Module 3: Week 3 — Early Civilization and the Flood
Answer thoroughly the following questions based on the Learn material in Module 3: Week 3.
1. Explain the meaning of the word “knew” in Genesis 4:1.
Some scholars think the word “knew” in Genesis 4:1 may just be a polite way of saying sex. The
same hint shows up in Genesis 19:5, Numbers 31:17-18-35, Judges 11:39, 19:22-25, and 1 Samuel 1:19.
It looks like it means the act that made Adam and Eve’s kids. Genesis 5:3 seems to say children look like
their parents in their faces.
2. How is God’s grace evident in chapter 4 of Genesis? Be thorough.
God’s grace shows up in Genesis 4, it seem… First, He goes to Cain—not the other way round. He
asks Cain to explain his angry outburst (4:6-7). It feels like the Lord steps close with genuine concern,
even if the tone looks stern. Next, after
Abel’s death, God comes back to Cain, asking again (4:9-10). He does not push
Cain away. Then, amazingly, God lets Cain live though he killed his brother (4:11-16). Sure, Cain gets a
curse, but a protective mark follows (4:15). Finally, the warning in verse 7 sounds gentle, a parent’s
advice for his choices today.
3. Look up the following verses and explain each verse individually and how it fits the story of Cain
and Abel:
John 8:44
People maybe think this passage talks about depravity—how humans are stuck
in a broken state after Adam and Eve disobeyed.The devil, according to stories,
committed murder making Adam and Eve his victims. Cain, born under that curse,
apparently followed his father's dark desires and ended up killing his brother. This act
looks like it came from his own nature, not from any truth. I don’t believe the verse
mentions Cain directly; it looks more like a warning about the sinful condition that all of
humanity shares. Still, Cain is part of that crowd, showing how the curse spread
continuously. I John 3:12
Cain acted evil, perhaps driven by envy toward his brother’s righteousness. John seems
to warn believers: avoid Cain’s path. Maybe follow Jesus instead, showing humility and love in
daily decisions today.
Hebrews 11:4
Hebrews looks like a hall of fame for faith to many readers today. It seems Abel’s trust in
God may earn him the label of righteous. His offering got accepted, perhaps because his heart
was clean toward God. Cain’s offering probably failed because his motives were wrong, not
because the sacrifice was not bloody. This passage clears a common mix-up. Abel will stay
remembered as a man who loved God and gave his best. Cain, meanwhile, is likely noted as a
violent figure who turned against God.
Hebrews 12:24
One might say Abel died innocent, yet the text still calls him sinful. That seems odd, because
only Jesus is described as completely without sin. If you read Abel as the story’s hero, you could
miss the larger picture. Jesus, by contrast, acts as our mediator. His innocent blood, according to
Hebrews, opens a newer covenant with God. So perhaps the focus should stay on him forever,
in eternity.
4. Where did Cain get his wife? Support your answer from the Bible.
Genesis 5:4 mentions that Cain had many sisters, and he probably took one as a
wife. Though later Mosaic law forbids such unions, the practice seems to have been normal; Abraham,
for example, married his sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12). Moreover, Moses’s genealogies rarely list
daughters, only noting their existence. (Gen 5:1-32; 10:1-32; 11:10-32).It may hint that early accounts
focused on male lines.
5. Offer two explanations as to why the patriarchs lived so long.
Some people think the old-world canopy theory may mean the sky once formed a shield that
blocked harsh solar rays. If that were true, life could have lived longer. Also, many believe the curse of sin
appears to pass down generations, trimming lifespans as years roll on. Leupold argues, “He who is duly
impressed by the excellence of man’s original state, will have no difficulty” suggesting early humans held
strong vitality before time wore them down.
6. How do we know the birth order of Noah’s sons? Be specific.
Bible Scripture lists Noah’s sons not by birth. Ham appears youngest (Gen 9:24); Japheth seems
oldest (10:21). Shem, child, is mentioned first - perhaps because the Messiah is thought to descend from
him. It may point to a chosen “seed” (Gal 3:16).
