Chapter XIII.
Why did Noah enter the ark? Was it after seven days the flood happened? Also, why did Moses say that it lasted forty days and forty nights; and how did it endure for forty days? In what way does divine mercy shine forth in the very threat of punishment? After that, Noah's generous obedience is considered.
42. It is also a matter of inquiry why, after Noah entered the ark and brought in the animals, the flood occurred seven days later. For it does not seem idle that the number of days that passed was neither more nor fewer, but exactly the same number that there were in the creation of the world. For the world was made in six days (Gen. II, 2), and on the seventh day God rested from His works. By this He declared Himself to be the author of the world and of the flood. God created the world because of its goodness, and He brought about the flood as a punishment for our sins. Therefore, people were reminded, even from the beginning of the creation of the world, that they should reconcile with their Creator not only with tears and prayers, but also with a correction of their behavior. So the Lord gave them time for repentance, being more willing to forgive than to punish; by the fear of the impending flood, He forced them to seek forgiveness, and while they trembled at the danger of future death, they turned away from impiety and injustice. It is also proper that we gather from here the boundless mercy and compassion of the Lord, because the offense of many years since the creation of the world, until the end, contracted in a few days, if they had repented, He was willing to forgive. For God is forgetful of sin, and a rewarder of virtue, as He Himself says in the prophet: I am, I am He who blots out your iniquities, and I will not be mindful: but you be mindful. And let us be judged: declare your iniquities, that you may be justified (Isaiah 43:25). For when he observes that true virtue is rejected by the soul, he bestows upon it so much honor that not only does he pardon the sins of the guilty, but he also bestows grace and justification. Therefore, he waited until the seventh day, the day on which he rested from his work, so that if forgiveness were sought, correction would follow, and wrath would be appeased.
It was also a concern not to omit this, because it said that the flood lasted forty days and added forty nights (Gen. VII, 12). For we know that the day is called the time when the sun illuminates the earth; the night is the time when darkness surrounds us and separates us from the light. And often we use the term 'day' to mean only the time of daylight, and sometimes we include the night. For when we mention a month of thirty days, we are also indicating the nights. It is asked why, when Moses had already said that the flood lasted forty days, he added, ‘and forty nights’. And some, who came before us, have understood it in this way: as if the destruction caused by the flood was demonstrated by both men and women being destroyed; the day refers to the man, who is referred to as purer, like light, the night refers to the woman, who is created while the man is asleep (Gen. 2:21): at the same time, because the man is mentioned first, as the author who moves the power of the woman and arouses it for giving birth, the man is brighter in action and in public; the woman is darker, as if confined within the walls of the home and closer to night, born in second place, and given her form from the rib of man, she owes thanks to the man she was created from, and is subject to the privilege of the superior, and is to be compared with material things in the use of giving birth. However, danger exists in both consonance, because sins also exist in consonance. And deservedly, the spaces of time do not differ, because the merits of offenses do not differ.
44. Moreover, many people also inquire diligently by what means the deluge continued for forty days. And we can say that this number was assigned to the sadder events, that is, the destruction of creation, while seven days were assigned to the constitution of the entire world, that is, happier events. But perhaps it is worth considering that the law was also given for forty days (Exod. XXIV, 18), and Moses observed these days on Mount Sinai, spending time receiving the precepts of the Law. Therefore, the precepts of the same number of sins to be confessed are attributed, by which the penalty of guilt is paid; so that we may know that praise should be compared to the same time of life, by which a punishable fault can be committed. Hence, now the days of forty are no longer prescribed for punishment, but for life; so that with this number of fasts and more frequent prayers, we may alleviate the punishments of our sins, and, being attentive to the precepts of the law, may correct our error with devotion and faith. Therefore, through the resurrection of the Lord, the fortieth day is no longer considered the last, but the first; and from there life is counted, where before the number of death was counted towards the end of the world and the destruction of the human race.
