The Deluge - Part 4

40 Days and 40 Nights

Gen. 7:17-24 - The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

We have come to the moment of judgment. The images of God, who were created to steward God’s good world, taking it from glory to further glory, have instead corrupted and ruined God’s good world through violence, sin and rebellion. Abel’s blood cries out from the ground (Gen. 4:10), Lamech is practicing polygamy and enacting seventy-sevenfold vengeance (Gen. 4:23-24), the sons of God are transgressing sacred boundaries and having relations with human women (Gen. 6:1-2), and so God has determined to cleanse the ground and clean house.

It rains for 40 days and 40 nights, and then the water prevails on the earth for 150 days. 40 is an important and oft-repeated number in the Bible. Numerology is a real thing in the Scriptures. God has certain truths that He wishes to communicate and reveal through patterns withing His word, and one of the ways He does this is through the symbology of numbers.

Here, it rains 40 days and 40 nights in the flood. After Moses kills an Egyptian and flees Egypt, he waits 40 years in Midian before God sends him back into Egypt to rescue the Israelites. Then the Israelites wander in the wilderness for 40 years before receiving the Promised Land. In the wandering, Moses goes up to the top of Mt. Sinai for 40 days before coming back down with the instructions for building the tabernacle. The Israelite spies go into the land of Canaan (Promised Land) for 40 days before they come back and then take the land. The Israelites are taunted by Goliath for 40 days before David defeats him with a slingshot. Elijah wanders in the wilderness for 40 days before going up Mt. Horeb and hearing from God. Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days before defeating the devil and beginning his Messianic mission. After Jesus is crucified and buried, he is raised to new life and walks with his disciples in a glorified body for 40 days before ascending to heaven.

It seems to me that the number 40 represents a waiting period of testing and development before a new creation event breaks forth.

After 40 years in Midian, Moses delivers the Israelites to freedom – new life. After 40 years of wilderness wandering and then 40 days of spying on the Promised Land, the Israelites receive their inheritance – new life. After being on Mt. Sinai for 40 days, Moses returns with the instructions on how to build the house where God will dwell intimately with His people – new life. After 40 days of being taunted by Goliath, David slays him and the Israelites defeat their enemy – new life. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 days, Elijah meets God on top of Mt. Horeb and the covenant is reiterated – new life. Jesus is in the wilderness for 40 days before enacting his mission as the Messiah, bringing the Kingdom of God to fruition – new life. After literally being raised to new life himself, Jesus walks with and teaches his disciples for 40 days before ascending to heaven from where he will pour out his life-giving Spirit on the church – new life.

I go through all of this to show that the flood is not just a moment of judgment. It is also a moment of New Creation. When the waters subside and Noah and his family step off the ark, he and his family are “re-starting” creation. He is the New Adam. God is not only refusing to give up on creation, but He is also refusing to give up on His Images. The very Images who JUST destroyed His good world will get another chance.

I know how difficult it is to see God’s grace and mercy in a story like The Flood, but we ought to be honest about what has been revealed in the story so far. And in God’s providential knowledge, He knows that what happened the first time around is not a fluke. He knows our hearts are hard and our necks are stiff. He knows that what happened before will happen again. And yet, He chooses us.

Erwin McManus said, “If God gave you a new life with the same heart, you would ruin that life too.”

Our hearts must be changed. And yet, God chooses us even before they are. Here in the moment of the Flood, but also every single day. Next post we will see just how intentional God’s choice to keep us is and what that means for us even today.