7. When did Methuselah die (how old, relation to flood)?
Methuselah, according to Genesis 5:27, lived to 969 years old and is noted as the oldest person
mentioned in Bible. His death is said to occur in the same year as flood, though scholars may not
agree – some think he perished in the waters, others claim he died earlier. The scripture gives little
else about him besides naming Lamech as his son and mentioning other children. It does not label
him good or bad, so we cannot be certain whether his end was during the flood or before it.
8. Name the two fundamental reasons for the flood.
The text seems to claim that human wickedness was huge, that people's hearts stayed evil nonstop.
It also says God “repents” creating humanity, perhaps to express God’s sorrow over the ruin of his own
creation and feels great distress for each soul.
9. The “sons of God” are identified by Davis as being whom?
The reading that most people back this passage sees the “sons of God” as fallen angels.
Those angels-or-watchers, they say, rebelled, came down, and had kids with women. The result?
The giants or Neph-Li-m. This idea gets a lot of weight from old Jewish books, from early
teachers, from the words used in the Hebrew Bible itself, and even from the New Testament.
The first story that looks like this is in the Book of Enoch. It says, “when the children of men
grew many, some of the Watchers took wives, and they had giants.” That line names the
Watchers as heavenly beings who took women. It fills in the missing detail that Genesis never
tells us – who exactly the “sons” were.
Later, rabbis and church fathers also tend to read it the same way. Philo of Alexandria,
Josephus, and most of the rabbinic tales all say these are sky-beings. Early Christian writers –
Justin, Tertullian, Cyprian, Ambrose, Lactantius – all use it as proof that there was a rebellion
before the Flood. Their agreement shows the angel interpretation was the default back
then.
The words matter too. The Hebrew phrase bene ʾelîm (“sons of God”) shows up in Job when
the “sons” sit round God’s throne. It shows up in Psalms in the same sense. If you look at all the
places, the phrase never talks about normal men. So it makes sense to keep it in that same
family of meaning for Genesis.
The New Testament seems to link the story right over the heads of the angels. Peter writes
that God “did not spare the angels that sinned…”, and Jude says that the angels “kept not their
first estate”. Both passages assume some angels broke the rules before the Flood. Some
scholars even say Jude is talking about the very same “sons” from Genesis. Stewart Custer, for
instance, argues those angels took on bodies to sleep with women. The worry that angels can’t
have bodies feels like a question-begging line, because Scripture already shows angels changing
shape – think of the three visitors to Abraham (Gen 18) or the “birds” in Hebrews 1:14.
But not everyone agrees. A few ancient writers thought the “sons of God” might be mighty
kings or mighty men, not angels at all. They point to the word “sons” as maybe more human.
Still, that reading has far fewer supporters and fewer quotes that directly link it to the story of
giants. The angel view stays the one most people keep.
In conclusion, when you line up the old Jewish text from Enoch, the early church and rabbi
consensus, the way bene ʾelîm works elsewhere in the Bible, and the New Testament verses that
talk about sinful angels, the picture that fits best is the angelic one. Objections that say angels
can’t get physical feel weak because the Bible already shows them taking human shape. So, for
now, the angel interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4 looks like the most solid, historically continuous
reading – even if we still have to wonder how those angels managed to have kids on earth.
10.Explain the meaning of the phrase “The Lord repented.”
When God looked at how bad people had become, He “repented” (naham) that He had created
them and felt grief inside (6:6). This repenting of the Lord has long puzzled scholars. It does not seem to
mean that God made a mistake or that He was unsure of what He wanted. Rather it may mean a shift in
what He does
because the things He acts on have changed. It appears to be a human-like way to
speak of the sorrow that God feels when His loved ones are ruined. The word
naham means “to be sorry,” “to feel pity, ” or “to have compassion.” It shows up
thirty times with God as the subject, and each use points to a change of mind that fits His righteous plan
and leads to matching action. Thus God's heart still moves toward saving humanity.
11.Describe the ark in detail.
