From the Start - Part 17 | The Flood (A Genesis Sermon Series Part 18)

Turn to chapter 8 will be in Genesis chapter 8.

Genesis 8 · chapter mention

We will cover most of the chapter this morning.

Someone who shall remain anonymous sent me a little meme

the other day. There's a lion coming off of the

ark in being interviewed and and says yeah, the cruise wasn't so

good but the buffet was great. I had two of everything.

Thank you. Paul had to out my source.

That was funny. I was quite amused.

Waters were a little rough, but the buffet was great.

We will be exiting the Ark today.

The waiting room is a hard place to be, right?

Whether you're waiting to get in to see the doctor or you're

waiting for the loved one who's in surgery.

By the way, I love how convenient care or urgent care

waiting rooms like convenient or urgent makes it sound like it

should be fast. Anybody done like two or three

hours in convenient care before on a Saturday morning?

I have anyways. You wait and the time just seems

to crawl by. If and if you're not in the

right place mentally, emotionally and spiritually,

it's can be agonizing. Sometimes the waiting isn't

nearly as long as you expected, but sometimes the waiting is

much longer than planned. The surgeon had said it'd be 3

hours, and here you are 6 hours in, still waiting.

You just want someone to come and tell you that things are

fine. Everything went great.

Now put yourself in Noah's sandals.

God told him to build the ark, and for decades he worked on the

ark, not necessarily knowing when the time would come to do

something with it. Then God told him to go into the

ark. He went into the ark and he

continued to wait, thinking possibly I could have been

outside. It hasn't even started raining

yet and he waited for a whole week for it to rain.

Noah was on the ark more than a year and for most of this time

God is quiet in the text. Noah was waiting with no real

idea how long this adventure was going to last, but he and his

family settled in for the long haul, trusting God to get them

through. Now if you're able, would you

stand as we read Genesis chapter 8 verses one through 5?

Genesis 8 · chapter mention

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and the livestock

that were with him in the ark, and God made a wind blow over

the earth, and the waters subsided.

The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were

closed. The rain from the heavens was

restrained and the waters receded from the earth

continually. At the end of 150 days the water

had abated, and in the seventh month, on the 17th day of the

month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, and the

waters continue to abate until the 10th month.

In the 10th month, on the first day of the month, the tops of

the mountains were seen. You may be seated here.

In these first 5 verses we see that the flood is retreating.

And that's the point here, right?

But but the process begins with an interesting phrase.

It says God remembered Noah. This is an interesting statement

because in our minds, to say that someone remembered

something is to imply that they had forgotten what it is that

they just remembered. It's not unusual for me to go

somewhere to do something, get home, and then remember an

errand that I'd planned to run while I was in town.

In fact, this is quite normal. Those of you who live in town,

you don't understand this. But in town is a different world

when you live north of 80, right?

OK, I know, I know there's some in here who who live out of

town, so to say. But we do our best to make sure

that any trips into town, whether it's a Walmart, Target,

Costco, Chipotle, you name it, sometimes Chipotle is the reason

to go into town and then you're like, oh, we might as well do

other things while we're in town.

But you want to get it all done in one trip.

Sometimes when you're in a project, you, you major the

project by how many trips into town did it take?

How many times did I have to go to Menards?

How many times did I have to go to AutoZone?

You're like you, major projects that way.

Now, granted, now I come into town nearly every day, right?

So it's a little bit different, but it's not unusual for me to

still forget something that I plan to do while I was in town.

Well, God, God doesn't forget. He doesn't forget anything.

No one and everyone on the ark hadn't slipped his mind.

Oh, that's right. There's these people on the ark.

No, that was not the situation. Saying God remembered means that

he's about to take action. Well, this verse is the is the

height of the passage up to this moment.

Things have been progressively getting worse, moving towards

the climax of the flood. And the phrase God remembered

signals the reversal of the waters and the and the narrative

flows back towards peaceful living.

