TWO BY TWO

Two by two the animals were to come into the ark. While chapter 7 notes a few exceptions to that rule, most animals would be represented on the ark by a single male and female pair. A question that is often asked is how could all the different types of animals fit on the ark? The general assumption behind that question is that Noah was to take every variety of every animal that existed. But that is not what the text says. Noah was to take on the ark, birds, animals, and creeping things according to their ‘kind�?

Take for example sea gulls. There are many varieties, many species of sea gulls all over the earth, and yet they are each and every one of them sea gulls. Noah would not have had to take a pair of every species of sea gull on the ark, but a single pair of sea gulls representative of the sea gull kind. And that pair, after the flood, would then diversify into all the different varieties of sea gulls we have today. And however many species they may diversify into, a sea gull is a sea gull is a sea gull.

There is no evidence that one kind of animal can evolve into another kind of animal. They can only change ‘within�?their own kinds. Hence, however varied they may be, dogs will always be dogs, and cats will always be cats. You may have big dogs and little dogs, tall dogs and long skinny dogs, etc., but the bottom line is that they will always be dogs. And so it is with all the original genesis types. Darwin saw many varieties of finches on the Galapagos islands and thought he saw evidence of evolution, and yet they were still every one of them still finches. They had diversified within their ‘finch�?kind, but not one of them ‘evolved�?into a non-finch type of bird. They all still remain firmly within their finch kind.

And so there would have been room enough on the ark, and room to spare for a pair of all the basic genesis kinds to be on the ark. There was no need to bring a pair of every type of horse on the ark, only a single pair of the genesis original. No need for every type of cat in the world, only a single pair of the genesis original. No need for every type of squirrel in the world, only a single pair of the genesis original. And so with all the creatures.

Another question that is often asked is, “How could Noah have collected all the different types of animals from all over the world?�?The short answer is that the task of collecting all the different animals and getting them to the ark wasn’t any of Noah’s business. If you look at the last part of verse 20 it says: “two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.�?In other words, God was going to get the animals to Noah. Noah’s job was to have the ark ready for them when they arrived. This has a direct tie in with the last verse of chapter 6.

What’s the point you ask? Noah did what God commanded “him�?to do. God command Noah to build an ark, and gave him 120 years to do it, and Noah did it. God did not command Noah to search the far corners of the earth for all the various animals that would be on the ark. That was God’s job and by faith Noah left that job to God. Noah did not try to do what God had not commanded him to do.

This is where many people get in trouble in their spiritual life. Instead of doing what God had commanded them to do, they try to do someone else’s job. Or worse yet, try to do what God had said that He Himself would do. And that is a recipe for failure. It’s like a hand trying to do the job of the eye, or a foot trying to do the job of the ear.

As Christians we all have our place in the body. We each have our appointed tasks to do. But when we try to do the tasks that have been appointed to others, or the works that God Himself has promised to do for us, the results is failure. We, like Noah, must learn to do as the Lord has commanded “us.�?Not as the Lord has commanded someone else. Not as the Lord has said “HE�?would do.

And these verses also bring up yet another question that is often asked. “How could Noah store enough food in the ark for all the animals?�?Again, if you read the text closely you will discover that that also was not Noah’s job. What exactly did God ask Noah to do?

Note that God did not tell Noah to gather a years supply of all the food that all the animals would need on their voyage. God told Noah to gather to himself “of all food that is eaten�?/FONT> but God did not specify how much Noah was to gather. In fact, there is no indication at this point that Noah even had a clue as to how long the flood was going to last.