The ark appears in Genesis 6:14-7:16. It was built from a wood called “gopher wood,” a term that
scholars still cannot name for sure, some think cedar, others perhaps cypress. In size it seems more like a
barge than a typical ship, almost as big as a modern ocean freighter. Using the ancient cubit of about
17.5 inches, the text gives a length of 437.5 feet, a width of 72.92 feet and a height of 43.75 feet. That
gives three decks and, if the numbers are right, around 95,700 square feet of deck space, roughly
1,396,000 cubic feet inside, and a gross tonnage near 13,960. The Bible does not say exactly how thick
the beams were or how heavy they must have been, but the structure enough to survive the raging
storm and the flood’s turbulent waters. A “window,” called a sohar, is mentioned: “…in a cubit shalt thou
finish it above…” It may mean a opening for light and air placed within a cubit of the roof edge. It is not
clear whether the opening was a simple hole, a lattice, or a shuttered window; the wording does not
give a precise picture. Some readers may wonder if a one-cubit square could really supply enough light
for such a massive vessel. Nevertheless, the description suggests an enormous, solid craft with three
large decks. Its dimensions provoke debate among curious scholars.
12.Read the following verses in Genesis and discuss each verse individually on what it says about
Noah: 6:9
Noah was seen as a righteous man in his time, though not perfect. He seemed to trust
God, and many think that made him blameless. Like Abraham, whose belief counted as
righteousness, the same could apply to Noah, for God shows no partiality. He also walked with
God, as Enoch did, suggesting true worship even if details are fuzzy. This may not fully explain
everything, but hints at genuine faith. Maybe that's why his story still resonates today. 6:22
Could this line be talking about Noah’s work? He built the ark, loaded food, brought
animals and his family aboard. God gave dimensions, even the smallest measurement. Noah
followed because perhaps he trusted who God was. His obedience seemed like worship; others
might question his motives, yet his actions stayed consistent. In that way, the story shows
preparation for a flood.
7:1-5
Now the ark looks finished, and the food is stored. All the work seems to have been
done. It is time, perhaps, to load the animals and Noah’s family onto the vessel. God says Noah
is righteous because he trusted Him or at least had faith. He is told to bring one pair of each
unclean creature and seven pairs of clean ones. Verse four sorts of predicts rain for forty days
and forty nights. Still anyway Noah follows command, showing obedience. Despite any lingering
doubt.
7:16
God's judgment on a sinful world seems to start now. Every person is said to get into the
ark, then God closes the door. Noah probably, indeed, followed God's blueprint, yet it's God
who keeps the people inside alive. Likewise, God appears to stop anyone who shouldn't be on
board during the great flood.
8:15 — 18
After the flood, command to leave the ark arrives. Noah is told, perhaps to ‘be fruitful and
multiply’ (8:7). He heard this before—Adam and Eve received it (1:28). Supposedly, it would
refill earth with people, animals, and all species.
13.Which one of the reasons given for a universal flood stands out the most to you?
Both stories feel equally shocking. It seems that God was so sad, he even repented
making people. He might have erased every living thing. That picture sounds terrible when
you think of all the bad things people did that God let happen. Yet the tale also shows a hint
of love, because Noah and the animals were saved. He could have just turned away, letting
the whole race vanish. It is disturbing that humans could be that cruel. I often ask myself
how bad the world was in Noah’s time compared to now. Maybe the worst is already done,
maybe it keeps getting worse. Some argue that evil can't increase, but evidence appears to
contradict that. We see tragedies daily, a sign that darkness spreads.
14.How long were Noah and his family on the ark?
The text says the windows of heaven and the fountains of the deep were closed —at least that’s
what verse 2 claims. How long they stayed shut is unclear; some readers think it was about one year,
others point to 150 days mentioned later (7 : 24). That number may be a parenthetical note, so the
exact period is likely to be fuzzy.
After 150 days waters lowered, and the ark came to rest on mountains of Ararat (8 : 4). Seventy-four
days later the peaks were visible (v. 5). Then, after another forty days, Noah opened a window and let
out a raven (vv. 6-7). The bird perhaps flew back, because there was no dry land to land on.
Soon after, a dove was sent out. The first two returns were fruitless; the third time it stayed,
indicating shore was present (vv. 8-12). Fifty-seven days after the raven’s release, God told Noah to leave
the ark (vv. 13-19). In conclusion, the passage offers a staggered timeline that invites many questions.
15.What do the various flood accounts suggest or point to?
It suggests that there was in fact a global flood of universal proportions. It debunks the local
flood myth.
