The Reminder Of A Promise

Genesis 8:6-16; 9:8-16

Most people would agree that keeping a promise is important, and promises really shouldn’t be made lightly.  No one likes having promises broken that were made to them, nor to be known as a promise-breaker. How about when we have to wait a long time for the promise to be fulfilled?  Do we give up hope? That probably depends on who made the promise, and what their track record is when it comes to keeping their word. Our Old Testament Scripture passage this week comes from the Book of Genesis, from the familiar account of Noah and the Ark.  As we study this passage, we see that Noah showed much patience and trust in God, and the fulfillment of His promises.

As we read earlier in the Book of Genesis, mankind had grown so terribly sinful that God decided to destroy everyone.  He instructed Noah to build an ark to save himself, along with a pair of each animal. When the ark was completed, Noah and his family, along with the assembled animals boarded the ark.  They were on the ark for seven whole days before God sent the rain (Genesis 7:4-10). Did Noah wonder if he had misunderstood God, or that this was sort of a joke? After a week God sent the rain.  It rained for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:12). That’s a long time. I enjoy a good thunderstorm, but if it continues steadily raining for more than a few days straight, I want to see the sun again!  The ark continued to drift upon the waters for many days before the tops of the mountains began to appear, and even more time before it came to rest (Genesis 8:1-5), and a while longer before the ground completely dried.  That is a long time. God had promised to protect him and his family. Throughout this whole time, in the midst of what must have been some terrifying times for Noah and his family, he kept trusting God, believing that He would keep His promises.

As we read in our passage, Noah sent out both a raven and a dove.  The raven kept flying until the waters completely receded. The dove, however, came back when she saw there was no dry land (vs. 9).  When the dove was sent out the first time, she could find no place to rest. She flew and flew, but there was no place for her to land.  So what did she do? She returned to the ark, a place of refuge, a symbol or type of Christ. There she was safe. We may wander all over the world looking for rest, but our rest can only come from Jesus.

After Noah sent out the dove a second time, she returned with an olive leaf, indicating that plant life had returned to the earth.  He waited an additional week, and then the Lord gave the okay to leave the ark (vs. 15-16). What if Noah had been impatient, and had left earlier?  Perhaps when the ark first landed on ground, or maybe when the dove had returned with the leaf? If Noah had been impatient and gone out earlier than God wanted, it would have been a mess with mud and muck!  Noah did not go out until God told him to, when it was safe to. When we rush ahead of God’s timetable we will find ourselves in a mess, in nothing but trouble. God knows best.

When Noah and his family were out of the ark, God gave them a special promise.  He promised to never again destroy the whole world by a flood (vs. 11). Throughout Scripture God gives two kinds of promises - conditional promises, and unconditional ones.  Conditional promises are dependent on our behavior. We do this, and God promises He will do that. Unconditional promises are not dependent upon us. What God promises will happen, no matter what.  It will stand. This promise to Noah and his family was an unconditional promise.  God has promised, no matter what, He will not flood the entire earth again. There have been devastating floods in various parts of the world, but never again one that floods the whole earth.  God has said, though, later in Scripture, that He will destroy the world by fire (II Peter 3:10-11, Revelation 20:9, and Revelation 21:1).

God gave the rainbow as a sign of His promise to Noah (vs. 13-16).  This is a symbol of God’s covenant to never destroy the whole world again with a flood.  God never breaks His promises. He promised Noah that He would protect them and the animals from the flood, and though they were on the ark for a long time, God kept that promise.  They emerged without any harm. Now God has given mankind His Word. The rainbow is a symbol of that promise. Each time we see a rainbow, we can remember God’s promise to us. Each of God’s promises are unbroken and unending.