GENESIS 8

GENESIS 8

Verses 1-5  God Remembers Noah

Noah had been in the Ark a full year and ten days.   Noah had found grace in the eyes of the Lord, yet perhaps began to think that he had been forgotten.  When God’s people go through afflictions and problems they seem unusually grievous and long.  God commanded the wind.  He told it to Go, and it went.  Jesus told the wind to cease in the storm and it did.  The ark rested.  God has times and places of rest for his people after their trials and tribulations.    “"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."(Matthew 11:28-30).

Notice that Noah was safe in the ark - but he wasn’t delivered yet from the flood. God was doing a lot in the background - unseen by Noah - to secure his deliverance. Noah’s job was to wait patiently. “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”Isaiah 40:31.   That’s what we should do too.  We are in the Lord, but we have not been delivered yet.  “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” (Colossians 2:6).  “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1 John 3:24).

Verses 6- 12  Noah Sends A Dove

Noah sent a dove out three times.  Often we have to pray more than once for an answer.  When the dove did not find rest, he returned to the ark.  Christ is our ark and we must return to the ark for rest.  The olive branch that the dove brought back was and is an emblem of peace.  God sent forth His gospel as the dove in the likeness of the Holy Spirit as it descended upon our Lord and Savior.  "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”  (Luke 11:9-10).

Verses 13-14  Dry Ground

God can make dry ground to appear even where it seems to have been lost and forgotten.  God did not allow him to go out of the ark for almost two months after he saw the dry land.  God knows what is good for us better than we do for ourselves and we must wait on His timing. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).  We must be satisfied with God’s timing and wait until He decides to show His mercy to us.

Verses 15-19  Go forth

Noah landed on Mt Ararat, about 17,000 feet above sea level. But he doesn’t get out until God tells him to. We don’t need to move until God tells us to move.

God said “Come into the ark”, but He says “Go forth”which indicates that God went in with him, stayed with him all the time, and then sent him out safely.  Jesus said: “I will never leave you or forsake you”.  Though he had been in the ark a year and 10 days, he found himself preserved there, not only for a new life, but for a new world.  One day we will see our new Heaven and new Earth.

Verses 20-22  Noah’s Sacrifice

This is the first altar mentioned in the Bible.  Noah is worshipping and the sacrifice was meant to show God that Noah wanted continual reliance and fellowship with God.  It was probably also to say "thanks for getting me though this!"

He built an altar without particular instructions.  God is pleased with free-will offerings and praises that wait for him.  He offered only those that were clean.  The amount was small, but God wants even our small sacrifices of praise and righteousness

It is no longer necessary to offer sacrifices of animals to God.  “But this Man (Jesus), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,” (Hebrews 10:12).  But there is a sacrifice from us that God will be please with.  “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”(Hebrews 13:15).