“I find this time of study refreshing,” King replied as he regarded the group at the table. “I know we’ve already said this, but there is nothing like having a Bible study and fellowship in the manner that we are having. I thank all of you for this time and, of course, I mostly thank God that we are able to come together for this opportunity.”

The Gatherers agreed with him.

“We have just completed the first seven chapters of Genesis. It truly does seem a long time ago when we started out on Route 66, but in reality…we have barely begun. There is still much to cover, and just the opposite of that…there is much we have not been able to get into in what we have previously studied. I’m sure there is still much to learn but perhaps we’ll get another look at a later time. For now, let’s go on into Chapter 8 of Genesis. Can anyone summarize for me this chapter?”

Lenox shrugged. “Sure. That’s easy. The Flood ends. Period.”

“Is that all that occurs here?”

Fronk snorted. “I sincerely doubt that, my brother. Surely there is more to it than just the end of a great event.”

“Well, obviously,” Barrington began, “before the Flood ends, the rains have to cease. Then, the earth dries and Noah and his family leave the ark.”

“This is all correct…” King paused. “But there is one more thing.”

Fuller smiled wryly. “David, I can help you here. The answer you’re looking for is that Noah builds an altar and offers sacrifice to God.”

King nodded. “Yes, Darren. That is correct.” He put his hands together. “We’re going to try to slow things down a bit and not race into this as I feel we did with chapter 7. This first passage talks about the receding of the waters from the Flood. We’re going to look at that by reading this in smaller doses. Erin, I would like you to begin by simply reading the first four verses.”

Erin smiled and nodded once. “Okay. Then, Genesis 8:1 - 4 says, ‘And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.’ David, what does it mean when it mentions that God remembered?”

Shiva nodded. “I find that puzzling, too, because I don’t believe God forgets anything but our sins when He casts it into the Sea of Forgetfulness and remembers them no more.”

“I am certain it means simply that God was mindful of Noah,” King answered.

“I like it that God was thinking of Noah,” Staci said. “He remembered Noah and every living thing that was on the ark. God was thinking of them. That means a lot because it helps me realize that no matter how insignificant we can feel about ourselves, He still considers each and every one of us.”

Shiva nodded thoughtfully. “That’s heavy, Doc.”

“But very profound,” King agreed. “Thank you. Now in these four verses Erin just read to us, we are given the record not only of the building up of the Flood, but also the prevailing and now…assuaging of the Flood.”

“That,” Fronk replied with a forefinger pointed up in the air, “is a very strange word indeed. ‘Assuaging’. For this word simply means to provide relief from something distressing or painful. Perhaps the earth was in pain so the waters began to assuage.”

“You need help,” Erin told him.

“He is right, Erin,” Fuller said. “About what that word means, anyway. God remembered Noah and made a wind to pass over the earth…And that’s when the waters began to assuage. The earth was being relieved of the Flood.”

“It certainly didn’t happen overnight, you know,” Fronk said in his defense.

King agreed. “Of course not. No. The buildup of the waters took over 150 days, and then there were 261 days during the assuaging. That is a long time. With those numbers combined, it is over a year. Staci…can you continue with verses 5 and 6?”

Staci nodded. “Oh, thank you, David. I would love to.” She turned to her Bible and read Genesis 8:5 - 6 out loud. “‘And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made…’”

“Ah, yes,” Fronk replied with a grin, “it’s time for a look-see! An appropriate time, too, wouldn‘t you say? For this is the very beginning of the end of the Flood.”

“Absolutely,” King agreed. “In the next two verses, we see that Noah does something we must take note of. My brother, go ahead with the next two verses.”

Fronk nodded. “Coitenly! Nyuck, nyuck!” He read Genesis 8:7 - 8. “‘And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground…’ Well, look at that! Noah has become a bird watcher!”

“In a manner of speaking. Now…I shall read the remaining verses from this passage.” King read Genesis 8:9 -12. “‘But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.’”

“Clearly the Flood is definitely over,” Lenox commented. “You know, I imagine that the raven who never returned was more than likely feeding off from something floating on the surface.”

Staci made a face. “Eww.”

King smiled at Lenox. “That may be, my brother. However, that isn’t the great spiritual truth I want us to see here in the eighth chapter in this account between the raven and the dove. After Noah and his family had spent a year in the ark, he sent forth a raven which as we have read had never returned. Is that what happened to the dove after he had released it?”

“No, of course not,” Staci answered. “The dove kept returning. It even came back with a little greenery…an olive leaf.”

“That dove and olive leaf,” Barrington began, “has always been symbolic of peace.”

Lenox nodded. “This dove had been released three times, right? The first time it returned with nothing. Probably because it didn’t find any land. The second time it came back with the leaf…and then the third time, it didn’t return at all.”

Fuller leaned forward. “I believe that was symbolic as well. When the dove didn’t return, it was a sign that the judgment was over and that peace had returned to the earth. But man coming out of the ark is the same type of man that all of the sons of Adam were who had provoked the Flood as a judgment from God in the first place.”

“Absolutely,” King replied. “We’re going to see that there really isn’t too much improvement in man after the Flood. In fact, there is none whatsoever.” He held up a forefinger as if to emphasize a point. “There is a great spiritual lesson here which I would not have you miss for anything in the world, my brothers and sisters. William, you pointed it out earlier.”

Fronk blinked. “I did?”

King nodded.

Erin made a face. “You mean…about Noah and his bird watching?”

King nodded once more. “And this is also an example of what you said, Michael.”

“No…don’t tell me…” Staci turned her head to regard Lenox. “You mean to say that the raven did go out there and…That is just gross.”

Lenox chuckled and shook his head. “It’s nature.”

“Think about it, Staci.” King paused. “Noah sends out the raven, and the raven does not come back. Why do you think that is?”

Staci shrugged. “I don’t really know. I…just don’t think about it.”

“But you must recognize what that raven eats…It feeds on carrion.”

Shiva thought about it. “It does make sense. There must have been a whole lot of flesh of dead animals floating around after the Flood.”

“The old bird was having a feast!” Fronk exclaimed. “Boy oh boy, he must have been having a wonderful time of it. The only one at the banquet table, I tell you what!”

King nodded once. “The raven was classified as an unclean bird. Now the dove is a clean bird and is so listed later on in Scripture. Remember that Noah took into the ark both the clean and the unclean animals. The dove brought back information…It was a regular homing pigeon of sorts. With the dove’s second trip, Noah was now a confirmed bird-watcher because you must know whenever he let the dove out, he was watching for its return. And the dove brought back evidence that the dry land was appearing. The third time, the dove did not return, and Noah knew that the waters of judgment were gone.” He looked at Lenox. “Now you mentioned, Michael, that it was the raven’s nature to do what it does…did you not?”

Lenox nodded. “Yes. It is what I meant.”

“Well, the Bible teaches us that the believer has two natures. An old nature and a new nature. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 1’ The clean and the unclean are together. You and I as believers have these two natures. Our Lord said, ‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 2’ And then Paul writes, ‘For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 3’ Paul spoke of a struggle between two natures. And we know there is a struggle today between the old nature and the new nature of a believer.”

“So…the picture of the old nature,” Erin replied thoughtfully, “is the raven. The raven represents the old nature?”

King nodded. “Yes. The old nature loves the things of the world and feasts on them. Now the dove goes out into the judge world, just as the raven did, but she found no rest, no satisfaction…and so she returned to the ark. This dove represents the believer with the new nature. The raven goes out into the judge world and has a feast. Absolutely loves it.”

“‘Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world… 4’” Fuller quoted.

“Well, we are certainly living in a judge world today,” Barrington replied. “We’re in the world, and I would like to say not of it.”

“We are to attempt to win the lost in this world and get out the Word of God.” King made eye contact with everyone at the table. “Our Lord Himself told us to…‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 5’ So the important thing for us to do is to get the Word out. Now the dove recognized what kind of world she was in, and she found no rest. She found rest only in the ark…and that ark sets forth Christ because He is the only One who can give us rest.” He paused. “Let me ask you this very personal question…and I do not expect you to answer. Just consider it. What kind of bird are you? Are you a raven or a dove? As a child of God, we have both natures. But which one are you living today?”

“371 days,” King began. “This is the total number of days of the Flood, extending over a year. Al, read verses 13 and 14, and we will also see how the statement of Scripture confirms that the Flood was universal. This was not just filling a swimming pool. It was certainly much more than that.” He nodded to Barrington.