45. And the Lord says, I will destroy all the resurrection of the flesh from the face of the earth. O beauty of celestial words, if anyone examines themselves with a devout mind! God is indignant at our sins, but does not forget his mercy. He threatens punishment, but does not allow destruction. He moderates vengeance, recalls severity. He says that he will blot out all flesh not from the earth, but from the face of the earth. He cuts off the flower, but keeps the root: he allows the power of human nature to remain in the depth of substance, which labors on the surface, persevering impassible within, and untouched by harm, reserved for the substitution of those who are not guilty, and immune to their punishment. But beautifully I have set forth, I will destroy, like the tips of letters which are erased without deceit of books, and without diminution of tablets. Ink is erased, but the wood remains. Elements are erased, so that usually better ones may be written. Ink is removed, substance is not exterminated. I will destroy, he says, the corruption of the flesh, so that I may write incorruption. I will destroy the resurrection of the flesh from the face of the earth, so that I may write about those rising in heaven. I will erase from the book of the earth, so that I may write in the book of life. Let them be erased, my Lord, let them be quickly erased, the elements of iron, so that the elements of Christ may be written. May the earthly resurrection be abolished, so that heavenly grace may abound. Come, Moses, prepare your lap, receive the law, take the tablets that divine mercy no longer erases. Receive the tablets that the Lord may establish forever. I wish you yourself do not break them. And my own fault would have taken them away from me, if the Lord had not restored them. Indeed, Moses was indignant that they were not granted divine privileges unless they offered obedience. But I believe that you have not broken them for me, but for the Jews. You broke them for the Jews and deceived me. The former ones were broken so that the latter ones could remain. You broke them in the hearts of the Jews. For what use was it for them to possess the tablets whose teachings they could not keep? Behold, they claim to possess the second tablets, but they do not hold them. They claim to read the divine elements, but they do not read them (Deut. IX, 10). Moses says that the finger of God has written the tablets: they do not read the finger of God, but they read iron. They see ink, but they do not see the spirit of God. But the Church does not know ink, it knows the spirit. Therefore, Paul knows how to write not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God (2 Cor. III, 2-3). Oh sacrilegious and foolish people of the Jews! A man writes with the spirit of God, and a man who is nourished by the law believes that God has written with ink, not with the spirit.
46. Therefore, to return to the previous topic, God deleted the resurrection of the flesh, like the erasure of bees: whereby it is declared that he wiped out the excessive birth of humans due to their impiety, in a semblance of letters; but he preserved the substance and nature of the human race, like the perpetuity of tablets, so that from it the remaining seed would sprout. This statement also seems to agree with what he says: I will destroy, he says, every resurrection of the flesh. But purification seems to be contrary to the common use of nature in resurrection; because by purification one falls back and suppresses the luxury of resurrection. However, everything that is purified loses its appearance, preserves its substance, and improves it. Therefore, the Lord restrained by purification the bodily use, and conversation of generation, which had degenerated from the beauty of nature and the gift received. This is according to the letter. But as for what pertains to a deeper meaning, the sight of the flood is a type of the purging of our soul. Therefore, when our mind cleanses itself from the earthly allurements by which it was previously delighted, it will also wipe away the filth of old desires with good thoughts, just as it absorbs the bitterness of the turbulent waters with purer waters first.
47. And he did, he said, everything that the Lord God commanded him. Noah received the commandments, a servant received the orders. The one who does whatever tasks he has undertaken is considered a friend: the one who hesitates in his obedience is burdened with the duty of servitude. Lastly, even the Lord Jesus says in the Gospel: You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I will not call you servants anymore. Therefore, it is commanded as to a friend, it is commanded to him who, with strong love and wise counsel, carries out those things which are commanded. The judgment of the Lord did not fail, the righteous fulfilled all things, not part, but all things that were commanded to him; and therefore he received testimony from the divine Scriptures. And do not think it is superfluous because he has placed both Lord and God at the same time; for God is in the Lord, and the Lord is in God: but understand it as a common commandment of the Father and the Son. However, some have interpreted it before us, because by saying Lord and God in this place, he expressed both the power to avenge and the power to forgive: and he who avenges here speaks first to sinners, therefore he spoke before the Lord; but because afterwards, in order to spread the seed of the righteous, he indulged, he mentioned God afterwards. Finally, it is said that God, about to create the world, said: In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. And God said, let there be light.