Genesis Chapter 8

GENESIS 

CHAPTER 

8

1. But God remembered Noah and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; 2 the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters gradually receded from the earth. At the end of one hundred fifty days the waters had abated; 4 and in the seventh month, on on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

(Genesis chapter 8 verses 1 to 4)

When the fertilization of the cell meaning the ark actually took place, it rested on the top of Mount Ararat. Although there is dispute regarding the actual existence of the ark there is an unlimited amount of evidence from several fields of science such as archaeology, history and even world religions that give evidence of the flood and even the existence of Noah and his family.

What is of value is that God never forgets us even in times of trials and tribulations. When it is safe for us to leave our secure domain God opens the doors and gives us the appropriate solutions for our problems.

5. The waters continued to abate until the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared. 6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.

(Genesis chapter 8 verses 5 to 7)


On reflecting we can observe, that although the ark had rested on the mountain, Noah waited patiently and in faith for more instructions from God before attempting to leave the ark. However this does not mean that Noah just sat in waiting. God gives us intelligence that He would like us to make use of. In order to test if the land had dried up Noah chose two types of birds, a raven and a dove that followed the raven.


On reflecting on the nature of the raven it is considered as an unclean bird that lives on flesh and is termed as a carnivore. Apparently the land was not yet dry because the raven did not return with anything that proved a reliable result.



8. Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9 but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth, so he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him.

(Genesis chapter 8 verses 8 and 9)


The second attempt was done by sending a clean animal that is the dove, however this attempt was also a failure, for it did not result in a positive outcome. Although without certainty I hold that while in the ark, Noah remained praying in the ark and it was according to the influence of Divine prompting that his attempts took place.

When facing a tough problem that we do not have an idea how to solve the, best thing is to do nothing. However on the other hand we are to refer to God in a spirit of prayer and in time God will give us the necessary and adequate solution to our problem. Waiting on God can appear to be tedious however, the results have always been beneficial.


As based on my experience when I waited on God instead of rushing from one alternative to another the outcome was more positive than when I decided to act on my own initiative. Today I am living the same experience I am still waiting on God for answers that lead to further decisions for the good of my family and myself. I have the option of doing it myself, however like Noah I chose to wait on God who will enlighten me in relation to the correct time and decision.


10. He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; 11 and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him ant more.


(Genesis chapter 8 verses 10 to 12)


As previously mentioned the presence of God and the presence of evil cannot dwell in the same presence, because one is opposite to the other and as in magnetism one repels the other. This explains why the dove during its first attempt returned to Noah in the ark, however when order was restored to the earth once again from a state of sinful contaminated chaos, the dove did not return back because it found a secure dwelling in the presence of God.


13. In the six hundred first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying.

(Genesis chapter 8 verse 13)


As in spiritual discernment Noah was interpreting the signs given to him by God Almighty. When the time of his sojourn in the bosom of the ark had reached its end, Noah started removing the cover of the ark however he still did not have the go ahead of God to leave the ark.


14. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your son's wives with you.

(Genesis chapter 8 verse 14 to 16)


At long last Noah received the go ahead from God and the latter started making preparations for the unloading of his cargo both human and animal. We can observe that the 'Word of God became flesh, alive and incarnated' in the sense, that as a consequence of God's word the rebirth of the earth was to take place. The cell that had been travelling in the reproductive tubes, was now ready to give birth from the Holy Spirit of God and bring new life on earth. As humans we can also be reborn of the Spirit that gives us the power to overcome our human sinful self.


17. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh-birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth-so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."

(Genesis chapter 8 verse 17)


God gave Noah the go ahead to leave the ark and also the order to reproduce and dominate the earth, but not to destroy it as we are doing today. In the beginning God had brought the first humans to the garden of Eden. It can be observed that now God invested the power in Noah to bring out the animals from the ark.


18. So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his son's wives. 19 And every animal, creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the ark by families.

(Genesis chapter 8 verses 18 to 19)


Verses eighteen and nineteen and further proof that God created all forms of animals both of earth and sky. The author of the book of Genesis is specific in his choice of diction in order to pass on this detailed information.

20. Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

(Genesis chapter 8 verse 20)


Noah is a typical example for all Christians. On being safely delivered safely from the trauma of the deluge of the great flood, Noah offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. Before his departure God had ordered Noah to take into the ark a number of clean birds so that they would later on be offered as a sacrifice. Noah remained faithful to the will of God and was grateful to God. This is reflected by Noah's fidelity to God.


21. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, " I will never curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.

(Genesis chapter 8 verse 21)


It can be observed that the author of the book of Genesis is attributing human traits to the person of God. God is portrayed as having been sorry for the mistake that he had made when destroying all life on earth. This message is transmitted to the readers of the Word of God in order to set us an example, however it cannot be applied to God. In his infinite wisdom God is free from any form of error and therefore cannot be said to make mistakes. This is why when nature gets out of control and floods take place, the insurance companies commit a serious error when labeling the situation as being an 'act of God' because God loves humanity too much to do such a thing.


22. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."

(Genesis chapter 8 verse 22)


According to verse twenty-two which brings us to the end of the eight chapter of the book of Genesis God lifted the ban on the earth that was the consequence of the sin of Cain for having killed his brother Abel, during which humanity was to reap the fruits of the earth with sweat, and that the earth will bear thistles and produce with much difficulty.


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:


Oh God father and creator of heaven and earth, help me to live according to your Holy Will. Please help me to discern your will and voice from that of the world, and live in total obedience to you Holy Will. 


I would also like to thank you for providing me with the much needed resources to lead our life on earth, and thank you for your blessings and intervention in our lives, moreover thank you for work and prayer time and even the sharing of my prayer time with others online, because during such moments you are manifesting your loving self to us. 

Thank You

God.