1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:07,000 Turn to chapter 8 will be in Genesis chapter 8. 2 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:11,200 We will cover most of the chapter this morning. 3 00:00:18,970 --> 00:00:27,130 Someone who shall remain anonymous sent me a little meme 4 00:00:27,130 --> 00:00:33,130 the other day. There's a lion coming off of the 5 00:00:33,130 --> 00:00:45,960 ark in being interviewed and and says yeah, the cruise wasn't so 6 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,160 good but the buffet was great. I had two of everything. 7 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,960 Thank you. Paul had to out my source. 8 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,000 That was funny. I was quite amused. 9 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,480 Waters were a little rough, but the buffet was great. 10 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,480 We will be exiting the Ark today. 11 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,640 The waiting room is a hard place to be, right? 12 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,960 Whether you're waiting to get in to see the doctor or you're 13 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:29,440 waiting for the loved one who's in surgery. 14 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,520 By the way, I love how convenient care or urgent care 15 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:39,680 waiting rooms like convenient or urgent makes it sound like it 16 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:46,600 should be fast. Anybody done like two or three 17 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,640 hours in convenient care before on a Saturday morning? 18 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:56,480 I have anyways. You wait and the time just seems 19 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,720 to crawl by. If and if you're not in the 20 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,360 right place mentally, emotionally and spiritually, 21 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:08,120 it's can be agonizing. Sometimes the waiting isn't 22 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,960 nearly as long as you expected, but sometimes the waiting is 23 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,680 much longer than planned. The surgeon had said it'd be 3 24 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:21,920 hours, and here you are 6 hours in, still waiting. 25 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:27,280 You just want someone to come and tell you that things are 26 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,560 fine. Everything went great. 27 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,960 Now put yourself in Noah's sandals. 28 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,840 God told him to build the ark, and for decades he worked on the 29 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,640 ark, not necessarily knowing when the time would come to do 30 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:49,040 something with it. Then God told him to go into the 31 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,000 ark. He went into the ark and he 32 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:58,080 continued to wait, thinking possibly I could have been 33 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,080 outside. It hasn't even started raining 34 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:05,200 yet and he waited for a whole week for it to rain. 35 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,680 Noah was on the ark more than a year and for most of this time 36 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:17,280 God is quiet in the text. Noah was waiting with no real 37 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:22,760 idea how long this adventure was going to last, but he and his 38 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:27,280 family settled in for the long haul, trusting God to get them 39 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,360 through. Now if you're able, would you 40 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:37,040 stand as we read Genesis chapter 8 verses one through 5? 41 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,160 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and the livestock 42 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,560 that were with him in the ark, and God made a wind blow over 43 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,680 the earth, and the waters subsided. 44 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,680 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were 45 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,240 closed. The rain from the heavens was 46 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,520 restrained and the waters receded from the earth 47 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:00,320 continually. At the end of 150 days the water 48 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,640 had abated, and in the seventh month, on the 17th day of the 49 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:08,040 month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, and the 50 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,720 waters continue to abate until the 10th month. 51 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,720 In the 10th month, on the first day of the month, the tops of 52 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:22,560 the mountains were seen. You may be seated here. 53 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:28,240 In these first 5 verses we see that the flood is retreating. 54 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:31,160 And that's the point here, right? 55 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,880 But but the process begins with an interesting phrase. 56 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:42,280 It says God remembered Noah. This is an interesting statement 57 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:44,840 because in our minds, to say that someone remembered 58 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:48,200 something is to imply that they had forgotten what it is that 59 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:53,680 they just remembered. It's not unusual for me to go 60 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:59,240 somewhere to do something, get home, and then remember an 61 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,720 errand that I'd planned to run while I was in town. 62 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:09,080 In fact, this is quite normal. Those of you who live in town, 63 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:15,080 you don't understand this. But in town is a different world 64 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,880 when you live north of 80, right? 65 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,320 OK, I know, I know there's some in here who who live out of 66 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,800 town, so to say. But we do our best to make sure 67 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,360 that any trips into town, whether it's a Walmart, Target, 68 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:38,640 Costco, Chipotle, you name it, sometimes Chipotle is the reason 69 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,560 to go into town and then you're like, oh, we might as well do 70 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,360 other things while we're in town. 71 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,240 But you want to get it all done in one trip. 72 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,000 Sometimes when you're in a project, you, you major the 73 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,640 project by how many trips into town did it take? 74 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,520 How many times did I have to go to Menards? 75 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,360 How many times did I have to go to AutoZone? 76 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,560 You're like you, major projects that way. 77 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,800 Now, granted, now I come into town nearly every day, right? 78 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,120 So it's a little bit different, but it's not unusual for me to 79 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:19,040 still forget something that I plan to do while I was in town. 80 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:27,360 Well, God, God doesn't forget. He doesn't forget anything. 81 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,960 No one and everyone on the ark hadn't slipped his mind. 82 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:34,480 Oh, that's right. There's these people on the ark. 83 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:41,560 No, that was not the situation. Saying God remembered means that 84 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:46,920 he's about to take action. Well, this verse is the is the 85 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,680 height of the passage up to this moment. 86 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,240 Things have been progressively getting worse, moving towards 87 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:56,640 the climax of the flood. And the phrase God remembered 88 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,720 signals the reversal of the waters and the and the narrative 89 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:05,040 flows back towards peaceful living. 90 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:10,080 Ultimately, as the waters begin to recede, they become testimony 91 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:15,040 to God's faithfulness to Noah, his family, and the animals. 92 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:21,080 The receding waters are testimony to God's faithfulness. 93 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,600 The waters receding are testimony to God's faithfulness. 94 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,640 In Genesis 618, God told Noah that he would establish his 95 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:37,960 covenant with him. The words God remembered tap 96 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,920 into that covenant language is God acted on the promise that he 97 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:47,440 had made with Noah. Later in Genesis, we'll see that 98 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,200 remembrance is a sign of coming deliverance. 99 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,240 So remembrance is a sign of the coming deliverance. 100 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:11,280 No, God is said to remember when he's describing in here. 101 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,800 In a few chapters he's describing the deliverance of 102 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,600 Lot as God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. 103 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,360 Then this language was also used when God opened up the Baron 104 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,560 Rachel's womb with the birth of Joseph. 105 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,880 God remembered when his people were in slavery in Egypt. 106 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:33,760 This word remember, shows up a number of times in the text. 107 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:39,039 Moses even asked God to remember His covenant with Abraham, 108 00:08:39,039 --> 00:08:46,000 Isaac, and Jacob when Israel has turned apostate and turned from 109 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,040 God. That is what it's means when God 110 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,680 said, when God says he remembers something, he's going to bring 111 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:58,000 deliverance. Now that God's judgment has been 112 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,480 appeased, it's His mercy that comes to the forefront. 113 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:08,120 Verse 1 continued and God made a wind blow over the earth and the 114 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:13,880 waters subsided. This this is the beginning of 115 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:15,800 the new creation. This isn't simply the 116 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:18,960 inhabitants of the ark getting off the boats. 117 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,360 This whole chapter in in parts of the next chapter. 118 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:27,680 Utilize all these hyperlinks to point you back 7 pages to 119 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:35,920 chapter 1 and the creation days. Now unfortunately we are, we are 120 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,960 not fluent in Hebrew so we're not reading the Hebrew text, so 121 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:42,560 we can't see what is happening. It's a little more difficult to 122 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:48,280 see it in English. The word used here for the wind 123 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:54,600 is the word ruach. Ruach we saw back at the very 124 00:09:54,800 --> 00:10:01,160 beginning of creation, Genesis 1 very beginning verse verses one 125 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:02,840 and two. You'll see there in the 126 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,760 beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 127 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:10,160 The earth was without form and void and the darkness was over 128 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:14,520 the face of the deep. And the Ruach that is the Spirit 129 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:20,400 of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 130 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:27,040 So this wind that we see here, it is a hyperlink, it's tied 131 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:32,000 back to the Spirit of God back in Genesis 1. 132 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:38,120 So this is connecting us back to the Spirit in Genesis 1. 133 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:44,200 There in Genesis 1-2, before the creative act began, the Spirit 134 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:50,280 was hovering over the waters. And then here in chapter 8, it's 135 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:54,600 the same Ruach that that blows over the earth and and causes 136 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:59,160 the waters to subside. As we work through the 137 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:01,280 narrative, we'll see the waters retreat to where they're 138 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:07,000 supposed to be and dry land emerges, which also is another 139 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:13,640 design pattern echoing days two and three of creation, all 140 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:17,120 indicating that Noah is the new atom. 141 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:24,760 This wind is the renewed work of the Creator and as he works the 142 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,880 the waters subside, the fountains of the deep are sealed 143 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,280 and and the windows of heaven are closed. 144 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:36,920 The turmoil of the last 150 days had come to an end. 145 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,920 Well, it's good for us to momentarily pause and consider 146 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:48,160 the 7th month. We don't want to read too far 147 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:53,360 into the use of seven. Perhaps the 7th month would have 148 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,400 been seen as a sign of rest, a season of rest. 149 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,000 We don't, we don't know that for sure. 150 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:03,080 We can only speculate on that. But we do know that for Moses 151 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,720 audience, that is. Moses is writing, writing these 152 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,000 words, right? And for his audience, his peers, 153 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:15,680 the 7th month is significant. For them, the month of Tishri 154 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:18,840 was significant because it was it was sacred. 155 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:23,680 It it includes the the Day of Atonement as well as the Feast 156 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:27,160 of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles. 157 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:32,680 So it was appropriate that the ark found refuge in what would 158 00:12:32,680 --> 00:12:36,760 become a sacred month for the Hebrews of Moses Day, a month 159 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:41,960 set aside for celebrating the atonement and God's provision. 160 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:48,480 So it is on the 17th day of the 7th month that's the ark came to 161 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:54,440 rest on the mountains of Ararat is what it says the mountains of 162 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:58,800 Ararat. Now, over the millennia, there's 163 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:01,880 been a lot of discussion as to where the ark might be in. 164 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:06,920 A number of archaeologists have claimed this location or that. 165 00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:11,200 What do we know? Well, here's what we know. 166 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:16,080 First of all, Ararat is generally understood to be in 167 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,320 the region between the black and Caspian seas. 168 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:22,920 I think I have a hopefully have a picture there. 169 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:29,280 There we go. So you can see that Ararat or 170 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:33,680 Urartu is the is the Hebrew Ararat is encompassed. 171 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:39,000 It encompassed parts of modern day Turkey as well as Iran, 172 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,920 Iraq, all of Armenia, and I think even Georgia might be 173 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:48,280 thrown in there some. So so all of this blue shaded 174 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:53,280 region is kind of a blue. The blue outlined region is 175 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:58,800 considered Ararat. Now some scholars and 176 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:03,000 archaeologists believe that the ark landed on Mount Ararat, 177 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,880 actually on on the mountain of Ararat, which you can see here 178 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,440 in this picture. Next picture is located in far 179 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,640 eastern Turkey. It it looks like it's not quite 180 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,920 all the way in the corner, but it is Ararat is literally like 181 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:22,280 in the corner. It is as Far East as you can go 182 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:24,920 in Turkey. There has been a lot of debate 183 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,440 over the years about where the ark actually landed. 184 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,560 And for a long time it was considered very dangerous to go 185 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:35,040 searching for it. Prior to yesterday, I had 186 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:39,640 written in my notes that that tensions in the region were a 187 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:44,000 little less. And, and, you know, so there 188 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,800 have been a number of expeditions over the years to to 189 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:54,320 go explore the region. After yesterday's news of the 190 00:14:54,680 --> 00:15:02,720 Ayatollah Khomeini being killed, might not be a good idea to 191 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:07,520 venture into the region. Yeah, you're, you're still, 192 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,600 you're in the area of Iran. And so there have been there for 193 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:13,160 years. There have been, there's been a 194 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,520 lot of ups and downs in the area. 195 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:20,640 So perhaps not a good time save that trip to the Ark for another 196 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:26,160 year perhaps. But some people argue that the 197 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:30,560 that the ark landed on the top of Mount Ararat. 198 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,520 And here in this picture you can see Mount Ararat. 199 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,640 There are two peaks of it. The higher one there on the 200 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:42,560 right is considered the peak of Mount Ararat. 201 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,600 Those who argue for this position sometimes maintain that 202 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:51,160 what we shouldn't expect to find any wood either organic or 203 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:58,480 fossilized due to the need that once the ark landed and and they 204 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:03,800 got off of off of the ark, then look, there's all this wood. 205 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:07,400 This is mighty usable for us. This is a great resource. 206 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,320 Let's use it for various purposes. 207 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,560 So the wood probably was used up. 208 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:19,200 Conversely, there are also reports of an arc shaped figure 209 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,560 encased in ice in an inaccessible ledge near the 210 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:27,880 summit of Mount Ararat. Though the summit of Mount 211 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:32,920 Ararat currently sits close to 17,000 feet in elevation, it is 212 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,840 often maintained that, well, it wasn't always as high as it is 213 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:42,560 now and has risen substantial amounts over the years since the 214 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:49,320 flood. Meanwhile, others have made an 215 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:53,000 interesting argument for the foothills of what is known as 216 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,160 the Drupinar formation or the Drupinar sites. 217 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,520 And what you see there is thought to be there in the 218 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:06,480 middle, the ark. You have to watch videos to 219 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,160 understand what what you're seeing. 220 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:13,400 But like the walls are of the ark or around it is, is what it 221 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:14,839 suggests. And they've used ground 222 00:17:14,839 --> 00:17:17,760 penetrating radar to supposedly confirm this. 223 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:22,800 A lot of people say, no, this guy was full of it and this 224 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,280 isn't it. So there's all sorts of things 225 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:27,720 that are said. You can even go to a visitor 226 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:33,680 center here to visit the ark because of course, each person, 227 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,840 each archaeologist has their own perspectives and says, no, this 228 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:38,880 is right. This is where it is. 229 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:44,520 This is where it is. We may never know and really it 230 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:50,720 doesn't matter, right? But anyways, the waters, they 231 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,880 continued to abate and then finally on the first day of the 232 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,280 10th month, the tops of the mountains were seen. 233 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,280 No doubt this was a a welcome sight since at this point 234 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:05,240 they've been on the Ark for nearly seven months. 235 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:11,720 The next section of our text examines two birds, and so would 236 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,400 you look at verses 6 through 12 in your Bibles. 237 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,880 At the end of 40 days, Noah opened the window of the ark 238 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,440 that he had made and sent forth a Raven. 239 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,240 It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the 240 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,160 earth. Then he sent forth a dove from 241 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,160 him to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the 242 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,080 ground. But the dove found no place to 243 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:37,200 set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the 244 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:39,920 waters were still on the face of the whole earth. 245 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,480 So he put it out his hand and took her and brought her into 246 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:46,600 the ark with him. He waited another seven days, 247 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:50,000 and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark, and the dove 248 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,080 came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a 249 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:57,320 freshly plucked olive leaf, so no one knew that the waters had 250 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,400 subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven 251 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,280 days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him 252 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,320 anymore. Ancient navigators would use 253 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:12,480 birds in order to find the land, but Noah isn't navigating here. 254 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:16,840 He's he's already on land. He was actually trying to 255 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:21,040 determine the readiness of of the land for habitation. 256 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,040 Dry land had appeared, but the people would still be on the ark 257 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:33,880 for another five months before the command to disembark. 40 258 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,800 days after the mountain peaks became visible, Noah ran a test 259 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:41,600 to see where the waters were, so he performs 3 tests in 260 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:46,480 increments of seven days. At first he released a Raven, a 261 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:50,560 strong bird who could more ably find conditions suitable for 262 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:54,040 living. It could live off of carry on 263 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,840 and they could fly farther, going back and forth in its 264 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:02,720 search for floating remains. When it finally found suitable 265 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:07,960 land, it didn't return. A Raven suited Noah's initial 266 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:12,200 purpose, but it didn't bring true comfort or or peace to 267 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:17,800 Noah, and later the Raven will be declared unclean and thus 268 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,800 unfit for consumption or sacrifice. 269 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,480 Now, having discerned that there was dry land somewhere out 270 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:30,640 there, Noah tried something a bit less Hardy. 271 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,200 A dove. Doves are nothing like Ravens. 272 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,280 Well, except that they're birds and can fly, right? 273 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,000 But first of all, besides the obvious color difference, one 274 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:46,240 black, one whites, doves are gentle, they have exceptional 275 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,200 navigational skills, they're caring parents, and they choose 276 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,880 their mates for life. They are much more 277 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:57,920 discriminating in their diets and are limited in their 278 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:03,520 preferred environs. They need lower elevations to 279 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:08,120 fly and they're and they're unable to fly as far and as high 280 00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:13,240 as the Raven was. As the dove went out, she 281 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,800 couldn't find a place to land, so she returned to the ark. 282 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:21,160 Noah waited 7 days and then he tried it again. 283 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,920 This time the dove came back with an olive leaf in its mouth. 284 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:29,200 There was enough dry land for for at least some life to burst 285 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:33,560 forth. Olive trees are quite resilient, 286 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,400 so it's fitting that it's an olive leaf that was first 287 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:40,960 brought back to the ark. Noah waited another seven days 288 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:45,800 and sent the dove out one last time, and it didn't return. 289 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,760 The dove was a sign. Well, of course, first of all, 290 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,600 it's a sign of conditions starting to become suitable for 291 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:59,240 habitation, but it's also a sign that that peace was being 292 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:04,280 restored on the earth. The dove and its olive leaf had 293 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:08,280 become historic symbols of peace, right? 294 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,960 The dove and olive leaf symbolize peace. 295 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,280 The flood had purged the earth of its wickedness, so there was 296 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:23,520 peace between God and and man. But ultimate peace doesn't come 297 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:27,440 until Jesus though. And and all four of the gospels 298 00:22:28,360 --> 00:22:31,920 when writing about Jesus baptism, all four of the gospels 299 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:36,680 say that the spirit came down on Jesus in the form of a dove. 300 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,280 This dove at Jesus baptism symbolized the peace that he 301 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:48,600 would bring as the Holy Spirit rested upon his ministry. 302 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:54,280 So the dove prefigures the Holy Spirit. 303 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,760 The dove here prefigures the Holy Spirit. 304 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:04,320 The Holy Spirit is our is our peace and our comfort. 305 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,600 The the Raven hadn't brought any real comfort. 306 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:13,760 No one knew it was a Hardy bird. So the real test was the dove. 307 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,360 The dove finding a place and not returning brought comfort to 308 00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:19,800 Noah's family. If conditions were suitable for 309 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:24,960 the dove, then, then it wouldn't be long before Noah and his 310 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,600 family and the animals are able to leave the ark and gain their 311 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,000 freedom. Just as the dove had. 312 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:36,920 God's judgment was over, so peace would reign. 313 00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:45,560 Look now at verses 13, at verse 13 and 14, we'll see everything 314 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,600 dry up there. In the 601st year, in the first 315 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,560 month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried 316 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,920 from off the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark 317 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,280 and looked and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 318 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,680 In the second month, on the On the 27th day of the month, the 319 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:08,800 earth had dried out. Nearly a year after Noah had 320 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,800 entered the ark and dry ground finally appeared. 321 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,000 Noah removed the covering from the ark. 322 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:19,520 We're not entirely sure of what that covering was like, but but 323 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,800 it was such that it took some work to to open it. 324 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:26,960 Its primary purpose seems to have been sealing up the ark, 325 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,560 keeping the water out and and the inhabitants dry. 326 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:36,040 As he opens up the covering, he's able to see that the earth 327 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:41,320 had dried out. Now this declaration was another 328 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:46,720 was another hyperlink back to Genesis 19 where God said let 329 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:53,680 the dry land appear. So a new creation was beginning. 330 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,040 This is the beginning of a new creation. 331 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,320 Something of significance is happening here in the Hebrew 332 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:08,800 text. Again, this is the only time in 333 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:14,040 Moses writing where where the word mixa refers to something 334 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:17,400 other than the covering for the Tabernacle. 335 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:23,200 Every time this this word is used, it refers to a place of 336 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,840 God's presence. It usually refers to the 337 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:33,480 Tabernacle covering. God hadn't abandoned Noah and 338 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:39,600 the inhabitants of the ark. He was right there with them in 339 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,640 the in the watery voyage, getting them through the actual 340 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:48,080 storm. They all came under God's 341 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:53,040 covering. They were experiencing His 342 00:25:53,080 --> 00:26:00,120 presence. In verse 15, a year and 11 days 343 00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:04,680 after the deluge began, God commanded Noah to exit the ark 344 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:09,760 and they were finally able to step back onto solid ground. 345 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:15,960 Reading at verse 15, God said to Noah, go out from the ark, you 346 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,800 and your wife and your sons and your son's wives with you. 347 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,920 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all 348 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,400 flesh, birds and animals, and every creeping thing that creeps 349 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,480 on the earth, that they may swarm on the earth and be 350 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,360 fruitful and multiply on the earth. 351 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:36,680 Notice Moses doesn't just say they all got off the ark. 352 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:38,480 He could have, he could have said that right? 353 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:43,280 They they all left. Instead, he uses his design 354 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,240 pattern and inserts more hyperlinks to the creation 355 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:48,280 narrative. He mentioned not only humans, 356 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,720 but he also calls out every Ling, every living thing that is 357 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,840 with you of all flesh, as well as the birds, animals, and 358 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,160 creeping things. He explicitly names them. 359 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:06,160 Moses called out all of these, demonstrating that this is a new 360 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,320 creation. Just like what was happening 361 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:15,840 back in chapter 1. God once again issues the the 362 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:19,400 cultural mandates and that is the command to be fruitful and 363 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,080 multiply. And as they exit the ark, the 364 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:25,360 narrative basically comes to an end. 365 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:31,040 Verse 19 reads every beast, every creeping thing, and every 366 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:32,560 bird. Everything that moves on the 367 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:36,960 earth went out by families from the ark. 368 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,440 God was committed to the preservation and flourishing of 369 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,680 new life. New beginnings would take place. 370 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,200 People would reproduce and spread throughout the whole 371 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,400 earth. At least that's that's the 372 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,960 command to them. And animals would populate the 373 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,480 Earth with their unique species and characteristics. 374 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:03,120 Every kind of creature was saved, and now they, human and 375 00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:07,080 animal alike, were all being released to fulfill their 376 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:12,560 purpose. Now, as I've mentioned before, 377 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:17,840 it's important that we don't simply relegate the flood 378 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:23,840 narrative and the Ark to fun little Sunday school stories or 379 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:29,280 songs. It's more than that, and we can 380 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:35,600 learn a few things from this. First of all, trust in God's 381 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:41,840 timing and plan. Trust in God's timing and plan. 382 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,080 Noah didn't disembark in his own timing. 383 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:54,280 He waited for God's command. He'd waited at the beginning. 384 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:58,720 He'd waited for God to tell him when to go into the ark, and 385 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,800 then he waits for God to tell him when to leave. 386 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,280 Noah's experiments with the birds had given him some 387 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,320 information about about the world out there. 388 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:14,560 OK, things are drying out, but it was God who determined the 389 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:18,040 timing. I love what the famous 390 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:25,600 commentator Matthew Henry said. God consults our benefits rather 391 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,440 than our desires. He knows what is good for us 392 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:33,680 better than we do for ourselves, and how long it is fits. 393 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:38,720 Our restraints should continue and desired mercy should be 394 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,080 delayed. We would go out of the ark 395 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:48,200 before the ground is dried, and perhaps if the door is shut, we 396 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:50,880 are ready to thrust off the covering and to climb up some 397 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:55,000 other way. But God's time of showing mercy 398 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:02,880 is the best time. God has a plan. 399 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:10,800 His plan is the right plan. So when you think that you're 400 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:15,680 going to wait to apply for a lead pastor position after your 401 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:25,400 son graduates was not the right time, was not the right plan. 402 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:32,640 I had it all worked out, but fortunately God had better 403 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:39,160 plans. Graduations here and just a few 404 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:44,640 months will be not really empty. Nesters don't know what's 405 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:45,560 happening there. We'll see. 406 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,080 But it will be weird to not have a high schooler anymore. 