God Remembered…God Remembered…

Genesis 8Genesis 8

Have you ever felt all alone Have you ever felt all alone in a crowded place?in a crowded place?

Have you ever felt trapped in Have you ever felt trapped in a difficult situation?a difficult situation?

Have you ever wondered Have you ever wondered when a time of trouble in when a time of trouble in your life will end?your life will end?

Imagine how Noah was feelingImagine how Noah was feeling

Noah and his family were the Noah and his family were the ONLY people left on the earth. ONLY people left on the earth. (See Gen. 7:23) Although the ark (See Gen. 7:23) Although the ark was a busy and crowded place, he was a busy and crowded place, he might have felt lonely.might have felt lonely.

Once God shut the ark door (See Once God shut the ark door (See Gen. 7:16), Noah had to stay Gen. 7:16), Noah had to stay inside. It was probably noisy and inside. It was probably noisy and smelly all the time with so many smelly all the time with so many animals, but he couldn’t escape or animals, but he couldn’t escape or have a day off for one whole year!have a day off for one whole year!

God told Noah how to prepare for God told Noah how to prepare for the flood (build the ark, bring the the flood (build the ark, bring the animals and food, even when the animals and food, even when the flood would begin), but once he flood would begin), but once he was inside the ark, there was no was inside the ark, there was no information about how long he information about how long he would have to be inside.would have to be inside.

In such a stressful situation, we In such a stressful situation, we start Genesis 8 with good news: start Genesis 8 with good news: “God remembered Noah!”“God remembered Noah!” And he And he remembers us too. remembers us too.

Genesis 8:1-2Genesis 8:1-2But God remembered Noah and all But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Now the the waters receded. Now the springs of the deep and the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. stopped falling from the sky.

Genesis 8:3-5Genesis 8:3-5

The water receded steadily from the The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters the mountains of Ararat. The waters continued to recede until the tenth continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains month, the tops of the mountains became visible.became visible.

God’s remembering Noah was a sign of God’s remembering Noah was a sign of his mercy returning to humankind (whom his mercy returning to humankind (whom He did not completely destroy).He did not completely destroy).

The same One who brings destruction is The same One who brings destruction is the One who brings deliverance.the One who brings deliverance.

When our difficulties have accomplished When our difficulties have accomplished what God desired, they will be removed.what God desired, they will be removed.

Just as the earth was not drowned in a Just as the earth was not drowned in a day, it was also not dried in a day. day, it was also not dried in a day. Sometimes God works our deliverance Sometimes God works our deliverance gradually, too.gradually, too.

The wind God sent was not a light The wind God sent was not a light breeze. It was strong, hot and drying--breeze. It was strong, hot and drying--causing some of the floodwaters to causing some of the floodwaters to evaporate and return to the atmosphere. evaporate and return to the atmosphere.

The mountains of Ararat are in modern-The mountains of Ararat are in modern-day Armenia (Turkey and Iran are its day Armenia (Turkey and Iran are its neighbors). It is not one mountain, but a neighbors). It is not one mountain, but a range of many peaks. range of many peaks.

God guided Noah to a place of rest He God guided Noah to a place of rest He provided after the ark had been tossing provided after the ark had been tossing and turning for months on a world of and turning for months on a world of water. water.

Genesis 8:6-9Genesis 8:6-9 After forty days Noah opened the window After forty days Noah opened the window

he had made in the ark and sent out a he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the until the water had dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove to see if earth. Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove could find no the ground. But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark.brought it back to himself in the ark.

Genesis 8:10-12Genesis 8:10-12He waited seven more days and He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.did not return to him.

The raven was sent out first because it’s a The raven was sent out first because it’s a bird that could eat the carcasses floating in bird that could eat the carcasses floating in the floodwaters. It did come back to perch the floodwaters. It did come back to perch on the ark (flying back and forth between on the ark (flying back and forth between finding food and resting there).finding food and resting there).

The olive leaf brought back by the dove The olive leaf brought back by the dove symbolized the peace restored between symbolized the peace restored between God and humanity. God and humanity.

Perhaps after keeping 3 different Sabbath Perhaps after keeping 3 different Sabbath days with his little “church,” Noah sent out days with his little “church,” Noah sent out the dove expecting to see how God had the dove expecting to see how God had answered their prayers.answered their prayers.

