Genesis 8
Bible Passage: Genesis 8
After two chapters and a period of over 1 year, Noah and family (and animals) are finally out of the ark!
Clean scrubbed new place
If you think that the scene of the animals going into the ark two by two is magnificent and amazing, think about the scene when they all finally come out from the ark (Genesis 8:18-19)! They were entering into a world that was different (in terms of the physical conditions, climate, etc) from the previous one they were familiar with. To quote a fellow brethren, it was like “clean scrubbed new place”. Moreover, it was a place whereby God has willed for it to be so. How excited they must have felt!
In fact, as I was reading through the chapter, I can already feel the excitement that Noah (and family) might have felt since the day Noah opened the window (Genesis 8:6). Do you know how long has it been since he was shut in?
Around 8 months!
We were asked to ponder yesterday the feelings of Noah and family as they entered the ark. If there was any sense of uncertainty at all, by this time when he had already endured the period of so many months, I am sure he is feeling really excited to see the doings of God. Imagine his excitement increase by the day when the dove returned almost immediately, to when it returned with an olive leaf, to when it did not return at all. And then waiting patiently for the “go” signal from God.
This reminded me of a particular verse in the Bible:
for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11b)
The day of our salvation is indeed nearer day by day. However, how do we feel when we read this verse? Have we got the same excitement as Noah probably did? Or perhaps are we still apprehensive about that day?
Noah was sure that the day would come when he would leave the ark again into a new and better world. If we have the same faith as Noah, and if we had truly believe, we would know that that place that is coming is the best place that we can be, according to the will of God.
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)
And if we truly have this belief, then every day would be rather exciting for us, as we see the plans of God unfold before our eyes to fulfill His salvation plan! This is the same excitement that Noah probably felt as he watched the dove coming and going. 🙂
God remembered Noah
Did God almost forget about Noah?
No way! God never once forgot about Noah and the ark. 150 days may seem like an awfully long time in the silence of God (Genesis 7:24), but God was waiting for the right time to act (refer to 8:1). Remember that the rain only poured for 40 days; there were more days when Noah spent the days in silence, when God neither cause rain to pour, nor water to subside. These are the most unbearable times, right?
Notice also that there is no record that Noah was told when all these will end. God only said,
“… after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” (Genesis 7:4)
Great faith, isn’t it?
The silence of God, and not knowing when all these will end. Yet, he patiently endured the times until God speaks again.
We are called to have such faith today too. For he who endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).
And the most marvelous thing is that our God is a faithful God Himself, and He never once forgets about us.
“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands…” (Isaiah 49:15-16a)
One of my favourite verses. I can’t remember if I have shared it before, but I just have to share again.
So let us remember and learn to praise God, not only of His almightiness and great power, but also of His faithfulness. The exhortation last week regarding this over the pulpit, together with Hymn 313, really touched me. I hope that His great faithfulness unto each and every one of us has left quite an impression on you too.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
4 Comments
InHisTime
This reminds me of one of my, and a few others’ favourite song as well.
In His time, in His time,
He makes all thing beautiful in His time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.
In Your time, in Your time,
You make all thing beautiful in Your time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.
In times of hardships and troubles it is easy to think that God has abandoned us.
May the Lord strengthen our faith and always remember that things will always work out, in His time.
“All things work together for good to those to love God” (Romans 8:28)
appleofHiseye
Silence before God.
Something seemingly more harder than it is.
As we wake up in the morning,
we rush through the day with groaning,
wondering why God does not listen.
Waiting for His time.
And even this simple task can be so hard to do.
We try to fulfil everything in the day,
but a prayer in the morning we forget to say.
And then we wonder why He does not care.
Remembering God.
We go to church but we forget to bring Him along with us.
Yet He is with us wherever we go,
and all our sorrows, our cares, our worries He knows.
If He can remember us, why can’t we remember Him too?
Listen to His voice.
When He calls us to do His work,
we shall answer as Mr. Noah did too,
though those who are saved are few,
faith in Him can save me and you.
biblereadingcompanion
Treasureinearthernvessel quoted from one of my all time favourite hymns “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. Do you realise that verse 2 of that hymn is inspired from Gen 8:22?
Although I read through this chapter many times, I did not realise this until I was reading the passage on Sat and suddenly… Hymn 313 came to mind.
We sang this in our KHF on Sun after our study of Gen 7 and my wife remarked that it was very moving caused it sounded as if there was an orchestra accompanying us as we sang our praises for God’s faithfulness.
Indeed we tend to take God’s faithfulness for granted. And I appreciate very much the comments of Treasureinearthernvessel, appleofHiseye and InHisTime cause it is a much needed reminder.
There are many things – sometimes little things, sometimes huge things – in our life that God takes care of us. Just to share something that happened recently at home.
In the morning before we left for work, my wife was boiling some soup in preparation for our dinner. I remembered that it was very fragrant radish soup (usually I do not like radish soup but this time was an exception (: ).
The pot was bubbling away and I remembered that I was thinking of reminding my wife to switch off the fire just before I left but did not as I thought she would not forget … since the fragrance of the radish soup filled the whole kitchen.
Then I got an SMS from my wife in the middle of the afternoon from my wife telling me that she had left the fire on and she went off to work!
My daughter had just got back from school and the first thing she noticed when she got home was the burnt smell. She and my mother in law rushed to the kitchen and found that the pot was completely burnt and the fire was still burning.
Thank God that the extent of the damage was just the radish soup (my mother in law somehow scrubbed the pot till it looked brand new!).
The fire had been burning for more than 5 hours and yet… nothing was damaged! Our kitchen was not burnt down and nothing was damaged (except a few ‘chao tar’ smelling T shirts that was hung to dry (: ).
My wife was greatly shaken and even now, on thinking about this incident, I grow weak in my knees.
But our God is to be greatly praised and thanked.
His faithfulness indeed endures forever.
Indeed….
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
If God can be faithful over us…. why can’t we be faithful to Him over all things as well?
Much food for thought in this start of a new week.
PS
Gen 8:20 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.
The first thing which Noah did after he left the ark was to build an altar and offer burnt offering to God.
This is the simple way which Noah remembered and worshipped his faithful Creator.
Faith without work is dead.
If i was the “clean animal” or the “clean bird’, what was “my” feeling to be offered as the burnt offering after being holed up in the ark for 1 year and 10 days. On the very first day of “my” release, before “i” could run or soar, “i” was made a sacrifice.
Any regret? Sigh went through the extra days of sufferings in the ark in vain. Any murmuring? There were 7 pairs of clean animals, why “me”?
If “i” was, it is my greatest joy to present “myself” as a burnt offering immediately after being locked in by God.
It is liken to seeing my Creator after attending a theolo or spiritual meeting, when “i” have just rekindled my communion with Him, i actually get to spend eternity with Him. Sweet, isn’t it?