“Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female,” Genesis 7:2
Most of us know about God bringing the animals into the ark two by two, but what were these extra clean beasts Noah was to take in by sevens, male and female? There are a number of lessons we can draw from this.
The distinction of clean and unclean beasts, being before the flood, was in view of the sacrifices that Noah would need to offer to the Lord upon exiting from the ark after the waters subsided, Genesis 8:20. Although Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, Genesis 6:8 (Eternal electing grace), and God prepared that ark to preserve Noah and his family alive through the judgment of the world (a type of salvation), yet, it all could not be without the shed blood of innocent victims, all typical of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus- Hebrews 9:22.
Why clean animals? While some proclaim loudly today that ‘Christ made sin’ means that He actually became guilty with sin charged to Him, and died guilty of the sin of His people, NOTHING could be more foreign to the Scripture types and teachings. Why the importance of CLEAN animals? It is because they typified Christ the SPOTLESS LAMB, ‘who did NO sin, nor was guile found in his mouth,’ 1 Peter 2:22. Scripture says that He died THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST, 1 Peter 3:18, NOT the GUILTY for the unjust. He was made sin (legally and judicially CHARGED with the sin of His people BY IMPUTATION only). Our sin was laid on Him, not put in Him. He died FOR our sin, not IN it. He was numbered AMONG the transgressors, He was NOT a transgressor. He was affected BY our sin, not infected with it. His soul was made an offering for sin, not made sinful. It was for this reason that God was pleased to bruise Him, because He was just, holy and the PERFECT sacrifice, and thereby the JUST God and Savior, Isa. 45:21; Isa. 53:6.
The clean animals were to be taken into the ark by sevens. Is not seven the number of perfection, pointing to the perfect work of the Lord Jesus in His cross death, perfectly redeeming and justifying there ALL of His elect once for all? See Romans 3:24 with Hebrews 9:15.
by Ken Wimer in Shreveport Grace Church bulletin; July 2, 2006
2 comments:
The most common understanding of Gen 7:2....by sevens...is 3 pairs and one extra...the 3 pairs for breeding and developing the clean beasts after the flood and the one extra for sacrifice. Not many commentators go beyond that simple understanding.
This chap has an interesting take on it.
Cheers,
Jim
Jim, that is what has been my idea -- 3 pairs and one extra -- but the reading of "by sevens, the male and his female" would seem to not come up with an odd number.
Something to think about.
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