Title: With Hope! (December 27, 2009)
Contents
Word: Genesis 8:6-12
Subject: With Hope!
6. After forty days passed, Noah opened the window that Noah had built
7. He set the raven out, and it flew to and fro until the water was dry from the earth.
8. He also released a dove to find out if the water had subsided on the ground.
9. The dove could not find a place for the dove to touch because there was water all over the surface of the earth, so he returned to the ark and came to him, and he stretched out his hand and received him into the ark.
10. After waiting another seven days, the dove was released again from the ark.
11. In the evening the dove returned to him, and there was an olive leaf in his mouth, and Noah thought that the earth had lost water.
12. After waiting seven more days, he released the dove, and he never returned to him again.
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The judgment of Noah's Flood is God's judgment on man's transgression. However, it was because of God's love and mercy that Noah's family and one or two pairs of living creatures lived. God did not suddenly bring down the flood judgment one day. He gave people a chance to get into the ark before the flood. But they did not believe that there would be a flood judgment. But regardless of whether they believed or not, God's judgment came.
The flood judgment was really huge. The whole earth, all the high mountains, and the whole world was covered with water for 150 days. There was nothing alive that could have survived. However, we can realize God's love and providence of salvation through this event.
First, it is the period of the flood judgment.
If it had been 10 or 20 years, Noah's family would not have been alive. But he did not do so and saved them. Judgment is temporary and salvation is eternal.
Second, there is salvation in the ark.
After Noah built the ark, he said that he could only live in the ark. But only Noah's family and beasts went into the ark. And they were saved.
The ark is the shadow of the church. The size, external value, and location of the ark are irrelevant. Anyone who comes to church and believes in Jesus can be saved.
When the Israelites escaped from Egypt, in order to avoid the calamity of the death of their firstborn, they believed the word of God and slaughtered a sheep and smeared its blood on the threshold. When the angel of death inspected their house, they did not judge the size of the house or its external value. They only looked to see if there was blood or not. Blood symbolizes Jesus Christ. Entering the ark and putting blood on the threshold means believing in Jesus and living in Jesus.
When the rain stopped and the waters receded, Noah sent out a raven to get the water. But the crow did not return. Noah sent out a dove. The first time he just came back, the second time he came back with an olive tree. And the last time the dove was sent out, the dove did not return. It meant that the water was subtracted.
First, let's look at the crow's lesson.
The crow is known as a clever and adaptable bird. After being trapped in a stuffy ark, when I came out to the world, there was a lot of food and things to see, such as rotten corpses, in a new world that opened up before my eyes. And the crow never returned to the ark. It is like the appearance of a certain believer. It is very similar to the appearance of being shunned by the sights and temptations of the world and shunning the Church of God. But the ark, that is where I was saved. Just as you escaped the flood there, you will escape trials and gain new life in the Lord's arms. No matter what happens, we must never become crow-like believers.
Second, the dove's lesson.
Pigeons first avoided the filth. Rotten corpses were gathered and the dirty ground was avoided. There are things we should avoid and things we shouldn't do in our world. You must have the faith to properly discern all these things and to keep and do them.
And delivered a message of hope. When the dove returned to the ark with the dove biting an olive leaf, Noah and his family knew that the water was gone. And they got hope. Dovelike believers never lose hope. Please believe that even in the midst of severe trials and tribulations, you can leave everything to the Lord and soar into the blue sky.
Even though this year has been a difficult year, I hope that all Sandoll saints will now take off their dark and drab hoodie clothes, change into bright and bright dove clothes, and start the new year by biting olive tree leaves on their leaves!