Cara and Jared were asking about the Old Testament course online. We went to http://www.goingtojesus.com/otcourse.html to see how to download lessons and so on.
I don’t know how many people have actually looked at that online, but Damien has done a wonderful job of organizing and presenting that information. It made me want to do the Old Testament again!
I’m thankful for the hard-working and talented people God has in our lives. Cara and Jared were very impressed, and made them want to start the class.
Gary
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Hey Pastor John,
I have been reading through and reviewing the stories in Genesis, and tonight I came across something I have a question about.
In Genesis 7:2 it says, “Take from all the clean beasts of the field, take to you by sevens, the male and his mate, and from the beasts that are not clean, two, the male and his mate.” I have always read that to mean take seven clean animals and two unclean animals. But when I read Gen. 7:8, “Of the clean beasts of the field, and the beasts that are not clean, and the flying creatures, and everything that creeps on the ground, two by two, they came to Noah in the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah,” it struck me that the clean animals couldn’t go on board two-by-two if there was an odd number (seven)!!
Was God commanding Noah to take seven clean animals and two unclean animals? Or was He saying take seven pairs, fourteen total of the clean animals?
Thanks,
Amy F.
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Hi Amy.
At first, it does seem that there must have been seven pairs; otherwise, God might be accused of laying the groundwork for some serious conflicts among the animals when mating season rolled around!
As often is the case, however, the apparent problem is resolved later in the story, for in Genesis 8:20, we are told that after the Flood, “Noah built an altar to the Lord, and he took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”
So, the seventh clean animal was for sacrificing to God after the Flood was over, not for mating with another of its kind.
Hope that clears the air for you.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor John