Title [New Dean's Relay Sermon] Dove, Symbol of Peace
Contents
Matthew 3:16
The dove first appears in the story of the flood in Genesis 8. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was baptized and came up from the water, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove. So, let's take a look at the teaching of the dove in the Bible and its meaning.
Pigeons are good errands. Noah sent a raven to see how much water had drained from the ark, but when the raven did not return, he sent a dove away. The dove returned to the ark because it had no place to sit, and after 7 days it was sent back and returned with an olive leaf in its mouth. Because of that, Noah thought that the water had gone down, and after 7 days he sent out a dove and did not return to the ark, he was able to judge that the water had completely gone (Gen. 8:8-12) .
The pigeon did a good job of running the errand according to its owner's intentions. Those who believe in Jesus are called “the servants of the Lord.” A servant must do his master's errands well. We must do Jesus' errand well. It is simply obedience to the word. Pigeons are gentle birds. The fact that the Holy Spirit came down like a dove means that Jesus had a meek disposition (Matthew 11:28). To be meek means to have a warm and tender heart. Jesus is the one who embraces even the enemies and saves even the robbers if they just believe in him. Also, the woman who lives with everyone pointing the finger is the one who forgives with a gentle voice.
The dove is a bird that symbolizes peace. Divided into North and South, we are always in danger of war, and we know and feel the preciousness of peace better than any other nation. Peace must start small, that is, at home. In the old days of Abraham's family, Ishmael, the son of Hagar, mocked and bullied Isaac, the son of Sarah. It became a seed of stripe in Abraham's family, and Ishmael was eventually expelled. After that, the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac became enemies. The descendants of Isaac are today's Israel, and the descendants of Ishmael are today's Arab people. To this day, it remains a disputed area. The Lord's servants must play an intermediary role for the reconciliation of the family.
Pigeons were sacrificed to the poor. In the old days, sheep, goats, or cattle were sacrificed for sacrifices. The poor who could not afford expensive sacrifices made sacrifices with doves with all their heart. Jesus loved the poor more with all his heart and was always with the poor. Jesus Himself did not come to a rich country, but to a poor Israel. He came to a poor country, a poor town, and even from that poor town, he came to the poor carpenter Joseph's family. Jesus visited poor, sick and lonely families and preached the gospel to the poor.
Pigeons are clean birds. The reason Noah returned to the ark when he was blown out of the ark was also because there was no place to sit on the filthy water where the dead bodies of the flood floated. Rather than dwelling in dirty sins, I hope that you will become like doves who take care of a clean world. I pray in the name of the Lord that grace like a dove will always come to you in your faith life that follows the Word.