Seven
A Devotional Series from Genesis
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
6/15 Reading Portions: Deuteronomy 20; Psalm 107; Isaiah 47; Revelation 17
Genesis 7:4
“For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.”
DAYS
Commentaries give various reasons for the seven days. The rabbis of antiquity suggest that this was to mourn Methuselah’s death. Some commentaries suggest a final push to give the wicked another opportunity to repent. Still others suggest it was a period given to Noah to make his final preparations before he and his family were shut into the ark.
Seven days is an interesting reference of time. The creation account, including God’s Sabbath rest at the end, was a seven-day timeframe. It seems arbitrary when you think about it. On the fourth day of creation, God made the sun, moon, and stars to govern the light and were set as signs and for appointed times (as mentioned in our devotional thought for Genesis 1:14-19). We know today that the earth revolves around the sun, and by its revolution we have the year. The moon in its orbit not only gives us the tides, but marks one month. Even the 24-hour day is reckoned by one revolution of the earth on its axis; part of the earth facing the sun, giving us the day, and same part turned away from the sun, giving us the dark of night. Yet fifty-two of these seven-day weeks are just shy of being evenly multiplied to make one full year.
Seven is a prime number in mathematics. Seven is also used throughout Scripture in many ways. The battle of Jericho took seven days (Josh 6:3-4). The Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles were seven-day festivals of the LORD (Lev 23:6, 36). But the most significant event in all the world, in all of history, and for all eternity, was the presentation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Messiah in Jerusalem. Jesus was presented as the Lamb of God on Sunday, crucified and died between 3-4 p.m. on Wednesday, coincident with the evening oblation and the slaughter of the last paschal lamb, and then He rose from the tomb just after sundown on Saturday Shabbat—seven days.
Perhaps all three suggestions concerning Noah’s seven days are correct. Methusaleh’s death reminds us of the week when we must look upon Him whom we have pierced and mourn for Him as one mourns for an only Son (Zech 12:10). Christ crucified and risen has for 2,000 years been the only way for the opportunity of repentance (John 14:6). And finally, it is our faith in Christ that prepares believers for a judgment that is coming soon (Heb 9:27).
Hallelujah! What a Savior!