Genesis 7 we saw the flood and Noah’s obedience to God.
In Genesis 8 the rain has stopped and for 150 days the world
is flooded. Then God sends winds to clear the water. He closes the floodgates
of the heavens and the water starts to slowly lower.
“4and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month
the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5The waters
continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth
month the tops of the mountains became visible.” Genesis 8:4-5
Imagine Noah’s relief when the boat stopped rocking. Yes,
please laugh. I would be so sea sick at this point that I would be on my knees
thanking God for letting the ark settle in one steady place. Also, for the mountains
becoming visible again. I am such a land person.
After forty days from the first day of the tenth month Noah
sent out a raven. I know most people first and only hear of the dove. But Noah
sent out a raven first that flew back and forth until it found dry land to stay
on. I have always loved ravens and now I have even more of a reason to do so.
After the raven no longer came back Noah sent out the dove. When the dove came
back Noah took it and put it back into the ark. Seven days later (again the
magic number 7) Noah sets the dove out again. This time the dove brought back
an olive leaf. Meaning the water had receded and it was almost time to leave
the ark and let the animals out. Another seven days passed and Noah sent the
dove out again and this time it did not return.
The first of the year of Noah’s six hundredth and first year
the water had dried up. It took until the twenty-seventh day of the second
month for the earth to dry. But Noah stayed in the ark until God told him to
come out. God didn’t make them wait long because as soon as the land was dry
God told Noah to come out with his wife, sons, and his sons wives. He also told
Noah to let out the animals. I can imagine the animals were more relieved than
Noah was.
Noah built an alter and sacrifices some of all the clean
animals (he had seven of each kind so a few did not bother with the
repopulation) as a thanks to God. The offering pleased the Lord and God makes a
promise to never curse the ground or destroy all living creatures again.
“As long as the earth endures,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Summer and winter,
Day and night
Will never cease” Genesis 8:22
Beautiful isn’t it? Most people say that God promised to never
flood the earth again, which he does. But He also promises to never wipe all
living creatures from the earth again. So why is everyone so worried about the
end of days?
Now, go read Genesis 9. I know you are just dying to know
what is coming next!
Much Love,
Heather
