Shut In - Day 10: The Animals

Remember our recent time-travel to the day God shut Noah into the ark? (Genesis 7:16) [post at this link] 

Ten days have passed. Where are we now? 

Still shut in the ark.

“The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.” - Genesis 7:17

Along with ongoing grief and shock at trying to realize what was really happening outside the walls of this massive vessel (and maybe some sea-sickness), I imagine one thing was taking over most of the time and attention of Noah and his family.

Animals!

They were so important in God’s plan for re-populating the earth, that the account leading up to the flood has four sections devoted to the animals: two accounts of God explaining the plan to Noah, and two more of how the plans were carried out. (Gen. 6:19, 7:2, 7:8, 7:14) But reading through all of those lists can hardly give us an idea of what it was like to be there in the middle of it all.

[Check out this video and the Ark Encounter website for a little more idea and to learn some of the fascinating details about how Noah would have been able to follow God’s directions and fit every kind of animal on the ark.]

Let’s take a moment on Day 10 and try to picture this.

- the odors
- the noises
- the food consumed
- the drinking water lapped and slurped (and did the elephants spray it too?!)
- the clean-up...

Is Noah overwhelmed?! Maybe living in survival mode right now?

Did he feel like God was far away? We have no record of His speaking to Noah during this time. And people couldn’t just read or listen to Psalms on an audio-Bible as I do when hope and perspective are needed. 

What do we know about Noah’s relationship with God? I'll save that for another time when we check back with the family "shut in" the ark.

Other posts in this series:
Part I: The Lord Shut Him In

Next Post:
Part III: Day 20: The Man Noah