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Genesis 8:1-12

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained; and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of one hundred and fifty days the water decreased. In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. The water decreased steadily until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible. Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land; but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth. Then he put out his hand and took her, and brought her into the ark to himself. So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark. The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth. Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again.

This week, we will look at the end of the Flood. First, let’s recap a little bit. The world was full of violence and man’s thoughts were evil continually. God has warned Noah that He was going to be sending a flood that would destroy everything living thing on the planet unless it was in the ark. He gave Noah the dimensions and specifics for building the ark. Noah and his sons have started building the ark and while this is going on, Noah preaches righteousness to those around him. He warns them of the wrath of God and the coming judgment. Finally, the 120 years that God has allotted man in order for him to repent has come to an end. The food has been gathered, the animals have boarded the ark, and Noah and his family enter the ark. God Himself shuts the door behind them as the rain starts falling.

Up to this point in the history of the world, no one has every seen it rain. The ground has been watered by the dew. Now, it begins to pour down like a faucet. The seas are roiling as the “fountains of the deep” burst open. The windows of heaven open as well sending down more water. Mankind and many land animals move to the higher ground in the hopes that the Flood will subside, but it is to no avail. The entire earth is in turmoil as the continent splits into pieces, the water rises to the point of covering the highest mountains, and God’s judgment is carried out. It has rained for 40 days and nights and every living thing on the face of the planet is now dead.

Noah and his family are safe on the ark with the animals. For five months, Noah and his family float on the waters and the changes to the planet continue. But God hasn’t forgotten Noah and his family or the animals with them. God closes the windows of heaven, the fountains of the great deep, and causes a wind to pass over the earth. The water slowly but steadily decreases (most likely to the basins of the oceans dropping down and collecting water). After five months, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. At this point, the tops of the mountains were still not visible, but it wouldn’t be long. On the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains finally became visible. Forty days later, Noah opens the window and sends out a raven to check for land. The scripture says that the raven flew and flew until the water was dried up from the earth. This could be because ravens will eat carrion and would have found rest on the multitude of dead animals and people that would have been in the water. He then sends out a dove, but the dove can’t find a place to land so it returns to Noah. A week later, Noah sends the dove out again and it comes back to him with an olive leaf in its beak. Noah waits another week and sends the dove out again and, this time, it doesn’t return to him. This tell him that the water has abated from the earth.

In the face of such turmoil, God had preserved Noah and his family in relative comfort. He provided for them in so many ways. Today, God does the same for us. Just like the ark, God has provided us a way to escape His wrath and judgment. This way is His only Son, Jesus Christ. Like the days of Noah, the Bible warns of a time in the future when God will again judge the world. There will be many who mock and ignore the warnings; and they will pay for it with their eternal lives. Just like Noah in his day, there are many who are calling for people to repent. This is the only chance that any one has. The Bible says that if you will repent of your sins (lying, stealing, lusting, hatred, idolatry, murder, adultery, etc) and put your faith in Christ alone to save you, you will be saved. You can know without a shadow of a doubt that when you die you will go to heaven. If you wait, you will be too late. Today is the day of salvation and it is the only day that you are guaranteed. Please, look at your life in honesty. See the multitude of sins that you’ve committed and know that God’s wrath is building. One day, it will burst forth and consume you unless you repent….