Today’s bible study is all about the chapter of Genesis 8 – The Flood Subsides. According to scholars this incident roughly took place before 2500 B.C.
I encourage you to get your bibles ready and turn to Genesis 8. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read Genesis 8 with me. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know. All the scripture references that you find in this post are from the NKJV.
In the Bible Study on Genesis 7, we read about how the floodwaters filled the earth, the time in which it took place, and how Noah and his family entered the ark with 7 pairs of clean animals and 2 pairs of unclean animals. Let us do a study on Genesis 8 to learn about what happened next! Ready? Let’s go!
Noah’s Deliverance
1Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. 3 And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. 4 Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
According to Verse 1 of Genesis 8, God remembered Noah and every living thing with Noah in the ark and He made a wind pass over the earth and the waters subsided. Verses 2-3 of Genesis 8, describe that the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped and the rain from heaven was restrained. The waters receded continually from the earth and at the end of 5 months, the waters decreased.
Verse 4-5 says that the ark rested on the seventeenth day of the seventh month on the mountains of Ararat (It is a mountain in the extreme east of Turkey). The waters continued to decrease even until the tenth month and on the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
Observation
From Verses 1 to 5 we see that God does not make empty promises. He is not a man that He should lie. He always keeps His promise. In this case, He remembered Noah and every living being with him in the ark and it is He who caused the rain to stop and the waters to recede. It is not a natural phenomenon that coincidentally took place.
All God needed to cause the flood to recede was the wind. He used the wind to cause the flood to recede – two different elements.
Also, it is quite significant in Verse 4 that the ark rested on the seventh month. When God created the earth He rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). It is no coincidence that the ark too rested on the seventh month.
Noah Sends Out Birds To Know If The Floodwaters Have Receded
6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. 8 He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself.
Verse 6 of Genesis 8 tells us that at the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark. This must have been at the end of forty days of the seventh month. Verse 7 explains that He sent out a raven which found no landing place for its feet. And, it kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.
In Verses 8-9 of Genesis 8 Noah also sent out a female dove to see if the waters had receded from the ground. The dove returned because she did not find a resting place for her feet. The waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So Noah put out his hand from the ark and took the dove into the ark.
Observation
Noah sent out the raven to check if the waters receded after forty days. Forty has significance in the bible. Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. Later we would see that the children of Israel (the Israelites) were also in the desert also for 40 years. So at the end of forty years, something new took place each time this number is mentioned in the bible.
Also, the raven went to and fro till the earth was dry. However, the dove, when it didn’t find a landing place, returned to Noah.
The Dove Returns With A Fresh Olive Leaf
10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.
Verse 10-11 of Genesis 8 tells us that Noah waited yet another week and again he sent the dove out from the ark. She returned to him in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her mouth. It indicated that new life was sprouting on the earth. The dove didn’t bring a dry leaf but a fresh one. At this point, Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.
Verse 12 tells us that Noah waited yet another week and sent out the dove which did not return again to him anymore.
Points To Be Noted
Why did Noah keep sending the dove and not another bird after he sent out the raven? Why did he send first a raven and then a dove? Was it depending on the eating habits of these two birds? These two birds, even though they are birds, are quite contrasting in nature. One is known for its shrewdness whereas the other is known for its gentleness. Also, the third time, the dove returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf. Both the dove and the olive leaf have significance here. They both denote peace. It is interesting to note that the dove is usually used to denote also the Holy Spirit.
Also, Noah sent the dove and the raven three times which has a significance of perfection. God is Triune (meaning three in one – Father God, Jesus the Word and The Holy Spirit). And, we who are created in His image are triune beings too (We are a spirit with a soul (mind, will and emotions) living in a body). Hence, Noah sending the bird three times and God being triune might also have a significant connection. And each time he sent the dove he waited for one whole week – 7 days. It took a whole week (7 days) for God to create the earth and everything within. It is hard to ignore these numbers recurring over and over again.
The Floodwaters Dried On The Earth
13And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry. 14 And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried.
