Noah: Saving Your Family in a Dark World – Part 5

Genesis 8 has many connections to Jesus and it serves as a reminder of salvation and God's promises throughout history.

Hopefully the material from Genesis 7 is fresh on your minds, as we will add some more sevens in Chapter 8. Our focus will be to see examples (or shadows) representing the work of Jesus in the story. Chapter 8 is perfectly designed for that purpose. We will see God’s grand scheme of calling out a people for His Name to be redeemed by the precious blood of His Son, manifested in this wonderful account. It keeps our interest because Jesus told us it should (Luke 17:26-27).

The first verse in the chapter adds another connection to the creation account with the word “wind.” The Hebrew here is ruach (the same word translated spirit in 1:2). This describes the invisible power of God. When we see the leaves blowing in the trees, we do not see the actual wind but rather the evidence of its impact on the tree. This observation is how God’s power works all around us.

The word “assuaged” means to be still. God did not forget about the remnant in the ark but rather marked them. The same concept is used to describe the remembering of Abraham regarding the destruction of Sodom in Genesis 19:29. Jesus also picks up on this by connecting the days of Lot and the days of Noah (Luke 17), as both are compared to our day. The last days would be filled with the same fleshly challenges that caused God to judge both populations: violence, self-service, homosexuality, political upheaval, disregard of God and his word, eating, drinking, marrying, buying, planting, building. To make this even more poignant, look at Luke 17:32-33:

Lot’s wife becomes a very powerful example in this context. We can so easily miss it by thinking she was looking back at the “things” she lost. Her primary loss was not material. To even suggest such is to devalue her suffering, making it easy for us to think her example “does not apply.” However, when we consider that she would have lost children for certain, perhaps grandchildren, parents, brothers, and sisters, we understand she lost her family!

This reaction was not about her favorite couch or the decorations but rather those she loved. Would we look back and long for the sparing of our own loved ones should God clearly tell us that they were wicked and must be destroyed? It makes her much more relatable, doesn’t it? Jesus went one step further on this very topic to make sure we know what is at stake.

This subject is in the same context. When we think back to Lot’s wife, or even Lot and Noah and Mrs. Noah, we need to recall that they lost family to follow the path of God. This topic is not just about our salvation but more importantly about God’s glory! It is harder to keep that perspective when it gets so personal, but that is essential to our salvation.

they lost family to follow the path of God

Genesis 8:2 is a reversal of Genesis 7:11, followed by a return of the waters in verse 3, described as continually, which in Hebrew means “going and returning” (think tidal). What is the primary force that affects the tides? Let us focus on the sun as the brightest focal point in our universe. From our vantage point, it is constant. Without the light and warmth of the sun, there would be no life on earth. However, notice that the Genesis record includes something of the lesser light to rule the darkness of the world: the moon.

What do we know about the moon? It has no light of its own but is rather a giant reflector in the sky. Seeing this as a reference to Jesus being the reflection of the glory of his Father helps explain his word that if we have seen him, we have “seen the father.” (John 14:9) But it goes beyond that relationship.

We want to be the bride that seeks fellowship with these two great lights. As the bride, preparing to be one with Jesus, we need to reflect this same glory. So, with that in mind, let’s consider the phases of the moon. While the sun remains constant from our view, the moon waxes and wanes from a full moon all the way to an eclipse. Since it is only a reflector, what gets in the way of it being a constant and perfect reflection (full moon)? The earth!

Whereas Jesus was a perfect reflection of his Father’s glory, you and I have spiritual ups and downs. Sometimes, we are a nearly full moon, while at other times, we look more like the fingernail shape barely visible in the sky. At our worst, our life can be a virtual eclipse, leaving no room for the Father in our walk. Let us be vigilant in our pursuit to get the world and its “lust thereof” out of our way to be a more perfect reflection of God’s glory to those among and around us.

Genesis 8:4 gives us another seemingly unnecessary detail that will get our attention. “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month.” “Rested” repeats the echo of Noah’s name, and then we get a date. The seventh month of the civil calendar becomes the first month of the religious calendar during the Exodus account (refer to the Passover notes in Exodus 12:18 and 13:3-4). This datelines us up with the Passover week, which also becomes the crucifixion week, so our attention is firmly entranced by this reference now.

Let’s dispel the Good Friday nonsense that has become so popular in the Christian world around us. It is concerning that it has even influenced the thinking of brethren in our day based on books, articles, and conversations in our community. It would be wise for us not to argue with Jesus when he says, “So shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)

He doesn’t say three days or even three light periods, accounting for some astronomical anomaly, as some may suggest. He could have simply referred to a couple of, or a few days. He did not. He directly correlated to Jonah’s story and repeated (for emphasis) three days and three nights. No matter how hard you try, there is no way to fit three of each between Friday evening and Sunday morning. Holding on to this traditional error requires us to disregard what the scriptures say in multiple places to keep man’s “theory.”