Ultimately, as the waters begin to recede, they become testimony

to God's faithfulness to Noah, his family, and the animals.

The receding waters are testimony to God's faithfulness.

The waters receding are testimony to God's faithfulness.

In Genesis 618, God told Noah that he would establish his

covenant with him. The words God remembered tap

into that covenant language is God acted on the promise that he

had made with Noah. Later in Genesis, we'll see that

remembrance is a sign of coming deliverance.

So remembrance is a sign of the coming deliverance.

No, God is said to remember when he's describing in here.

In a few chapters he's describing the deliverance of

Lot as God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

Then this language was also used when God opened up the Baron

Rachel's womb with the birth of Joseph.

God remembered when his people were in slavery in Egypt.

This word remember, shows up a number of times in the text.

Moses even asked God to remember His covenant with Abraham,

Isaac, and Jacob when Israel has turned apostate and turned from

God. That is what it's means when God

said, when God says he remembers something, he's going to bring

deliverance. Now that God's judgment has been

appeased, it's His mercy that comes to the forefront.

Verse 1 continued and God made a wind blow over the earth and the

waters subsided. This this is the beginning of

the new creation. This isn't simply the

inhabitants of the ark getting off the boats.

This whole chapter in in parts of the next chapter.

Utilize all these hyperlinks to point you back 7 pages to

chapter 1 and the creation days. Now unfortunately we are, we are

not fluent in Hebrew so we're not reading the Hebrew text, so

we can't see what is happening. It's a little more difficult to

see it in English. The word used here for the wind

is the word ruach. Ruach we saw back at the very

beginning of creation, Genesis 1 very beginning verse verses one

and two. You'll see there in the

beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The earth was without form and void and the darkness was over

the face of the deep. And the Ruach that is the Spirit

of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

So this wind that we see here, it is a hyperlink, it's tied

back to the Spirit of God back in Genesis 1.

So this is connecting us back to the Spirit in Genesis 1.

There in Genesis 1-2, before the creative act began, the Spirit

was hovering over the waters. And then here in chapter 8, it's

the same Ruach that that blows over the earth and and causes

the waters to subside. As we work through the

narrative, we'll see the waters retreat to where they're

supposed to be and dry land emerges, which also is another

design pattern echoing days two and three of creation, all

indicating that Noah is the new atom.

This wind is the renewed work of the Creator and as he works the

the waters subside, the fountains of the deep are sealed

and and the windows of heaven are closed.

The turmoil of the last 150 days had come to an end.

Well, it's good for us to momentarily pause and consider

the 7th month. We don't want to read too far

into the use of seven. Perhaps the 7th month would have

been seen as a sign of rest, a season of rest.

We don't, we don't know that for sure.

We can only speculate on that. But we do know that for Moses

audience, that is. Moses is writing, writing these

words, right? And for his audience, his peers,

the 7th month is significant. For them, the month of Tishri

was significant because it was it was sacred.

It it includes the the Day of Atonement as well as the Feast

of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles.

So it was appropriate that the ark found refuge in what would

become a sacred month for the Hebrews of Moses Day, a month

set aside for celebrating the atonement and God's provision.

So it is on the 17th day of the 7th month that's the ark came to

rest on the mountains of Ararat is what it says the mountains of

Ararat. Now, over the millennia, there's

been a lot of discussion as to where the ark might be in.

A number of archaeologists have claimed this location or that.

What do we know? Well, here's what we know.

First of all, Ararat is generally understood to be in

the region between the black and Caspian seas.

I think I have a hopefully have a picture there.

There we go. So you can see that Ararat or

Urartu is the is the Hebrew Ararat is encompassed.

It encompassed parts of modern day Turkey as well as Iran,

Iraq, all of Armenia, and I think even Georgia might be

thrown in there some. So so all of this blue shaded

region is kind of a blue. The blue outlined region is

considered Ararat. Now some scholars and

archaeologists believe that the ark landed on Mount Ararat,

actually on on the mountain of Ararat, which you can see here

in this picture. Next picture is located in far

eastern Turkey. It it looks like it's not quite

all the way in the corner, but it is Ararat is literally like

in the corner. It is as Far East as you can go

in Turkey. There has been a lot of debate

over the years about where the ark actually landed.