Barrington read Genesis 8:13 - 14. “‘And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.’” He nodded thoughtfully. “That is pretty amazing.”

“Can you imagine living through something like that?” Staci inquired. “I’m not so sure I would be able to function at all without being a basket case going through something like that.”

“You’re doing as well as you can through the Tribulation, Staci,” Lenox told her. “We all are. It’s not the Flood…but it is what God told us in His Word would come to pass.”

“Just as the Flood has come to pass,” King replied. “It ended. Noah uncovered the Ark…and then in the remaining verses of this passage, we see that they leave the Ark.” He looked at Fuller. “My brother…?”

Fuller nodded. “I’d be glad to, David.” He read Genesis 8:15 - 19. “‘And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.’”

“So they are now leaving the Ark…and a new journey begins.”

“God is now going to make a covenant with Noah,” King replied. “We’ll see this new beginning as we get into the next chapter, but I would like to emphasize how very important this covenant is. When God made it with Noah, He made it with the human family that is on the earth…even today.” He paused. “First, let’s look at verse 20 of chapter 8. ‘And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.’ Now do you see why Noah took seven of the clean beasts and only two of the unclean? He is now offering the clean beasts as sacrifices. And what is the very first thing Noah does when they leave the Ark?”

“He builds an altar,” Shiva replied. “He offers up a sacrifice to the Lord.”

“A burnt offering,” King replied with a nod. “Now this burnt offering speaks of the person of Jesus Christ.”

“How?” Staci inquired.

Fuller responded before King could. “The burnt offering, Staci, was offered on the basis of acceptance before God and of praise in recognition of Him. Recognition in the Savior. Without doubt, this was one of the things that caused God to be pleased with Noah at this particular time.”

King nodded. “That is correct. Now the next verse…William?”

Fronk cleared his throat noisily and then he read Genesis 8:21. “‘And the Lord smelled a sweet savor; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.’” He paused. “Re-e-eally? Now that is a tad bit more than just interesting. ‘Cause this earth will be purged by fire and a new heaven and earth will take its place.”

“We will get to that,” King promised. “First, let’s hold to a very important truth from the verse you just read. What about your youth? Was your imagination evil or not? In our society we can see the rebellion of youth, and isn’t it interesting to note the direction they have gone? They have gone in the same direction. Every imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth…and it does not improve. Not without the Spirit of God indwelling them, causing them to become new creatures in Christ.” He paused. “Now, let us look at the final verse before we move along Route 66 into chapter 9. Michael, why don’t you close this chapter for us?”

Lenox read Genesis 8:22. “‘While the earth remained, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.’” He nodded thoughtfully. “And that must be why we get our seasons…because of the Flood.”

“Yes, and what about before the Flood? What three words beginning with the letter ‘R’ has man learned?”

“I’d say it was rebellion, for one,” Shiva replied.

King nodded. “Yes. Rebellion against God was realized. It all came right out into the open. What else?”

Erin pursed her lips. “How about…rejection? Man went on their own way and rejected God.”

King smiled. “Also correct. Very good, my sister. Revelation from God was rejected by man. Noah’s witness did not reach them. And who can tell us what the third ‘R’ is…?”

Staci looked as if she wanted to say something.

“Yes, my sister?”

“Well…I have an answer, but I don’t think it’s right.”

Fuller grinned. “Why don’t you try it on us?”

“But…it doesn’t seem like it’s the right answer.” She paused. “Repentance…but I’m sure that can’t be right, because in those times, it was only Noah and his family who were saved.”

King nodded at her. “But you are correct, Staci. That is the third ‘R’. Repentance was absolutely repudiated; there was no return to God at all. Men refused the refuge that God provided, and for 120 years, Noah had no converts. These are the three ‘R’s…Man led in Rebellion, they rejected the Revelation, and there was no Repentance on their part. Now as this man Noah comes forth from the Ark, he stands in a most unique position. He stands in the position of being the head of the human race again. The same position Adam had. With this new position thrust upon him, God makes a covenant with him…and we will discuss this in chapter 9.”

1 - II Corinthians 5:17
2 - John 3:6
3 - Romans 7:18
4 - I John 2:15
5 - Mark 16:15