Genesis 7 Metaphysical Bible Interpretation

Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Genesis Chapter 7

Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 7:11-24

^7:11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. ^7:12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

^7:13In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; ^7:14they, and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. ^7:15And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. ^7:16And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him: and Jehovah shut him in.

^7:17And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. ^7:18And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. ^7:19And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. ^7:20Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

^7:21And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: ^7:22all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. ^7:23And every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark.^7:24And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.

An Ark-ffirmation

Bible Lessons from Unity Publications

February 2, 1913: Gen. 7:11-24

There have been many floods on the earth, and all nations have traditions of a time when, to them, the whole earth was engulfed in a great deluge. But these do not necessarily refer to the flood in Genesis, nor corroborate it as history. All geologists agree that there must have been many deluges in the past history of the earth. One writer says: "We know that at the close of the glacial period the coast of Maine was submerged to a depth of 250 feet, St. Lawrence Valley to a depth of 500 feet, Grinnell's Landing 2,000 feet.

So as a history of a great rain the Genesis story is rather uncertain, and from that standpoint we cannot gain much from its study. But as an idealistic description of a certain line of thought, either in the individual or the race, and its result in consciousness, we can profit much.

When we lower our ideals to a material basis, the "sons of God" are taking unto themselves wives of the daughters of men. Then "the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

When we unite the superior faculties of the mind such as faith, will, imagination, etc., to material surroundings, personalities, and selfish desires, we are falling short of the law of Being, which is that these higher powers shall draw upon the formless and be united with that realm wholly. To unite these spiritual faculties with the things of sense is in direct opposition to the Divine Law, and is scripturally termed "wickedness."

When this wrong use of the faculties reaches a certain point, the law of Lord of our Being begins to regulate the consciousness. A destruction of the man-made condition sets in. Noah is the son of Lamech. Lamech means the strength of youth, and Noah means rest. Thus it is in the strength of our youth that we Idealize the material and attach our spiritual to the things of sense. But the law of reaction sets in, Noah (rest) finds "grace in the eyes of God."

If you have indulged in the strength of your youth In the things of sense, the law of spiritual equilibrium, the Lord, is now working itself out in a rest, and you have bodily ills. This is where the flood of wicked thoughts drowns out and cleanses the earth. If you are spiritually wise, you will not try to save its people your false sense of things. The only sure remedy is refuge in the ark of the Lord, which you can, by resting in the spiritual part of yourself, built right in the midst of this flood of terror. Noah did not heed the jeers of the materially-minded people about him. Then you must build your ark on the scientific understanding of truth as to the wisdom, presence and power of God. This is significant in its mathematical dimensions as given to Noah. The ark is built upon the affirmations of what you are in spirit. You take into It your wife, your sons, and their wives (spiritual principles Inhering in the soul), "and of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort" ("male and female," the positive and negative activities of life in the organism). That is, you affirm Spirit as all in all as primal essence.

The ideas of divine truth are to be fed with the food of Truth as you float above the flood of error surging about you. In due time the waters will subside and you can walk forth and proceed to people your earth with new and better thoughts.

UNITY magazine.

Transcribed by Mark Hicks on 11-01-2013