And for a long time it was considered very dangerous to go

searching for it. Prior to yesterday, I had

written in my notes that that tensions in the region were a

little less. And, and, you know, so there

have been a number of expeditions over the years to to

go explore the region. After yesterday's news of the

Ayatollah Khomeini being killed, might not be a good idea to

venture into the region. Yeah, you're, you're still,

you're in the area of Iran. And so there have been there for

years. There have been, there's been a

lot of ups and downs in the area.

So perhaps not a good time save that trip to the Ark for another

year perhaps. But some people argue that the

that the ark landed on the top of Mount Ararat.

And here in this picture you can see Mount Ararat.

There are two peaks of it. The higher one there on the

right is considered the peak of Mount Ararat.

Those who argue for this position sometimes maintain that

what we shouldn't expect to find any wood either organic or

fossilized due to the need that once the ark landed and and they

got off of off of the ark, then look, there's all this wood.

This is mighty usable for us. This is a great resource.

Let's use it for various purposes.

So the wood probably was used up.

Conversely, there are also reports of an arc shaped figure

encased in ice in an inaccessible ledge near the

summit of Mount Ararat. Though the summit of Mount

Ararat currently sits close to 17,000 feet in elevation, it is

often maintained that, well, it wasn't always as high as it is

now and has risen substantial amounts over the years since the

flood. Meanwhile, others have made an

interesting argument for the foothills of what is known as

the Drupinar formation or the Drupinar sites.

And what you see there is thought to be there in the

middle, the ark. You have to watch videos to

understand what what you're seeing.

But like the walls are of the ark or around it is, is what it

suggests. And they've used ground

penetrating radar to supposedly confirm this.

A lot of people say, no, this guy was full of it and this

isn't it. So there's all sorts of things

that are said. You can even go to a visitor

center here to visit the ark because of course, each person,

each archaeologist has their own perspectives and says, no, this

is right. This is where it is.

This is where it is. We may never know and really it

doesn't matter, right? But anyways, the waters, they

continued to abate and then finally on the first day of the

10th month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

No doubt this was a a welcome sight since at this point

they've been on the Ark for nearly seven months.

The next section of our text examines two birds, and so would

you look at verses 6 through 12 in your Bibles.

At the end of 40 days, Noah opened the window of the ark

that he had made and sent forth a Raven.

It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the

earth. Then he sent forth a dove from

him to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the

ground. But the dove found no place to

set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the

waters were still on the face of the whole earth.

So he put it out his hand and took her and brought her into

the ark with him. He waited another seven days,

and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark, and the dove

came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a

freshly plucked olive leaf, so no one knew that the waters had

subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven

days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him

anymore. Ancient navigators would use

birds in order to find the land, but Noah isn't navigating here.

He's he's already on land. He was actually trying to

determine the readiness of of the land for habitation.

Dry land had appeared, but the people would still be on the ark

for another five months before the command to disembark. 40

days after the mountain peaks became visible, Noah ran a test

to see where the waters were, so he performs 3 tests in

increments of seven days. At first he released a Raven, a

strong bird who could more ably find conditions suitable for

living. It could live off of carry on

and they could fly farther, going back and forth in its

search for floating remains. When it finally found suitable

land, it didn't return. A Raven suited Noah's initial

purpose, but it didn't bring true comfort or or peace to

Noah, and later the Raven will be declared unclean and thus

unfit for consumption or sacrifice.

Now, having discerned that there was dry land somewhere out

there, Noah tried something a bit less Hardy.

A dove. Doves are nothing like Ravens.

Well, except that they're birds and can fly, right?

