Pastor Jerry A. Burns
On Genesis 8:6-9
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth (verses 6 and 7).
Forty days after the mountain tops appeared, Noah opened the window and sent out a raven. The raven was an unclean bird (Leviticus 11:15). It went to and fro and did not return to the ark.
Why did the raven not come back? The raven is a scavenger. It could feed on the carcasses left by the flood and rest on floating debris. It found everything it wanted in a world of death and judgement.
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; 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 (verses 8 and 9).
Then Noah sent out a dove, a clean bird. The dove found no rest for the sole of her foot. She would not settle on the carnage left by the flood. So she returned to the ark, and Noah reached out his hand and gently pulled her in.
A picture of two natures
Many Bible teachers have seen in the raven and the dove a picture of the believer's two natures.
- The raven pictures the old nature. It feeds on what is unclean and is at home in a scene of death and judgement.
- The dove pictures the new nature. It finds no satisfaction in a world under judgement. It finds no rest for the sole of its foot until it returns to the ark.
The new nature does not delight in the sins and filth of the flesh. It cannot rest there. It longs to come home. And like Noah reaching out to pull in the dove, the Lord reaches out His hand to draw His own back to Himself.
This picture opens up one of the most practical truths in the Christian life.
Two Natures: The Old Man and the New Man
The answer to the old nature is not to fix it up. Paul says we are to have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). God does not repair the old. He creates the new. It is like the new heaven and new earth that God will create after the Millennium. God is not going to fix up the old world. He is going to make a whole new one (Revelation 21:1 and 5).
The Lord Jesus taught that doing good things does not change a person's nature. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit (Matthew 12:33). The key is the source. A good tree produces good fruit, and a corrupt tree produces corrupt fruit. He used the same picture to expose false teachers in Matthew 7:15 to 20.
Many people believe reformation is the answer. But reformation only changes the outside. It is like taping oranges onto an apple tree. That does not make it an orange tree.
Transformation is the change God works in the heart. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).
People can even be conformed to a Christian mould. They can look like a disciple, talk like a disciple, and act like a disciple. Judas is the clearest example. He sat at the table with the Lord, yet after the sop Satan entered into him (John 13:27). Jesus had said of him, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? (John 6:70).
Anyone can reform. People ask, can people really change? It is hard, but it is possible to make better decisions. That is not what we are talking about. We are talking about transformation by the renewing of the mind, thinking differently because of the Word of God and the work of the Spirit.
That does not mean a Christian does not sin. But it does mean God is at work in his life, directing and disciplining him. A Christian sees sin differently. He knows it displeases God, and he seeks to flee from it, even when he does not always succeed. We make decisions, and then our decisions make us.
The new nature
The answer is to be born again and receive a new nature. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him (Colossians 3:10). And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
The new man is what the believer is in Christ.
- It is a new creation.
- It is created in the likeness of God.
- It shows itself in true righteousness and holiness.
The Christian has two natures. He has the flesh, corrupt in all its deeds, and a divine nature, which is from God and is righteous.
The divine nature cannot sin. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (1 John 3:9). The nature that is born of God is created in true holiness and true righteousness.
But we also still have a nature that cannot do right. It cannot please God. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). A person who is not born again can do good things, but he cannot do anything that pleases God, for without faith it is impossible to please him (Hebrews 11:6).
The old man is driven by lust. The new man is driven by love for God and a desire to please Him.
The battle within
These two natures battle every day. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin (Romans 7:25).
The believer has three enemies: the devil, the world, and the flesh. I would suggest that your greatest enemy is you.
Paul knew this pull to sin. 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. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me (Romans 7:18 to 20).
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Galatians 5:17). Contrary means they oppose each other.
Some desires are natural and good in their proper place. Others must be avoided altogether. Paul calls the old man corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (Ephesians 4:22). These lusts deceive. They promise what they cannot deliver.
The spiritual life is planted in the heart of the newborn Christian. But the old nature is not dead.
A man once called and asked to talk with me. We met in my office, and he was very troubled. He had just been saved, but he still struggled with sin. "Pastor Burns," he said, "I thought when I became a Christian all these desires to sin would be gone. But they are still here, and I am frustrated."
