Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive. Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.”“
(Genesis 6:19-21)

God continues the dichotomy that He created. Male and female. Not any animals that came by. Male female pairs in order to enable procreation. It is ALWAYS in pairs that God has us operate, whether animals or humans. It is always male and female together that propagates the species. Any other pairings we see are evidence for a broken world. It has ALWAYS been male and female in God’s plan and framework. Later we are told there were more animals taken in because God knew Noah would sacrifice and therefore needed sacrificial animals outside of the male-female pairs (Genesis 7:2).

Noah was not out collecting animals. He was not investigating species to determine which were the males and which the females. “two of every sort will come to you“. God brought the animals to Noah. Noah did not need to look for them, he only needed to care for them. God provides and equips us for what He calls us to do. Imagine the chaos and mess if Noah hadn’t built the ark and the animals arrived!

God had created them. God knew EXACTLY what was required for life to flourish AFTER the Flood, for the various species and classifications of animals to grow, spread, and re-fill the Earth. He provided them so that it would work. And it did.

The sage Ibn Ezra writes: ‘[TWO OF EVERY SORT.] After stating two, Scripture goes on to explain that this refers to male and female. After stating generally, And of every living thing of all flesh, the Bible then explains that this refers to Of the fowl after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind (v. 20). This includes all animals of the field and all large and small animals that are born via sexual intercourse. It excludes living things not born by coupling, and marine animals. Fish are excluded although they are considered “flesh.” Proof of this can be seen in the words of Moses: and yet Thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. If flocks and herds be slain for them…or if all the fish of the sea be gathered for them, will they suffice them (Num. 11:21,22).’

The sage Ramban writes: ‘THOU SHALT BRING INTO THE ARK, TO KEEP THEM ALIVE WITH THEE. G-d thus commanded Noah that he concern himself with and help them in their entering the ark and that he strive on behalf of their existence even as he would for his own life.’