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Old Testament

Week 6: Noah

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Ancient flood myths


Akkadian Epic of Atra-Hasis (c. 18th century B.C.) Neo-Assyrian Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 7th century B.C.)

Genesis vs. other flood stories


Mesopotamian myths Jealousy, selfishness, fear Hero, defiant Human courage Genesis account Punishment for sin Righteous, obedient Obedience to God

Motivation of gods/God The man Moral of the story

Prologue
Wickedness, secret combinations among Cains posterity (Moses 5:51). The Lords promise to Enoch (Moses 7:3334).

Moral issues of the Flood


In giving us a much fuller account than the Bible of how the Flood came about, the book of Enoch settles the moral issue with several telling parts: 1. Gods reluctance to send the Flood and his great sorrow at the event. 2. The peculiar brand of wickedness that made the Flood mandatory. 3. The frank challenge of the wicked to have God do his worst. 4. The happy and beneficial side of the eventit did have a happy outcome. Hugh Nibley, November 1975
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Moral issues of the Flood


God and nature mourn because of sin (Moses 7:28, 37, 40, 45). The Lord encourages Enoch (Moses 7:4445). The Lord delays the Flood because of Enoch (Moses 7:5052).

Noah
( nh) = comfort, rest.
Received the priesthood, preached repentance (Moses 8:1920). He and his sons walked with God (Genesis 6:9; Moses 8:27).

Sons of God & daughters of men


Genesis 6:14; compare 1 Enoch 67.
Nephilim (), the offspring of divine beings.
Giants (Moses 7:15; 8:18; Numbers 13:3233).

Moses 8:1318: Unrighteous humans. It repented the LORD that he had made man (Genesis 6:57).

( naw-kham), was grieved, or


was sorry. Compare Moses 8:25.
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The whole earth


Locusts covered the face of the whole earth (Exodus 10:15). A famine over all the face of the earth (Genesis 41:56). All the world should be taxed (Luke 2:1). The waters were on the face of the whole earth (Genesis 8:9).
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The focus of the story


7 days 7 days 40 days 150 days GOD REMEMBERED NOAH 150 days 40 days 7 days 7 days 7:4 7:10 7:14 7:24 8:1 8:3 8:6 8:10 8:12
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The Flood as a baptism


The waters were assuaged; the earth came forth clothed with innocence, like the new-born child, having been baptized or born again from the ocean flood; and thus the old earth was buried with all its deeds, and arose to newness of life, its sins being washed away, even as man has to be immersed in water to wash away his own personal sins. Elder Orson Pratt, July 1852

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The message of Noahs story


Obedience: Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him (Genesis 7:5; 6:22). The Lords mercy, love, and protection. The Lord prepares a way (cf. 1 Nephi 3:7; 17:3). The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet. Without Gods intervention and mercy, chaos, death, and destruction would overwhelm us (Mosiah 2:21).

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After Noah
Noah, Ham, and Canaan (Genesis 9:2027). Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided (Genesis 10:25).

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After Noah
The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:19; cf. Ether 1:3343).

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Next week:
The Book of Abraham: Origins, history, meaning

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