But first of all, besides the obvious color difference, one

black, one whites, doves are gentle, they have exceptional

navigational skills, they're caring parents, and they choose

their mates for life. They are much more

discriminating in their diets and are limited in their

preferred environs. They need lower elevations to

fly and they're and they're unable to fly as far and as high

as the Raven was. As the dove went out, she

couldn't find a place to land, so she returned to the ark.

Noah waited 7 days and then he tried it again.

This time the dove came back with an olive leaf in its mouth.

There was enough dry land for for at least some life to burst

forth. Olive trees are quite resilient,

so it's fitting that it's an olive leaf that was first

brought back to the ark. Noah waited another seven days

and sent the dove out one last time, and it didn't return.

The dove was a sign. Well, of course, first of all,

it's a sign of conditions starting to become suitable for

habitation, but it's also a sign that that peace was being

restored on the earth. The dove and its olive leaf had

become historic symbols of peace, right?

The dove and olive leaf symbolize peace.

The flood had purged the earth of its wickedness, so there was

peace between God and and man. But ultimate peace doesn't come

until Jesus though. And and all four of the gospels

when writing about Jesus baptism, all four of the gospels

say that the spirit came down on Jesus in the form of a dove.

This dove at Jesus baptism symbolized the peace that he

would bring as the Holy Spirit rested upon his ministry.

So the dove prefigures the Holy Spirit.

The dove here prefigures the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is our is our peace and our comfort.

The the Raven hadn't brought any real comfort.

No one knew it was a Hardy bird. So the real test was the dove.

The dove finding a place and not returning brought comfort to

Noah's family. If conditions were suitable for

the dove, then, then it wouldn't be long before Noah and his

family and the animals are able to leave the ark and gain their

freedom. Just as the dove had.

God's judgment was over, so peace would reign.

Look now at verses 13, at verse 13 and 14, we'll see everything

dry up there. In the 601st year, in the first

month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried

from off the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark

and looked and behold, the face of the ground was dry.

In the second month, on the On the 27th day of the month, the

earth had dried out. Nearly a year after Noah had

entered the ark and dry ground finally appeared.

Noah removed the covering from the ark.

We're not entirely sure of what that covering was like, but but

it was such that it took some work to to open it.

Its primary purpose seems to have been sealing up the ark,

keeping the water out and and the inhabitants dry.

As he opens up the covering, he's able to see that the earth

had dried out. Now this declaration was another

was another hyperlink back to Genesis 19 where God said let

the dry land appear. So a new creation was beginning.

This is the beginning of a new creation.

Something of significance is happening here in the Hebrew

text. Again, this is the only time in

Moses writing where where the word mixa refers to something

other than the covering for the Tabernacle.

Every time this this word is used, it refers to a place of

God's presence. It usually refers to the

Tabernacle covering. God hadn't abandoned Noah and

the inhabitants of the ark. He was right there with them in

the in the watery voyage, getting them through the actual

storm. They all came under God's

covering. They were experiencing His

presence. In verse 15, a year and 11 days

after the deluge began, God commanded Noah to exit the ark

and they were finally able to step back onto solid ground.

Reading at verse 15, God said to Noah, go out from the ark, you

and your wife and your sons and your son's wives with you.

Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all

flesh, birds and animals, and every creeping thing that creeps

on the earth, that they may swarm on the earth and be

fruitful and multiply on the earth.

Notice Moses doesn't just say they all got off the ark.

He could have, he could have said that right?

They they all left. Instead, he uses his design

pattern and inserts more hyperlinks to the creation

narrative. He mentioned not only humans,

but he also calls out every Ling, every living thing that is

with you of all flesh, as well as the birds, animals, and

creeping things. He explicitly names them.

Moses called out all of these, demonstrating that this is a new

creation. Just like what was happening

back in chapter 1. God once again issues the the

cultural mandates and that is the command to be fruitful and

multiply. And as they exit the ark, the

narrative basically comes to an end.

Verse 19 reads every beast, every creeping thing, and every

bird. Everything that moves on the

earth went out by families from the ark.

