GENESIS CHAPTER 8
Heavenly Father, as I come before you today. I thank you for the person reading this right now. I pray that you flood them with the strength and with the power to overcome, anything that tries to influence their thoughts. May you renew their minds and their hearts, with all things positive and peaceful, in the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!
Welcome back Brothers and Sisters, to The Heartfelt Studies. I hope you're doing well. Here's to a new week and a new chapter, so lets jump into Genesis Chapter 8.
NOAH'S DELIVERANCE
Genesis chapter 8, verses 1-3:
God never forgets the ups and the downs, that his children encounters in life. He is loyal, understanding and caring and it shows here; And God remembered and thought kindly of Noah. This reflects the gratitude that God feels towards Noah, all the living things and the animals that were on the Ark with him. It also shows us that, God always thought about Noah through his time of testing. Imagine knowing God feels that way, towards you, that must have been a consolation to Noah.
We already know that God is compassionate and it is visible when he causes a great wind and he closes the windows of heaven. Doing so, restrains the rain, causing the flood to subside. God constantly reminds us, that he makes a way, when we need it the most.
Genesis chapter 8, verses 4-5:
To think that the flood went on for a hundred and fifty years and now has finally ended, must be a sigh of relief to Noah and his family. Again, we're given the timeframe of events and we can see that the Ark comes to rest upon the mountains of Ararat in Turkey on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (which is around five months after the rain began).
We are also shown that, after the tenth month, that is when the top of the mountains actually became visible.
God reminds us that, there is a process we have to go through, in order to makes things and perspectives clearer. It requires time, because only through time, can we gather an understanding of what's important in life.
That also reflects in the dates we're given in the verses above; these are historical events, that are noted for a reason and to be taken into consideration.
Genesis chapter 8, verses 6-7:
Even though the Ark came to rest in the verse above, there was no mention of anyone coming off the Ark. However, now we see the first stages of Noah, regaining connection with the outside world.
After another forty days, Noah opens a window and releases a raven. Ravens are from the crow family but are not crows, as they differ in appearance and flight pattern. Ravens are intelligent birds, used to locate dry land. So the raven Noah sent out, flew back and forth to many places, to find dry land. If the raven did not return, Noah would know that it found dry land and probably better food, and it chose to stay, but this was not the case, the raven returned to the Ark.
God always put things or people in our paths, that can help us, in our times of need.
Genesis chapter 8, verses 8-10:
So we see from the verse above that the raven has come back to the Ark. Therefore, Noah tried again using a dove. As we know doves represents love, peace and freedom, so God chose his animals for the Ark very wisely.
Again, the dove was not able to find any dry land and flew back to Noah, as there were still waters receding on the face of the earth.
What's popped out to me here, is the treatment between the raven and the dove. Noah stretched out his hand to the dove, upon her return, yet the raven just returned to its place on the Ark. We now start to see the connections, between Noah and the animals.
We can also see which animals were clean and unclean in God's sight. The dove being clean (sevens pairs on the Ark) the raven unclean (there's only mention of one raven).
After another seven days Noah sent out another dove, from the Ark in search for dry land.
We are reminded that after a destruction occurs in our lives; it takes time to rebuild those foundations again. We may have to fly around, to find a place of solitude to get back what's important and to find ourselves, but that transition stage, will come in God's perfect timing.
Genesis chapter 8, verses 11-12:
Noah sends out the dove again, and what does the dove come back with? An olive branch, which to Noah means the waters have now receded from the earth. An olive branch represents peace, so that was a beautiful gift that the dove brought back her in beak. It is a reflection that life is starting to form again on earth and that peace is on the horizon.
We're not able to see Noah's reactions to this, but I'm sure his heart was lifted.
After seven days, Noah sent out the dove and this time it did not return, meaning that it the earth has started to grow more plant life, which is a beautiful start.
God allows us to go through many changes. Just like the earth, sometimes we need to be stripped bare, in order to recognise the beauty of starting over.
Genesis chapter 8, verses 13-14:
Again, we come across another specific and relevant date in history. On the six hundred and first year, of the first day of the first month, Noah uncovers the Ark (what kind of covering, we don't know exactly) and he sees that the land is dry. As I think about it, the covenant from God covered Noah throughout the flood and now they've come to rest, a bit of the covering is removed to allow Noah to see the goodness of God's promises.
However, we can see that the land was not completely dried, as it took another two months, for the water to be completely gone.
Sometimes what appears one way to us, is another to God. But he will always unfold the necessities of life, in his perfect timing.
Genesis chapter 8, verses 15-19:
God commands Noah to take his wife, family and animals off the Ark. When we look back, we don't really get any mention of how his family are feeling, but what a sigh of gratitude they must have let out.
After a one year and ten days; the Ark served it's purpose with delivering the safety of its passengers as God promised. Now every living being (Noah, his wives, his sons and son's wives, all animals and insects) must leave the Ark and serve their purposes; by being fruitful and multiplying the earth, with more life.
GOD'S COVENANT WITH CREATION
Genesis chapter 8, verses 20-22:
What is a burnt offering?
A burnt offering is the sacrifice of a clean animal, consumed by fire the altar, which represents a commitment to God.
Here, we see that Noah builds an altar to God and sacrifices (some clean animals and birds) on it. God smells the burnt offerings and is very thankful with the humble act that Noah performed. Although God knows that there is wickedness within humans, he promises to never curse the grounds and cause harm to the animals as previously done with the flood. For God to know that there will be sin and wickedness in humans, must be heartbreaking; but he understands that this is part of life and as hard as it is to accept it, he will embrace the challenges that humanity will continue to face and promises to never treat those who may turn down the wrong road, as he did before.
God also promises that as long as the earth remains; the days and nights will come and the seasons will change with the months. Therefore the cycle of life, will continue to flow as God designed.
THOUGHTS
I can’t believe, we have come to the end of Chapter 8! It reminds me; just as Noah took the covering off the Ark, to her a clearer view of the outside. God will remove layers from our lives, that will help us seek peace, healing and clarity. We have to sail through some rough seas, in order to reach the other side of; our purposes, our assignments, our goals and dreams. When covers us in his grace, he is making room for greatness.
If you have anything to share with me, then let me know in the comments.
Catch you back here soon Xx