Clean vs. Unclean Animals
Genesis 7:1–5 (NASB95)
1Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. 2“You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; 3also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 4“For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made.” 5Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.
God commands Noah to enter the ark with his family and to bring animals in a specific way: seven pairs of every clean animal and bird, and one pair of every unclean animal. The distinction between clean and unclean animals is not random. Clean animals are brought in greater numbers because they are intended for sacrifice. If only two of the clean animals were brought on the ark, Noah would have ended the species with the sacrifices he will later offer. This detail reveals a priestly dimension to Noah’s role. Noah is not only a survivor but also a covenant mediator between God and creation.
The Hebrew phrase for covenant literally means “to cut a covenant.” In ancient practice, covenants were ratified by cutting animals in two and offering sacrifices. This act symbolized the seriousness and binding nature of the agreement. Noah’s bringing of clean animals prepares for the sacrificial offerings he will make after the flood, which serve to ratify the covenant God establishes with him and all living creatures.
Understanding covenant is key to grasping the ark narrative. The number of animals and their classification point to a sacred ritual of covenant renewal. Noah’s obedience in this priestly task secures God’s promise to preserve life and bless the earth. This covenant foreshadows the ultimate covenant Christ establishes through His sacrifice. Jesus’ death ratifies a new and eternal covenant, fulfilling and surpassing the old sacrificial system.
The church today must recognize the importance of covenant in our relationship with God. Like Noah, believers are called to live faithfully and obediently, participating in the covenant through Christ. The sacrificial system points us to Jesus, the perfect High Priest who offers Himself once for all. While our obedience reflects our commitment to the covenant Christ made with us, our salvation depends on trusting the covenant God established through Christ’s blood. The ark story reminds us that God’s promises are reliable and that He provides a way of salvation through covenant faithfulness.
Lastly, in our modern world we are the Noah's tasked with a priestly duty. The Church is the ark; a provision by God with the mission of helping preserve alive the world around us.