Verses 13 and 14 of Genesis 8, tell us that on the first day of the first month of the six hundredth and first year the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked and he saw that the surface of the ground was dry. On the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was completely dry.
God Spoke To Noah Again
15 Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle 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.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark.
In Verses 15-17 of Genesis 8, God spoke to Noah and told him to go out of the ark, he and his wife along with his sons and their respective wives. He also instructed Noah to bring out with him every living thing of all flesh that is with him. These living things included birds, cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God told Noah to do this so that all living things may fill the earth by being fruitful and multiplying on the earth.
Verses 18-19 talk yet again of Noah’s obedience. Noah went out with his wife, his sons and daughters-in-law. Along with them, every animal, every creeping thing, every bird and whatever creeps on the earth according to their own families went out of the ark.
Observation
The above verses of Genesis 8 from 15-19 speak of order. God is a God of order. He didn’t just tell Noah to get out of the ark and let loose. There was a certain order to enter the ark and a certain order to get out of the ark too.
God’s Covenant With Creation
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
Verse 20-21 explains that Noah built an altar to the Lord. He then took every clean animal and bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in Noah’s heart (his heart with small “h” means Noah’s heart) that He will never again curse the ground for man’s sake even though man’s heart is evil from his youth. He also said that He will never again destroy every living thing as He had done.
Verse 22 tells us that God said that while the earth remains there will be both seedtime and harvest, there will be both cold and heat, there will be both winter and summer, and there will be both day and night.
Some Observations
God of Covenant
God is a covenant God. Noah offering burnt offerings to the Lord is already a mark of the covenant. And when Noah put God first and thanked Him and offered burnt offerings as a sign of gratitude and respect, the Lord was pleased. Also, God said he will never again curse the ground because of man even though He understood how wicked man’s heart was even from the days of youth – The first time He cursed the ground was in Genesis 3:17 when Adam sinned. This entire Verse of Genesis 21 and 22 speaks of God’s abounding grace towards man and His creation. No man or creation can ever measure up to God and we are all in need of His Grace and His Mercy.
Kindly note that God said that He would not curse the ground nor destroy every living being on earth only after Noah offered the burnt offering. It pleased Him and touched Him. It is because Noah was also a human and He was revering and honouring God with burnt offerings. One simple act of faithfulness and honour towards God made God tell in Noah’s heart (Noah heard God in his heart) that He would never cause this type of destruction again. But, it is also the goodness of God towards Noah that caused him to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices to thank God. Now, isn’t that something!
Contrasting Elements
Genesis 8:20 talks about how important it is to give God thanks and honour. You don’t have to sacrifice what you have. You just have to be obedient to what He asks you to do. Whatever one sows he will reap. When God spoke about the seedtime and harvest, cold and hot, winter and summer, day and night – notice how he points out all contrasting elements. He didn’t mention spring and summer together which are both warm seasons compared to winter and autumn. He didn’t mention day and afternoon. Speaking of contrast, Noah also sent two contrasting birds (a raven and a dove) out at the same time to test if the waters have receded. We have already seen this at the beginning of this bible study.
Conclusion
This brings us to the conclusion of Genesis Chapter 8. Even though it seemed like a predictable chapter after the flood, there were many things to learn, especially, about the nature of God. The first point to understand is that God remembers. He remembers His promise and He is true to fulfil it. Second, it is interesting to note the type of birds and the number of times that Noah sent them out. He first sent out a raven, then a dove. Also, it is interesting to note that after a period of forty 40 days from the seventh month he sent out the birds. The third time he sent the dove she came back with an olive leaf. This was to indicate that life was starting to grow on earth.
We also see that God is a God of order. There was a certain order to enter the ark and a certain order to exit the ark too as we have seen before in this bible study.
We also come across Noah’s covenant with God. And finally, we see God’s grace, benevolence and covenant with creation.
So, dear readers, if you have any questions you can reach me in the comments sections below. I hope you enjoyed this Bible study on Genesis 8 and understood more about God and how good He is. I thoroughly enjoyed studying it and writing it too!
Until Next Time!