I came up to my computer yesterday and it said "the operating system has experienced a serious error." After rebooting - the system returned itself to normal and on I went.
In a sense, earth experienced a "serious error" that caused God to "reboot" and recover with the flood. The account in Genesis 8 begins this "rebooting" of the creation. Some of the language mirrors what we find in Genesis 1 (turn and read).
Last time we looked at an unusual chart that seeks to show how the flood was responsible for much of the geological upheaval that most scientists attribute to long epochs of time.
Beginning in Chapter 8 we have the end of that table:
150th Day: A wind passes over the earth. Waters begin to subside. Ark lands on the mountains of Ararat. (Gen 8:1-4) Continental-Drift Phase: Mid-Atlantic Ridge buckles up; Atlantic floor rises and Pacific region subsides, so the hydroplates accelerate downhill, sliding on a layer of lubricating water.
When the massive hydroplates decelerate, they are crushed, thickened, buckled, and heated in a gigantic compression event. Overthrusting occurs in some places. Continents take on present shape. As major mountains form, air is displaced, causing a great wind. Earth rolls, and poles shift.
150th - 371st Day: Passengers remain on Ark. Recovery Phase: Hostile environment: earthquakes, inner earth heated, oceanic trenches and methane hydrates form, flood basalts and volcanoes erupt, water drains, continents shift, vegetation reestablished, and Ice Age begins. Lowered sea level facilitates land migration and allows the formation of tablemounts and submarine canyons. Plateaus form. Large continental canyons form by dam breaching.
371st Day: Ark off-loaded. (Gen 8:15-19)
371st Day to the present.
Noah and the animals spent just over a year on the ark.
Vs 8:1-5
Mt. Ararat are located in Lake Van region of eastern Turkey in the area of Armenia. The highest peak in the range reaches some 17,000 feet in elevation. There are really two peaks: One is 16,254 feet and the other is 12,000 feet.
Notice that Noah was safe in the ark - but he wasn’t delivered yet from the flood. God was doing a lot in the background - unseen by Noah - to secure his deliverance. Noah’s job was to wait patiently. That’s what we should do too.
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. KJV
God remembered Noah - He keeps his covenants.
Verses 6 - 12
The Raven & the dove. The raven could have landed on mountaintops and carcasses to rest or get food. The dove returned with a fresh olive leaf - olive trees will put out new leaves even under water. This showed that the tops of trees were emerging.
Ravens will eat carrion - dead things, so they could have landed on stuff floating around and been okay.
Verses 13 - 14
On Noah’s 601st birthday he gave himself a present - he took off the roof of the ark and looked around - and saw the water was gone. But though he could look around at the situation, it was only God that could open the door.
We are to know the "signs and seasons" of the last times - but only God can open the door to heaven and bring us home!
Noah landed on Mt Ararat - actually a range of mountains. But he doesn’t get out until God tells him to. You ever want to do something before you should? You can do it - but shouldn’t until God gives the green light.
Verses 15 - 19
The flood lasted a total of 1 year, 10 days from the time Noah went in to the time he came out.
1st portion waiting to fill up - then the rest it receded but then couldn’t get out for a while longer. It’s awesome that God took care of him all through that!
Ararat is located on the border of Russia, Iran, and Turkey. None of these nations have any interest in helping anyone locating the ark. They won’t let people get up there and look around. Explorers have been up there and say they have seen it - but no one can permits to go up there now.
Imagine if someone actually found the ark? No wonder certain folks in the world don’t want it found or even looked for.
Verses 20 - 22
This is the first altar mentioned in the Bible. Doesn’t mean there weren’t others. Noah is worshipping.
One commentator suggested that the sacrifice was meant to show God that Noah wanted continual reliance and fellowship with God.
It was probably also to say "thanks for getting me though this!"
God said "to Himself" then later told Noah - I will never curse the ground because of man.
Notice God says "as I have done." He does not promise never to destroy - but not with a flood. The time is coming when all the elements that make up the earth will simply explode in flames.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
God knew that we are evil by birth - so he puts the earth under a regular system of seasons until He sends a Savior - Jesus Christ.
God set into place a continuity of events - it is this very continuity that people use a reason to deny the reality of the flood and the existence of God.
2 Peter 3:3-7 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, "Where is this ’coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
It’s not God saying that He was sorry - "I promise I won’t do it again!" Judgment was correct. This is a statement of grace, not an apology.
Faith - you put your faith in Jesus as Noah put his trust in God
Righteousness - Jesus gives you that as a way to get into heaven (Romans 3)
Obedience - I want to be loyal to God
Waiting - 120 years, 1 year in the flood - waiting is the chief exercise for a Christian
Worship - we say Lord thank you! We can do it because of Jesus (access to God)
What do we learn?
" God will never leave you nor forsake you
Matt 28:20 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age .
" Sometimes all you get to see are the mountaintops
We know that off in the distance is heaven and when we get there we’ll be like Jesus and everything will be okay - but the inbetween seems covered with water.
" We can know what to do, but must wait for God to open the door
Acts 16:7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
2 Cor 2:12-13 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me ?
How do you know? Pray for God’s peace, Look for God’s leading, Check with God’s Word, pray for God’s wisdom. (James 3:17)
" Be sure to give thanks after a hard time
Sometimes we forget this - we pray and pray then when God brings us through we sigh and go on. Take the time to thank Him and worship Him.
" God is faithful
Noah could have refused to come out of the ark for fear of another flood. When God said it wouldn’t happen like that again, he believed God.
We need to believe Him when He says:
Psalms 121 lift up my eyes to the hills -
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip -
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you -
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night .
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm -
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
For more Bible studies and an audio copy of this message, please visit:
www.CalvaryChapelNewberg.org.
