The Ark

The Lord then said to Noah:

Go into the ark, you and your whole family,

because I have found you righteous in this generation.

Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal,

a male and its mate; And two of every kind of unclean animal,

a male and its mate; and seven of every kind of bird, male and female,

to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.

Genesis 7:1-3

I loved the story of Noah and the ark as a child.  My imagination placed me by Noah’s side as he stared up into the darkening sky.  Not darkening with rain clouds, mind you, but with hundreds of pairs of birds flying straight for the ark’s huge entrance.  Soon the sound of plodding feet were heard as creatures of every description also made their way onto the plains and into the ark two by two – one male, one female.  What a thrill that must have been to watch.

Imagine my surprise, as an adult, to realize that the two-by-two setup was for the unclean or wild animals.  The clean animals – those that would be used for food (and perhaps work) came in groups of seven!  I don’t know about you, but other than the days of the week, I rarely think in terms of seven.  How in the world did seven cows know to gather together and head for the ark?  Or seven goats… Or seven chickens…  Obviously there were cowboy angels at work in that roundup.

If God cared so specifically for all the animals, birds and insects of the earth, how much more does He care for you and your life – amidst a raging pandemic, amidst freezing temperatures with no electricity, amidst the trials and temptations of your everyday life.  God created you in His image and He loves you.  Believe it.