Tues.’s Devo - Noah’s Landing

Read: Genesis 8:1-10:32; Matthew 4:12-25; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 1:20-23 When the flood had done its work, God turned on his heavenly blow dryer to dry the earth. The flood had lasted 150 days or five months. The ark rested on Mt. Ararat which means “the curse reversed.” It was the 17th day of the seventh month. Another 2 and a half months went by and then 40 days later Noah opened the window and released a raven and a dove. The raven was the picture of Satan’s spirit and it did just what Satan does - it went to and fro through the earth. Noah also released a dove which represented God’s spirit. The dove came back to show that the waters were still on the earth. Noah water 7 days and released the dove again and it came back with an olive leaf in her mouth to show that it was almost dry. After another 7 days, Noah released the dove again and it didn’t return so Noah knew it had found a place to live. It was exactly one year from the time they had entered the ark. Noah waited 2 more months and then the earth was dry. God told him to leave the ark and release all the animals so they could be fruitful and multiply. Noah built an altar and sacrificed the animals he had brought seven of. God was pleased with his sacrifice and told him that he would never again curse the ground because of man or destroy all living things. God blessed Noah and his sons and told them to be fruitful and multiply. He told them that he was putting fear between the animals and the fish because now they were allowed to eat them. But they were never to eat them while they were still alive. God would required the blood on anyone who killed another person. God gave them a sign of his covenant which was the rainbow in the clouds. It was to remind them every time it rained that it would not be a rain to destroy them. The whole human race was formed from Noah’s three sons Shem, Ham and Japheth. Noah planted a vineyard and when it had produced grapes, he made wine and got drunk. Apparently Canaan did something with his grandfather that Ham found amusing and told his brothers. They didn’t find it amusing and went in and without looking at their father in his naked state, they covered his body. When Noah was sober he found out what happened and cursed Canaan to be a servant to his relatives especially to Shem and his descendants. Shem means “a name”. Canaan means “humiliated”. Noah blessed Shem to rule Canaan’s line and Japheth with great expanded territory. He blessed both Shem and Japheth with prosperity. Noah lived 350 more years. As we read the genealogies of the three sons we see that Japheth did indeed expand his territory to the seas. These are the countries of Europe, the peninsula of Lesser Asia, and the region lying on the east of the Euxine. Ham settled to the south and had some very evil sons like Nimrod who hunted men for food. We recognize the kingdoms of Babel, Nineveh, Sodom and Gomorrah and all the “ites” of Canaan. The Bible is the story of Ham’s line. Shem’s people went to the north and settled into what we know as Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Syria. One of his descendants was Eber who was known to be a righteous man. He had two sons Peleg and Joktan. There was an earthquake during their lives which divided the earth. Peleg means “earthquake” and Joktan means “he will be made small”. One of Joktan’s sons names was Hazarmaveth which means “village of death”. So this was how the earth was divided by these three sons. In Matthew John was arrested. Jesus went back home then to Capernaum. This was the land of Zebulun and Naphtali where many Gentiles lived. Jesus preached to the Gentiles to repent and turn to God for the Kingdom of Heaven was near. That was the same message John the Baptist preached to the Jews. Jesus began gathering his disciples. His first two were brothers: Peter and Andrew. They were fishing when Jesus called them and they dropped their nets and followed him. The next two were also fishermen and brothers: James and John. Jesus traveled the ten towns in Judea and preached the kingdom and healed and delivered the people from demons. People as far as Syria heard about him and brought their sick and demon possessed to him to be healed. Lord, may our descendants be blessed and prosper in Spirit and in truth.