SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 8
BIBLE VERSES:
“Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.” (Genesis 8:2-5)
“When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.” (Genesis 8:11-12)
“Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”” (Genesis 8:15-17)
“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” ( Genesis 8:20-21)
At the end of 150 days, the water had gone down. The ark rested on the mountain of Arafat. After 40 days, Noah opened the window to send out a raven,. but it did not return. Then he sent out a dove. The dove returned to the ark. So Moses waited for 7 more days and send out the dove again. The dove returned to him in the evening with a fully plucked leaf in its beak. Noah waited for another 7 days and send out the dove again. But this time, it did not return.
When the land was completely dry, God told Noah to come out of the ark with his family and bring out all the creatures so that they could multiply on earth and increase in number. Then NoaH made a burnt offering sacrifice to the Lord with the clean birds and animals. God was pleased and promised never to destroy all living creatures until the judgment day when he returns to destroy evil.
THOUGHTS:
LESSONS FROM THE FLOOD.
- God will punish sin.
- Warnings were given but people would not listen. So judgment came.
- God saved people by grace through faith just as he saved Noah.
- True faith leads to obedience just as Noah obeyed God to build an ark.
- True witness demands separation from sin just as Noah kept himself unspotted from the world.