God was committed to the preservation and flourishing of

new life. New beginnings would take place.

People would reproduce and spread throughout the whole

earth. At least that's that's the

command to them. And animals would populate the

Earth with their unique species and characteristics.

Every kind of creature was saved, and now they, human and

animal alike, were all being released to fulfill their

purpose. Now, as I've mentioned before,

it's important that we don't simply relegate the flood

narrative and the Ark to fun little Sunday school stories or

songs. It's more than that, and we can

learn a few things from this. First of all, trust in God's

timing and plan. Trust in God's timing and plan.

Noah didn't disembark in his own timing.

He waited for God's command. He'd waited at the beginning.

He'd waited for God to tell him when to go into the ark, and

then he waits for God to tell him when to leave.

Noah's experiments with the birds had given him some

information about about the world out there.

OK, things are drying out, but it was God who determined the

timing. I love what the famous

commentator Matthew Henry said. God consults our benefits rather

than our desires. He knows what is good for us

better than we do for ourselves, and how long it is fits.

Our restraints should continue and desired mercy should be

delayed. We would go out of the ark

before the ground is dried, and perhaps if the door is shut, we

are ready to thrust off the covering and to climb up some

other way. But God's time of showing mercy

is the best time. God has a plan.

His plan is the right plan. So when you think that you're

going to wait to apply for a lead pastor position after your

son graduates was not the right time, was not the right plan.

I had it all worked out, but fortunately God had better

plans. Graduations here and just a few

months will be not really empty. Nesters don't know what's

happening there. We'll see.

But it will be weird to not have a high schooler anymore.

The only person in school will be Louie Ann, and she has, I

don't know, decades? I don't know, I don't know how

long she'll be in school. We'll see when she's done.

So God's plan is the right plan and He will direct us in His

time and in His way. We can think we've got it all

planned out, but God is the one in control and and working

everything according to His will.

Live within His boundaries and desires, not your own.

So next, trust in and live by God's mercy.

Trust in, trust in His mercy, and live by His mercy.

In the midst of this judgment, we see God's mercy demonstrated.

God could have completely wiped out everything, every single

living thing, but instead he saved a remnant of humans and

animals. This was God's mercy

demonstrated to this man Noah, who was righteous and and who

had walked with God. As we trust in God's mercy, then

we should also distribute that mercy to others.

When you've been wronged, you've been offended.

It might be that God wants you to show mercy.

Don't simply take God's mercy, but give it out as well, living

a life of forgiveness. Lastly, trust in God's

faithfulness. Trust in His faithfulness even

when we can't see it. God is working and accomplishing

His good plan. He's faithful and He's always

working. As the inhabitants of the Ark

exited, no doubt they would have been thankful for God's

faithfulness in that difficult season and we will see that next

week their first actions as they as they exit the Ark.

He preserved their life and demonstrated His ongoing care

for all of creation. Difficult and life changing

events do not alter God's faithfulness.

Sometimes we will go through the unimaginable, but God can redeem

that and He can use it for His purposes, growing us in that

season, further showing His faithfulness in all seasons of

life. So as we close out the flood

narrative proper, we need to be diligent to take note of these

aspects that God's plan is right, his plan is right, his

mercy is great and he is faithful.

The words of Exodus 34 seven speak to God's character says

God's judgment goes out to a few generations, but his steadfast

love extends to thousands of generations.

He's overwhelmingly merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and

abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

That's the God we see on display here in the midst of judgment

and the flood narrative as they exit the ark.

Let's bow our heads and close our eyes,

God, as we approach this time. My hope and prayer has been that

the the Ark and the Flood would not just be simple Sunday school

stories. But that's in the flood, that in

the ark we can see your character on display, who you

are. You are, yes, a God of justice,

and so sometimes that requires judgments.

But you are still a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to

anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

May we not forget that. May we trust your timing.

May we, may we trust in your great mercy and always believe

that you are faithful. It's in Jesus name we pray,

Amen.