IMITATE THEIR FAITH / NOAH - "Forty Days and Forty Nights"

Outside, the downpour continued "for forty days and forty nights." (7:4, 11, 12) The water kept rising and rising and rising. As it did, Noah could see that his God, Jehovah was simultaneously protecting righteousness and punishing wickedness.

The Flood checked a rebellion that had broken out among the angels.  Influenced by Satan's selfish attitude, many angels had forsaken their "proper dwelling place" in heaven to cohabit with women, producing hybrid offspring called the Nephilim. (Jude 6; Genesis 6:4) Satan no doubt was filled with glee as that rebellion unfolded, for it further debased mankind, the pinnacle of Jehovah's creation on earth.

However, as the floodwaters roses, the rebel angels were forced to shed their material bodies and return to the spirit realm, never again to assume fleshly form.  The left their wives and their offspring behind to die in the floodwaters, along with that society of humans.

From the days of Enoch, almost seven centuries earlier, Jehovah had warned mankind that He would destroy wicked, ungodly people.  (Genesis 5:24; Jude 14, 15) Since that time, people had only gotten  worse, ruining the earth and filling it with violence. Now destruction was upon them.  Did Noah and his family rejoice in those executions?

Next time: IMITATE THEIR FAITH / NOAH -  Conclusion of "Forty Days and Forty Nights"

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