Yes, when we are saved, the old flesh remains. Yes, there is a battle. Which one is winning in your life?
There is an old tale of a chief speaking to young braves about the struggle within. "It is like two dogs fighting inside of us," he said. "One good dog wants to do right. The other wants to do wrong. Sometimes the good dog is stronger, and sometimes the bad dog is stronger." A young brave asked, "Who wins in the end?" The chief answered, "The one you feed."
But in truth, the flesh is no match for the Spirit. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). The flesh is already a defeated foe. Yet the nature we yield to is the one that will show in our lives.
When we let the old nature overshadow the new, we do not act very godly. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies (Galatians 5:19 and 20).
We must let the Spirit overshadow the flesh. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22 and 23).
How is that possible? How can we let the new nature thrive? Walking in the Spirit is not automatic. If anything, the opposite is true.
Walking in the Spirit
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
Walking in the Spirit is a choice to follow the Spirit's leading and to walk in the truth. The Bible uses the language of put off and put on again and again. That is the language of action and decision. It is like putting on clothing. We take the qualities of the new man and put them on in our daily lives. How does that happen?
A personal relationship with Jesus
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
In the verses before, Paul describes people who had given themselves over to the flesh (Ephesians 4:17 to 19). Then he says, But ye have not so learned Christ (Ephesians 4:20).
Notice the wording. Not learned about Christ. Learned Christ. I can learn about Spurgeon by reading his books and watching videos about him. But I cannot learn Spurgeon, because he is dead. Jesus is alive. I can learn Christ through personal fellowship with Him.
- Regular communication through prayer.
- An awareness of His presence.
- Studying the Bible and learning what it means to be redeemed: our sins are washed away, we have a higher calling, we are free from the bondage of sin, and we are to walk in newness of life.
- Finding strength in Him for daily life.
- Cultivating a deep connection with Him, trusting His love and following His example.
- Being guided by biblical truth, the renewing of our mind.
Nearness is likeness. If you spend time around an angry person, what is the danger? If you spend your time with the unruly, what is the danger? We become like those we are near. Spend a lot of time with someone who criticises, and you will soon be that person. You cannot run with a skunk and come away smelling like a rose. Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33).
The same is true in the other direction. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded (James 4:8). There is an old saying, attributed to John Bunyan and often quoted by D. L. Moody, "This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book."
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1). Lay aside. Run. Looking unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
When we walk with Christ, we lose the attitude of "I have to." We want to please God. We want to honour the Lord. Because we love Jesus.
Limit opportunities
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof (Romans 13:14).
Limiting the flesh has much to do with our relationship with Christ. But we also need to be wise. If I am on a diet, it is not a good idea to keep my favourite junk food lying around the house. I am not setting myself up for success. What we feed the most will dominate.
I believe we all have a besetting sin, a weakness of the flesh. We know it, and the devil knows it. David wrote, I was also upright before him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity (Psalm 18:23). Mine iniquity was probably David's besetting sin, the thing he struggled with most. David fought hard to keep himself pure and to honour the Lord.
But as we know from David's life, he did not always win. When David sinned with Bathsheba, he should have been at war with his army (2 Samuel 11:1). He put himself in the wrong place. We may find ourselves in a bad place, but we must not stay there. Joseph, by contrast, fled, and got him out when Potiphar's wife tempted him (Genesis 39:12).
An old saying, often credited to Martin Luther, puts it well. We cannot stop the birds from flying over our heads, but we can stop them from building a nest in our hair. We want to make wise decisions that help us succeed.
Feed the Spirit
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
We must feed the Spirit, nourish the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. Being in church is important. Reading our Bible is important. Ministering to others is important. Feed the Spirit, and starve the flesh.
The Christian life begins with Christ, and we are continually nourished by Him. He is our Good Shepherd, and He leads us to the spiritual food we need. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake (Psalm 23:1 to 3).
Jesus is the true bread of life (John 6:35).
- We are nourished by hope.
- We are nourished by our faith in Him.