Genesis 8:13-14Genesis 8:13-14

By the first day of the first month of By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. the surface of the ground was dry. By the twenty-seventh day of the By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was second month the earth was completely dry. completely dry.

Noah and his family stayed in the Noah and his family stayed in the ark 1 full year (See Genesis 7:11), ark 1 full year (See Genesis 7:11), although when the rain began they although when the rain began they had no idea how long their “ride” had no idea how long their “ride” would be.would be.

Genesis 8:15-17Genesis 8:15-17

Then God said to Noah, “Come out of Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the groundcreatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and —so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon be fruitful and increase in number upon it.”it.”

Genesis 8:18-19Genesis 8:18-19

So Noah came out, together with So Noah came out, together with his sons and wife and his sons’ his sons and wife and his sons’ wives. All the animals and all the wives. All the animals and all the creatures that move along the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the eartheverything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind —came out of the ark, one kind after another. after another.

God knows what is good for us, God knows what is good for us, even better than we know even better than we know ourselves. He considers our benefit ourselves. He considers our benefit rather than just our desires. rather than just our desires.

Since Noah had a command to go Since Noah had a command to go into the ark, he waited (no matter into the ark, he waited (no matter how tiring and difficult his time how tiring and difficult his time inside was) for another command inside was) for another command before he came out. before he came out.

Genesis 8:20-22Genesis 8:20-22Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart, “Never again will I and said in his heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done. destroy all living creatures as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”winter, day and night will never cease.”

Noah’s first action wasn’t to build a house Noah’s first action wasn’t to build a house for himself in that desolate world, but to for himself in that desolate world, but to offer sacrifices to God in thanksgiving. offer sacrifices to God in thanksgiving. Whenever we have a chance to start over, Whenever we have a chance to start over, we also should begin with worship. we also should begin with worship.

God was pleased with this act of worship, God was pleased with this act of worship, and it moved Him to affirm his purpose of and it moved Him to affirm his purpose of salvation for humanity. salvation for humanity.

Eph. 5:2 uses the same words of sacrifice Eph. 5:2 uses the same words of sacrifice and pleasing aroma to describe Jesusand pleasing aroma to describe Jesus

Although the flood washed away the Although the flood washed away the wicked people, it could not cleanse the sin wicked people, it could not cleanse the sin from human nature. (See Gen. 9:20)from human nature. (See Gen. 9:20)

God promises never to destroy all living God promises never to destroy all living creatures in a flood again. The next time creatures in a flood again. The next time the world is destroyed, it will be with fire. the world is destroyed, it will be with fire. (See 2 Pet. 3:7)(See 2 Pet. 3:7)

No matter what we call the seasons, No matter what we call the seasons, God also promises that the times God also promises that the times necessary for vegetation (and thus the necessary for vegetation (and thus the survival of humankind) will not fail. survival of humankind) will not fail.

This is the end of the story of the ark, This is the end of the story of the ark, and looking back we can see reminders and looking back we can see reminders of God’ patience, justice, mercy, and of God’ patience, justice, mercy, and salvation. salvation.

God was patient in giving that corrupt and God was patient in giving that corrupt and thoroughly violent world a full and fair thoroughly violent world a full and fair warning. (Think of all the time Noah warning. (Think of all the time Noah needed to build the ark, and even the first needed to build the ark, and even the first few days of rain which allowed some few days of rain which allowed some people to repent before dying.)people to repent before dying.)

God was just in punishing the completely God was just in punishing the completely wicked generation of Noah’s time with wicked generation of Noah’s time with death.death.

God was merciful in preserving Noah and God was merciful in preserving Noah and his family as a remnant of His good his family as a remnant of His good creation.creation.

God used the ark to save the God used the ark to save the physical lives of Noah and his physical lives of Noah and his family, and now we have Jesus family, and now we have Jesus who saves us in the same way who saves us in the same way from the spiritual death and from the spiritual death and separation from God that sin separation from God that sin brings.brings.

God remembers you, too—just like God remembers you, too—just like Noah! And through Jesus He made Noah! And through Jesus He made a way for you to be saved eternally.a way for you to be saved eternally.