I've been blogging and commenting on Facebook lately about the Old Testament. I blogged about Adam and Eve here, and if you're on my Facebook Friends list, you'll see that I placed my comment about Adam and Eve sewing fig leaves here.
Here's the scripture I wanted to talk about:
Genesis 7:2 (New International Version)
2 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,
I've been thinking about the Old Testament lately because our five-year-old son is in kindergarten at a Christian school. They've been learning the Old Testament Bible stories and he was telling me about Noah's Ark the other day. He said, "He had to take two of every animal on the ark."
I then said, "But what about the clean ones?"
He said, "Huh?"
I went on to tell him that Noah had to take two of every unclean animal and seven of every clean animal. He looked puzzled, stating his teacher didn't tell him that. As I thought about it, I noticed that when children are taught about Noah's Ark, the story usually focuses on the two animals, and doesn't mention Noah taking seven of every clean animal. I wonder why?
It makes sense to tell it like it is...I'm just sayin'....
~Cecelia Dowdy~
7 comments:
Cecilia:
The unclean animals were taken by two's because they were to only repopulate the earth with their kind.
However the clean animals were taken seven by seven because they were to repopulate the earth with their kind as well as provide for Noah and his family and of course their decendants.
God clearly states that there are clean and unclean animals that we should/shouldn't eat in Leviticus and in Deut.
As a Seventh-day Adventist, I practice the counsel God gave to us regarding the clean/unclean animals. When you think about it, a lot of the unclean animals are scavengers.
But to answer why we teach our children the two by two...???? Guess it just sounds a little catchy...And as far as songs go, more things rhyme with two...???
Have a blessed night....Love your little man, and continue to teach him the love of God.
Comment me back if you'd like....
Cecilia:
The unclean animals were taken by two's because they were to only repopulate the earth with their kind.
However the clean animals were taken seven by seven because they were to repopulate the earth with their kind as well as provide for Noah and his family and of course their decendants.
God clearly states that there are clean and unclean animals that we should/shouldn't eat in Leviticus and in Deut.
As a Seventh-day Adventist, I practice the counsel God gave to us regarding the clean/unclean animals. When you think about it, a lot of the unclean animals are scavengers.
But to answer why we teach our children the two by two...???? Guess it just sounds a little catchy...And as far as songs go, more things rhyme with two...???
Have a blessed night....Love your little man, and continue to teach him the love of God.
Comment me back if you'd like....
Possibly one reason that mention is only made of the animals being taken in twos, is that many people only pass on what they have been told without checking the source for themselves.
We were told only about the two of each animal, so we pass the two of each animal story on to the next generation.
Also, isn't it interesting that the account of Noah has been made into a popular and "cuddly" children's story (possibly because of the animals)when in fact it was the greatest disaster visited upon mankind - with the whole population of the world (minus 8 survivors) being destroyed by a Holy and angry God.
Sonia, thanks for the comment. When figuring out how to live my life according to God, I usually look at the New Testament moreso than the old. Although I do read the Old Testament, it's just that things were different back then and the people weren't under the New Covenant(?) - not sure if I'm even saying this right. But, I do respect people who have eating habits different than mine, especially when they're for Biblical and religious reasons.
Although two does sound catchy, I still think the young ones should know about the seven animals, too! Just makes sense to let them know that!
Onesimus, you are absolutely right! This flood was probably the worse disaster on the face of this God-given earth! So bad that God had to create a rainbow, a symbol that he won't ever have another earth-wide flood again! Children learn it as a Bible story, but I don't think they realize just how substantial this flood really was!
I think it's important to tell the children that the 'regular' animals were taken in 2s, but the 'others' were needed in 7 animals so the family could eat. I also tell them that it was all animals, even dinosaurs. But in all likelihood, they were juveniles, who would be the strongest and healthiest. And the meat eaters would have been fed things like cow and sheep milk. Plus we need to remember that breeds as we know them, ie poodles and bulldogs, horses and zebras weren't around, so there would be less numbers.
I try to open the kids' minds to this and give them the info they need to counter the pervasive anti-Biblical stuff out there.
@Barbara - I agree with you. Giving the children some parameters to work with might give the story more depth and meaning, make them realize what it was really like back then.
Hello Cecelia,
What if I could prove to you that Christianity itself is a Roman fiction? The answer to the questions you raise are solved by learning the symbology embedded throughout. Remember that Moses was Egyptian and they were the land of symbolized wisdom. That is why the Bible is full of symbolism.
I am the proverbial horse's mouth and I am now gifting you with the Vatican's worst nightmare, now realized.
Here's my current press release on the topic.
Christian Rome oppressed and massacred myriad souls over the previous age to prevent you from ever understanding what I have just made available to everyone.
Peace and Wisdom,
Seven
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