GENESIS 8 NOAH WITNESSES SIGNS OF LIFE ON EARTH AFTER FLOOD
GENESIS 8
6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore. – Genesis 8:6-12
GENESIS 8 NOAH WITNESSES SIGNS OF LIFE ON EARTH AFTER FLOOD
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After forty days, Noah opened the ark as he was instructed
He sent forth a raven to see if the waters have retreated
But unfortunately, it went back and forth so he knew it wasn’t dried yet
Then he sent a dove as well, and it returned to him in the ark again.
Noah waited another seven days and sent the dove out once more
That evening, the dove returned with an olive leaf in his mouth
That was the sign for Noah to know that life on earth was restored
He waited another seven days until the dove didn’t return anymore.
It must have been challenging to be inside the ark all those forty days and forty nights and be locked in those dark walls of the ark. Although, it must be pretty noisy and busy with all those animals around them. What irony it was that inside the ark was full of life and outside there were no living things. Amidst the isolation from other people that the family of Noah felt inside the ark, there was much life in the other animals, beasts, other crawling things and birds. It was dead all around the ark, but so much life inside the ark.
After waiting for the signs of life, Noah patiently followed God’s instruction. How many of us can patiently wait in this very noisy and distracted world we live in now?
REFLECTION
- What can you surmise from this account about Noah’s character?