16.How does Davis interpret the phrase “by man shall his blood be shed”?
Two ideas stand out: human life seems holy, and killing on purpose feels completely wrong. The
phrase ‘who spills another man’s blood’ looks clear enough. The next part, ‘by man shall his blood be
shed’, gets people arguing a lot. Who exactly is ‘man’ here? Some scholars such as Leupold and John
Benson say it points to government or judges. Many assume there was no real civil rule before the flood
in Noah’s time. When they say ‘by man’ they may mean ‘by legal authorities’, which sounds like a nod to
organized rule. The claim is mostly based on what the text does not say. Other researchers think the
‘man’ means a personal
avenger of blood. Another view suggests the word ba ʾadam should be read as ‘for
man’ instead of ‘by man’. This line appears to be tough, but not impossible.
Looking at what we have, the safest read treats ’adam as general humanity but
really focuses on civil power. God giving rulers the job to punish evil is shown both
in Old Testament law and in the New Testament (Romans 13:1-4). Thus the debate
stays open for many readers still.
17.Describe at least three details about the covenant God made with Noah.
•God blessed Noah and told him to “be fruitful, and multiply” (9:2).
•He also apparently restated that humans hold dominion over beasts of earth (9:2).
•For the first time, God appears to permit people now to eat both plants and animals, yet he
warns them not to consume blood (9:3-4).
•The rainbow was set as a sign of His covenant, a “bow in the clouds,” reminding every
creature that He will never flood the world again (9:11-13).
•All animals are said to perhaps fear and dread humanity (9:2).
18.What did the curse on Canaan include?
Noah curses Canaan three times in Genesis 9:25-27, saying he will be a servant. That appears Canaan
the third cursed figure (first was the snake in 3:14, second Cain in 4:11).
Noah also blesses his other sons. He blesses Shem, and the text appears to link that blessing to Lord God
of Shem, suggesting the favor may depend on honoring God as Savior.
Japheth receives a blessing too; his name means “enlargement.” The words hint that his line would be
enlarged, maybe filling wide lands and prospering. Future generations may remember this promise
beyond simple biblical stories.
19.How has this curse been fulfilled? (see Joshua 16:10)
The perhaps curse on Canaan, it may have ended when Joshua’s Israel took the land. They forced
many Canaanites into labor, essentially making them slaves, seeming to keep them subject for
generations.
20.If Noah’s ark were discovered today, would it change the way people view the Bible? Explain your
answer.
According to Davis, and I tend to agree, many believers seem to look at this idea with a kind
of uneasy attitude. Some people even say, “If we could just find the ark, doubt about the Bible
would disappear.” That sounds rather naive. First, visible proof does not really solve matters of
faith. The ancient Israelites witnessed many miracles, yet they also turned away from God many
times. Likewise, Jesus performed countless wonders, but his followers were not always
convinced. In the past century, hundreds of archaeological finds have been claimed to support
Scripture, yet scholars still question the supernatural origin of the text. Therefore, we should be
careful about how much weight we put on such discoveries. Even if the ark were found, it is
unlikely that the whole world would suddenly change its view. Belief in Scripture and in Christ
seems to rely on faith, not on artifacts. Research and digs can continue, but until solid evidence
shows that any wood from Mt. Ararat is really from the biblical ark, the wise stance is one of
caution. People cannot come to Christ unless God first draws them, as John 6:44 states. I also
hold to the Calvinist view of predestination, based both on Scripture and on my personal
experience. I never chose God; I spent decades fleeing Him, yet He chose me. Why this
happened, I cannot fully explain, other than that it was predestined. Some evidence might
emerge later, yet the community will likely still argue over its meaning today.
21.After watching the presentation, state four different ways Genesis 6 — 9 is misunderstood.
•Are they ark size and shape? Some picture huge box; others think narrow ship. It may
mean design limited by available timber.
•How many creatures? Tradition says two each. Yet text notes unclean by twos, clean by
sevens. That appears to raise doubt in the records.
•Flood length? Forty days are often cited, but later verses hint over a year. Could be
symbolic.
•Local or world-wide? Scholars lean universal, though some argue evidence unclear still
debated today.
