Genesis chapter seven is still part of the third division of Genesis, The Flood. Chapter six dealt with God’s Preparation for His Judgment, wherein He saved eight souls (plus male and female of beasts and birds) through the ark. Now, in chapter seven, God Commands these eight souls, plus animals and fowl, to come into the ark. Then He brought about the Flood. It rained 90 days and nights; the water was 15 cubits above any land mass. The water stayed; the waters prevailed 150 days upon the earth.

Three Major Thoughts are found in the first verse:

“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” (Genesis 7:1)

1) It was not an invitation, but a Command, “the LORD said”;
2) It was not universal, but Specific; it was to Noah and his immediate family, “thou and all thy house”;
3) There were not “many ways” to be saved through the flood, but only One Way, the Ark; it was “Come… into the ark,” or there was no salvation.

There are Three Major Doctrines presented here:

1) Irresistible Grace;
2) Limited Atonement, Unconditional Election;
3) Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). There is no other name under heaven whereby we are saved (Acts 4:12).

Let’s look at each one:

1) First, Irresistible Grace: “And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark…”

Salvation is God’s Plan and Purpose. He is the Author, Designer, and Originator in Christ Jesus; the God-Man; our Substitute, Sacrifice, and Savior.

See 1 Peter 1:18-20 and Revelation 13:8; these verses prove that – even before the Creation of Man – God had a Plan and Purpose to atone for His Sheep’s sins. (See 1 Corinthians 15:21-22.)

Genesis 7:1 (among many other verses) proves that God is the One who seeks His Sheep, “the LORD said unto Noah.” If God does not come to His Sheep, they will not come (John 6:44-45; 65).

It is God who awakens His Sheep to come (John 10:1-30; 6:63; Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 2:1-4).

2) Second, Limited Atonement, Unconditional Election: “…unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house…”

God’s Command to come is specific; He called only Noah and his family. (See Ephesians 1:4-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; John 10:1-31; 11:25, 40-44.) He called Lazarus (John 11:43); and He has to call each Sheep by name; and He does. (Hallelujah!) (See John 6:37.)

3) Third, Jesus is the Only Way: “…Come… into the ark…”

Also see Genesis 7:7, “And Noah went in…”

When God calls His Sheep, He tells them what to do, “Come… into the ark.” There is no doubt to the quickened sinner what God is saying (John 6:44-45, 67-69; 3:15-16). God always points the quickened sinner to Christ on the Cross, God Himself, the Lamb of God; making Atonement for His Sheep’s sin debt. (See Romans 3:19-25; 5:1-21; etc.)

Add to these another major thought; look at the rest of verse 1:

“…for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

Works of Faith as Proof – Noah did not walk with God to become justified. No, a thousand times no. He walked with God because he was justified. It is a result of God’s Grace (Genesis 6:8-9). A converted Sheep will walk with fruits of holiness (Romans 6:18-22), because he is a Servant of Righteousness.

Our final major thought is found in verse 23:

“And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they (his family, all the Sheep) that were with him in the ark.”

Only the Sheep live (Temporally and Eternally) (verse 23d). They not only lived, or were preserved in this life, but in the life to come in the Ark (or in Christ). (See 1 John 5:20. Also see Romans 5:10, 17; Galatians 2:20.) Temporal salvation is in Christ.

The words of the Apostle Paul, during the storm on the sea, are recorded in Acts:

“Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.” (Acts 27:31)

Paul is speaking of a temporal salvation. We must abide in the Ark, Christ; and then, and then only, will we bear fruit, more fruit and much fruit (John 15:1-10). Only then will we be saved (or preserved) temporally in this life.

According to 1 Peter 3:19-21; the Ark was a type of the Place of our Salvation. The Old Testament saints were in the Ark, waiting until Christ came and made the Atonement on the Cross, was buried, and raised after the third day. It shows the Death in Christ and the Resurrection in Christ (Romans 6:1-23).

The same for us, we were in Christ’s Atonement, in Him as He took the Judgment of God on Himself; He went through the Flood (the Wrath of God) with us in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). We were co-crucified, co-died, co-buried, and we were also co-raised with Him. Therefore, we live. (Carefully read Romans 6:1-23; also 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; 1 John 5:20; Romans 5:1-21; etc.)

Child of God, the same God who chose Noah has chosen us (and each of His Sheep). And now, by Regeneration, manifested in Conversion, we know (ginōsko) Him; we know He is our Ark, our Safety, our Salvation. In Him we are saved! (See Romans 8:29-39.) Hallelujah!