407 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:56,760 The only person in school will be Louie Ann, and she has, I 408 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,840 don't know, decades? I don't know, I don't know how 409 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:02,800 long she'll be in school. We'll see when she's done. 410 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:08,480 So God's plan is the right plan and He will direct us in His 411 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:13,680 time and in His way. We can think we've got it all 412 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:17,880 planned out, but God is the one in control and and working 413 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,080 everything according to His will. 414 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,880 Live within His boundaries and desires, not your own. 415 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:33,000 So next, trust in and live by God's mercy. 416 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:39,000 Trust in, trust in His mercy, and live by His mercy. 417 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:47,160 In the midst of this judgment, we see God's mercy demonstrated. 418 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:54,920 God could have completely wiped out everything, every single 419 00:31:54,920 --> 00:32:03,640 living thing, but instead he saved a remnant of humans and 420 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,960 animals. This was God's mercy 421 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:10,880 demonstrated to this man Noah, who was righteous and and who 422 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:16,680 had walked with God. As we trust in God's mercy, then 423 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:21,120 we should also distribute that mercy to others. 424 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:25,760 When you've been wronged, you've been offended. 425 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:31,360 It might be that God wants you to show mercy. 426 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:39,360 Don't simply take God's mercy, but give it out as well, living 427 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:47,120 a life of forgiveness. Lastly, trust in God's 428 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:52,760 faithfulness. Trust in His faithfulness even 429 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:56,240 when we can't see it. God is working and accomplishing 430 00:32:56,440 --> 00:33:00,720 His good plan. He's faithful and He's always 431 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:05,440 working. As the inhabitants of the Ark 432 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,440 exited, no doubt they would have been thankful for God's 433 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:11,520 faithfulness in that difficult season and we will see that next 434 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:15,560 week their first actions as they as they exit the Ark. 435 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:20,320 He preserved their life and demonstrated His ongoing care 436 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:27,320 for all of creation. Difficult and life changing 437 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:33,600 events do not alter God's faithfulness. 438 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:45,760 Sometimes we will go through the unimaginable, but God can redeem 439 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:51,360 that and He can use it for His purposes, growing us in that 440 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:57,680 season, further showing His faithfulness in all seasons of 441 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:05,320 life. So as we close out the flood 442 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:11,560 narrative proper, we need to be diligent to take note of these 443 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:18,920 aspects that God's plan is right, his plan is right, his 444 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:24,760 mercy is great and he is faithful. 445 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:31,400 The words of Exodus 34 seven speak to God's character says 446 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:37,840 God's judgment goes out to a few generations, but his steadfast 447 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:42,520 love extends to thousands of generations. 448 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:46,520 He's overwhelmingly merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and 449 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:51,480 abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 450 00:34:52,840 --> 00:35:00,760 That's the God we see on display here in the midst of judgment 451 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:05,800 and the flood narrative as they exit the ark. 452 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:09,200 Let's bow our heads and close our eyes, 453 00:35:20,410 --> 00:35:30,720 God, as we approach this time. My hope and prayer has been that 454 00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:35,200 the the Ark and the Flood would not just be simple Sunday school 455 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:41,640 stories. But that's in the flood, that in 456 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:48,680 the ark we can see your character on display, who you 457 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:52,440 are. You are, yes, a God of justice, 458 00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:55,880 and so sometimes that requires judgments. 459 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:05,920 But you are still a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to 460 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:09,920 anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 461 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:23,200 May we not forget that. May we trust your timing. 462 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:31,760 May we, may we trust in your great mercy and always believe 463 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:38,120 that you are faithful. It's in Jesus name we pray, 464 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:38,400 Amen.