Recently, there was a storm passing through our area, and we were bunkered down in the hallway while it passed. My son who hasn’t fully reached puberty had prepared a backpack of things – a flashlight, his Bible, and snacks filled the rest. By the time the coast was clear less than 30 minutes later, Pearce had eaten most of his snacks.
Noah had three sons. They were born when Noah was 500 years old which leads me to believe they were either triplets or a set of twins with another one born separately. They would have been 100 years old when the flood came.
God told Noah it would rain for 40 days and 40 nights. He never told Noah or his wife, for that matter, just how long they would be contained in the ark. Did He? How does one prepare that many meals for that many men? YIKES.
After reading about Noah, here are some of my questions or wonderings:
1. How many meals did Noah’s wife plan on serving in the ark?
2. What was her meal plan?
3. How do you cook in an ark that is made out of wood!?
4. Did they assign a balcony to each son and his wife to maintain? If so, I’d hate to have been selected for the lowest balcony.
5. But before even getting to the ark, what were Noah’s wife’s thoughts and concerns regarding her husband building an ark for a “flood” – which had never happened before?
6. Did she make an itemized list of what she would need to take on the trip? 100 pounds of grain, 50 pounds of lard, 6 chairs, bedding, clothing, shoes, pots, pans, etc.
7. How long did she stock up on supplies and where did she keep them? Remember, she had to have supplies for the animals as well as her family.
8. Had she ever even been in a boat before to realize this ark didn’t even have a rudder in which to steer this ship?
9. What was it like to see animals voluntarily and orderly come to Noah and his family to be placed in stall in the ark?
10. What did the town people think when they saw a pair of giraffes pass by their home? Did they follow them to see where they were going?
11. Did the town people think it odd all these wild and tamed animals walking on their own will to load up onto Noah’s ark? How did they explain that phenomenon?
12. Was it an eerie feeling when God closed the door, knowing you were stuck in that contraption for at least 40 days and nights?
13. It rained for 40 days and nights like God said, but then it surged for another 150 days. At what point did they start wondering when were they ever going to get out? Were they ever going to see dry land again because God hadn’t told them anything about what would happen AFTER the flood?
14. How loud was it when the sources of watery depths burst open and the floodgates of the sky were opened? Genesis 7:11
15. Did any of them including the animals get sea sick?
16. Once stalls were mucked, where did waste go?
17. Did they notice when the rain stopped? After hearing a noise for so long it can become white noise, and we can ignore it.
18. What were their thoughts when the ark finally came to rest, and they stopped rocking?
19. How many times did they ask Noah, “Are we there yet?” “Can we get out now?” “When will we get out of the ark?”
20. When they exited the ark, was it as orderly as it was entering the ark? Personally, I’d probably be shoving the hippos out of the way to kiss the solid ground.
These are just a few of the things I’ve wondered while reading this story. Feel free to post your questions or what you have wondered about the flood.
So, what comes out of my asking all these questions?
· I discovered that no matter how little or how much Noah and his wife brought into the ark, it was just the right amount because none of the animals died, and all the people survived.
· God did not provide all the details regarding the flood, and yet He carried His chosen people through every step of the way.
· Noah may not have known all the details, but God did. Noah’s faith and trust in God was richer than most have today.
· A rudderless boat in the hands of God will carry the cargo to its final resting place without assistance from man. If God can do that, He can certain navigate my life.
There’s really so much more, but I want you to discover God’s truth for yourself. What did God reveal about Himself to you by reading this story inquisitively?
This is our third installment of “Are You Curious?” When you see posts under this heading, you know I’ll be going through a story in the Bible and asking questions which make me wonder. The goal is for you to start reading your Bible inquisitively, asking questions. Please explore these stories and post questions you have. There are no dumb questions.