From the creation account, we get the model for the Jewish day as the evening and the morning (darkness before light). What I am about to detail is not the only way to get there, but it is the one I am currently holding on to. I acknowledge there are a couple of different ways to arrive at this math, and my opinion has changed before (it likely will again.) However, we must ensure the basic requirements are met, including the timing before the Passover, add three days and three nights, and get to an empty tomb Sunday morning.

Passover is on the 14th of Abib, and three days later is the 17th of Abib. This date simply cannot possibly be a coincidence. In addition, some confusion in the gospel record as to the “preparation day” regarding his burial is amplified when considering that the preparation day was for every Sabbath (compare the gospel account in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19).

The weekly Sabbath was Saturday, but it was not the only Sabbath “rest” day under the law. All feast days were considered a sabbath to the LORD. Therefore, if the actual Passover were on Thursday, Friday would be both the day before the weekly Sabbath and the day after the Passover Sabbath.

That would make Wednesday the 13th the day of the crucifixion (and also the day of preparation for Passover) so that as our Lord was dying on the tree, the slaughter of the lamb without blemish in every Jewish household was being enacted in real time. They broke the legs of the thieves so they could be taken down before the Passover Sabbath day, which would be the 14th. Friday the 15th becomes the “preparation day” before the weekly Sabbath, followed by Saturday the 16th as the weekly Sabbath. Jesus is raised sometime after sundown Saturday but before the light of day Sunday morning, the 17th of Abib.

Now we reconcile both the three days, three nights, the preparation day “contradiction,” the words of Jesus, and (to our topic) the resting date for the ark on the mountains of Ararat, showing one further echo of Christ in the ark!

Back in Genesis, the next verse (Genesis 8:5) tells us the waves are getting smaller over the next two and a half months, revealing the top of the mountains. They were there all along, but their presence was hidden from their sight, making them unseen but present (another echo of our Lord).

Satellite views of snow-covered Mt. Ararat and Little Ararat show they are inactive volcanoes located in eastern Turkey.  Mt. Ararat rises over three miles above sea level. Verse 6 elapses another 40 days, and then we have a fascinating interchange involving birds: the raven (verse 7) and the dove (verses 8-12).

Knowing we are looking for Jesus in the ark, let’s consider the four bird references. The raven is the first. It is an unclean bird, and so we know it survived, or we would have none today. Only two of each unclean animal was preserved in the ark. When could we consider Jesus unclean? How about when he says, “Touch me not” (John 20:17) before his ascension? The next time he appears, he tells Thomas to touch his wounds. This visitation continues until the ascension in Acts.

The next “appearance” is in the form of the Gentile Roman army (interesting the olive branch tie to the Gentiles) in AD 70. Since then, he has not returned, though we look forward to that return with great anticipation. Notice that there is another seven-day interval between each of these bird events.

The dove is a clean animal, so it could have been the same one or could have been a different one. Not only clean, but the turtledove and young pigeon were only acceptable birds of sacrifice under the Law. They were used in a number of places like Leviticus 14 (leprosy as a type of sin) and also at childbirth with a lamb, or two birds replacing the lamb if the offeror was poor (as in the birth of Jesus). The dove also was the form by which the “spirit of God descended” upon Jesus at his baptism in the muddy waters of Jordan and settled on Jesus to declare him clean. We could do another series on the connection to Jonah (whose name means dove), but we will resist the temptation to digress further.

The dove will not put its feet in mud if it can avoid it, making it a clean bird. It is the common symbol of peace for both Jews and Gentiles. Regarding the olive branch, olives need no cultivation and are not dependent on man! Normally, they have no “berries” until the seventh year, adding to our seven collection.

Genesis 8:13 gives us another day (remember to convert this to the religious calendar). What was the first day of the 7th month on the religious calendar under the law? The feast of trumpets, which includes burnt offerings, demonstrates total dedication to God. According to Leviticus, the animal was to be skinned, and then the insides washed before the body (headfirst to denote our thinking, then feet to represent our walk, then the rest of the insides which show our inner purpose or dedication) was placed on the altar to be totally consumed by God. God was concerned with the cleaning from within and not our outward appearance!

The next command is to go forth, as it is time to move. Having survived the work of redemption through obedience, Noah and his family continue to follow God’s instruction (compare this to our walk) by exiting and “bringing forth” the animals. Drop down to verse 20 for the first mention of an altar in Scripture (It is only inferred in Abel’s story).

This sacrifice is the first act after they leave the ark! What do we do when we make it through trial? They offered one of every clean beast or fowl (perhaps the 7th)!

Think of the labor to properly prepare and offer each. The next verse tells us it was received as a sweet savor, or as the Hebrew intends, a savor of rest (nice tie to Noah’s name and another 7). We compare this to our Lord, who, with obedience and sacrifice, was offered on the altar of life.

The final verse reassures us that the seasons and cycles will remain, which is the promise of Chapter 9.

Dennis Bevans,
Austin Leander Ecclesia, TX