I just finished doing the lesson with my kids where they were asked how many animals of each kind Noah took into the ark. This triggered a thought I had had before and now noticed something I had missed before:
Genesis 6:19: “You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures…”
Genesis 7:2: “Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven of ever kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth…”
I was wondering this for the question in Lesson 8, Day 2 about what Noah did when he left the ark. “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed…”
My initial thought was If God had only ordered 2 of every animal, then why is Noah killing some before they have a chance to reproduce? That wouldn’t make sense…
At the time, I didn’t have time to look into it. Tonight, I did when it came up again with my kids.
Is this a contradiction? No. Confusion? Yes.
God is clarifying his instructions from chapter 6 in chapter 7. The emphasis is on clean animals versus unclean. Noah took more of clean animals and these are the ones he sacrificed upon leaving the ark.
In Leviticus 11, God expounds on unclean and clean animals to Moses and Aaron.
This explains to me too why Jews have restrictions on what they can and cannot eat. Fascinating!
Great explanation found HERE
I feel this is important and should have been touched upon by BSF in one of the two days we discussed this passage (Day 3 & 4) or in Lesson 8, Day 2. I’m hoping it will be in the notes or Lecture.
Clean and unclean is a common theme that runs through the Old Testament and explains a lot of why the people acted in ways they did (and it begins here!). You couldn’t worship God when you were unclean or enter the tabernacle. Contact with anything unclean made you unclean. This explains the way lepers were treated.
Until Jesus touched the unclean…
Jesus whipped away this uncleanliness (Mark 7 & Acts 10:9-16) by making us all clean.
But back then you were virtually always “unclean”.
I personally would have gotten more out of a study of clean versus unclean than questions on geological evidence and comparison of people in Matthew and Luke (since I believe people will always be the same).
Many thanks as usual. Hope your time away was fruitful and your husband is in process of new employ. Please pray that I continue to trust G w clean quiet new home base near my daughters. Blessings, J
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Appreciated your attention to this. I had never noticed this before in all the times I have studies or taught this story to children!