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December 1 Daily Devotional

God’s Sign for Noah

Frans Bakker

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. —Genesis 8:11

Bible Reading

Genesis 8:6–12

Devotional

There must have been profound joy for Noah and his family when the ark, after floating on the water for seven months, ran aground on Mount Ararat. It would still be forty days, however, before Noah could leave the ark. The Lord Himself had closed the door of the ark. Now God had to speak again so that Noah could leave the ark and live on the new earth. Those forty days were for Noah and his family a time of waiting and expecting. In such times God’s people must actively anticipate the promises of God.

Noah sent out a raven to see if the bird could find a place on the dry land, but the raven flew to and fro around the ark for it could not find a place on the earth. A week later Noah let a dove fly out, but the dove also had to come back. After seven more days Noah again let a dove out, hoping that now it would not return but would stay outside, giving evidence that the earth was again inhabitable.

Noah released the dove in the morning to allow it a full day to find a place on dry land. This must have been a day of anxious waiting for Noah. Would the dove find dry ground or not? If the dove stayed away it would be a sign for Noah that he could leave the ark. He and his family could then descend from the height of the mountain down into the plains to live and work on the earth. If the dove returned to the ark, then they would still have to remain in the ark and God’s promises would not yet be fulfilled.

With this holy tension, Noah looked through the window of the ark throughout the day to see if the dove would return or stay away. But as evening fell, Noah saw the dove flying towards the ark. Flapping its wings, it descended on the window. Could it not find any dry land? Were the plains still covered with water? Had the Lord forgotten His promise? But behold, the dove had a leaf of an olive tree in its beak and that leaf was for Noah as a letter from heaven. It was a sign that the water had receded from off the plains, for olive trees grow especially in the valleys. At the same time this olive leaf was evidence of new life on the earth. Noah and his family were going to leave the ark and live again upon the earth. The olive leaf was a sure confirmation of God’s faithfulness.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.

 

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