In this chapter, we examine the flood’s aftermath, Noah’s willingness to allow God to guide his departure from the ark, and his actions afterward. Remember to see Chapter 7 to keep up with the storyline chronologically if you haven’t already.
- God has not forgotten about you.
What does the scripture mean when it says God remembered Noah and the others in the ark?
Was God so focused on other things that he forgot about Noah? Do you sometimes feel as if God has forgotten you?
While God can choose not to remember, He cannot forget. Hence, He did not forget about Noah, especially since Noah was His righteous manservant. I believe there was no need to highlight Noah for a period because he and the occupants were safely tucked away in the ark while God destroyed all living things with the flood.
After everything was destroyed, it was time to move the debris (water) out of the way, and the ark and its occupants were returned to focus.
If you feel God has forgotten you, perhaps He is hiding you in His pavilion, cleaning the air around you, and when the time is right, He will bring you back into focus.
- God has excess storage of whatever you need.
Apart from the water in the sea, when we hear about flooding, especially in the context of Noah’s experience, we often think about flooding caused by rainfall. While we have never experienced, and will never experience, flooding like Noah’s, have you ever noticed that sometimes the rain falls for a few minutes, and a particular area floods, and you wonder how the streets, gullies, and even your home can flood so quickly?
Did you notice that water also came from the fountains of the great deep, along with the windows of heaven? While I have no idea of their location, Genesis 7:11 and 8:2 tell us that the great fountains of the deep were broken and stopped, respectively.
Perhaps you are in a season where you are looking to God to provide for you or fight your battles one way or another. In the same way, God used more than one way to fill the earth with water; He can use more than one way to fill your empty cup or dispatch hidden battalions to fight your battles for you. Trust in Him. He is not limited, period, and certainly not to our ideals.
- Christianity is a process.
The waters returned from off the earth, and after 150 days, they abated. If you noticed, God did not immediately call Noah out of the ark. The scriptures say that the waters decreased continually until the 10th month, and on the first day of the 10th month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
Your walk with Christ is a process. Your recent baptism does not mean you will no longer have the appetite for the parties you attended and the company you used to keep. However, as you learn more about Christ daily, your appetite for the things of the world will decrease, which will help strengthen your relationship with Him.
Perhaps you are coming out of a relationship. Like the ark rested on Mount Arrak, why don’t you take some time to relax? Let the challenges continually decrease before jumping into another. Also, like Noah didn’t open the ark door, don’t open your heart door; open a window. Get others involved to test the authenticity of your potential spouse and relationship before you head out there. Your raven and dove could be family members, church leaders, and friends.
- Get rid of the ravens in your life.
Some of you might have gone through a lifetime with some people. You may all have been hungry at one point in your lives. The group of you came together and decided to give one person a break so that someone who is au fait with your condition would turn back and help you. However, when Junior leaped, he hopped and bounced around instead of returning to help until he could stand and survive.
On the other hand, the dove couldn’t find anywhere to rest its feet, so it returned to the ark. We could assume that the dove didn’t do anything similar to the raven only because it could find a resting place, but that’s not true. Genesis 8: 8-11 tells us that the dove was sent out after seven days and returned with an olive leaf.
At least Noah had some information to work with. Hence, he decided to stay for another seven days. When he sent the dove out this time, it did not return.
- You need to move on with your life.
Having provided the necessary information, the dove no longer needed to return to the ark continually. It did what it was required to do, and when that was done, it moved on.
Similarly, you may have a friend, coworker, family member, or spouse who will remain where they are, no matter what you do for them. It’s time to move on from that stagnant relationship, which, if you are not careful, will suck out your life. At some point, you must realize there is no point in beating a dead horse.
- Let God lead (Move on His command)
On numerous occasions, Noah was convinced that the earth was dry. He removed the covering, opened the window, looked out, and saw that the world and even the tops of the mountains were dry, but he did not exit the ark.
Too many of us have been rushing ahead of God. Somebody tells us to invest, launch a business, exit, or enter a relationship, and because we see the coast as clear, we run ahead and make decisions that we later regret.
We need to allow God to tell us when to move, and when He says move, we should obey Him immediately.
- Let’s worship God first.
The first thing Noah did after leaving the ark was to build an altar for worship and thanksgiving to God. The scripture did not say that Noah walked and looked at the length and breadth of the land like some of us do after a hurricane. He didn’t kiss his wife, prepare a family feast, plan to build a new home, or memorialize his lost family and neighbors. No, worshiping God was paramount to Noah.
Similarly, we ought to give thanks to God first. When He wakes us up in the mornings, protects us from accidents, harm, and dangers, provides for us, gives us a visa, and even acknowledges the central fact that He is God. The time to call family, friends, and even the police will come, but worshipping God should be a priority. Worshipping should always be the first thing we do, even after He spares us from earthquakes and hurricanes.
- God keeps His promises; will you keep yours?
It must have grieved God’s heart to wipe His creation from the earth with the flood. Nonetheless, we understand that it was necessary because of the wickedness of our forefathers. Thankfully, His promise to us is that He will never destroy the earth with a flood again; despite our being just as evil or perhaps even more today, God’s promise has not ceased.
Let us, by His grace, help us keep our promises to Him by being upright in Him.
Assignment:
- Share an experience when, despite being pressured to go with the crowd, you chose to follow God and were rewarded for your obedience to Him.
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