised in a standard Christian church, I have found myself believing what was taught to me as opposed to what I read for myself. I recall the flannel board cutouts that showed the ark and the animals in pairs walking up the ramp to it. I never challenged if I was being taught right information. Still, of how many other lessons have I just taken someone’s word as truth without searching it out for myself? And how many other words have I listened to as opposed to listening only to the voice of God? The challenge for all of us today should be in seeking out or hearing God’s Word for ourselves as opposed to letting another’s word dictate our understanding. He is speaking, and He has left all the answers. Are we listening and looking for the truth?