- We are nourished by His plan for our lives.
- We are nourished by His Word, the truth.
- We are nourished by His promises.
Go all the way back to the garden of Eden. Everything Adam and Eve needed was provided. Jesus is our garden. He is our provision. He is our purpose. He is our power.
A personal walk with Christ. Making no provision for the flesh. Feeding the Spirit. That is how the dove finds its rest.
Historical Source
On Genesis 8:6-12
We have here an account of the spies which Noah sent forth to bring him intelligence from abroad, a raven and a dove. Observe here,
I. That though God had told Noah particularly when the flood would come, even to a day (ch. vii. 4), yet he did not give him a particular account by revelation at what times, and by what steps, it should go away, 1. Because the knowledge of the former was necessary to his preparing the ark, and settling himself in it; but the knowledge of the latter would serve only to gratify his curiosity, and the concealing of it from him would be the needful exercise of his faith and patience. And, 2. He could not foresee the flood, but by revelation; but he might, by ordinary means, discover the decrease of it, and therefore God was pleased to leave him to the use of them.
II. That though Noah by faith expected his enlargement, and by patience waited for it, yet he was inquisitive concerning it, as one that thought it long to be thus confined. Note, Desires of release out of trouble, earnest expectations of it, and enquiries concerning its advances towards us, will very well consist with the sincerity of faith and patience. He that believes does not make haste to run before God, but he does make haste to go forth to meet him, Isa. xxviii. 16. Particularly, 1. Noah sent forth a raven through the window of the ark, which went forth, as the Hebrew phrase is, going forth and returning, that is, flying about, and feeding on the carcases that floated, but returning to the ark for rest; probably not in it, but upon it. This gave Noah little satisfaction; therefore, 2. He sent forth a dove, which returned the first time with no good news, but probably wet and dirty; but, the second time, she brought an olive-leaf in her bill, which appeared to be first plucked off, a plain indication that now the trees, the fruit-trees, began to appear above water. Note here, (1.) That Noah sent forth the dove the second time seven days after the first time, and the third time was after seven days too; and probably the first sending of her out was seven days after the sending forth of the raven. This intimates that it was done on the sabbath day, which, it should seem, Noah religiously observed in the ark. Having kept the sabbath in a solemn assembly of his little church, he then expected special blessings from heaven, and enquired concerning them. Having directed his prayer, he looked up, Ps. v. 3. (2.) The dove is an emblem of a gracious soul, which finding no rest for its foot, no solid peace or satisfaction in this world, this deluged defiling world, returns to Christ as to its ark, as to its Noah. The carnal heart, like the raven, takes up with the world, and feeds on the carrions it finds there; but return thou to thy rest, O my soul, to thy Noah, so the word is, Ps. cxvi. 7. O that I had wings like a dove, to flee to him! Ps. lv. 6. And as Noah put forth his hand, and took the dove, and pulled her in to him, into the ark, so Christ will graciously preserve, and help, and welcome, those that fly to him for rest. (3.) The olive-branch, which was an emblem of peace, was brought, not by the raven, a bird of prey, nor by a gay and proud peacock, but by a mild, patient, humble dove. It is a dove-like disposition that brings into the soul earnests of rest and joy. (4.) Some make these things an allegory. The law was first sent forth like the raven, but brought no tidings of the assuaging of the waters of God's wrath, with which the world of mankind was deluged; therefore, in the fulness of time, God sent forth his gospel, as the dove, in the likeness of which the Holy Spirit descended, and this presents us with an olive-branch and brings in a better hope.
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Pastor Jerry A. Burns
On Genesis 8:6-9
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth (verses 6 and 7).
Forty days after the mountain tops appeared, Noah opened the window and sent out a raven. The raven was an unclean bird (Leviticus 11:15). It went to and fro and did not return to the ark.
Why did the raven not come back? The raven is a scavenger. It could feed on the carcasses left by the flood and rest on floating debris. It found everything it wanted in a world of death and judgement.
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; 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 (verses 8 and 9).
Then Noah sent out a dove, a clean bird. The dove found no rest for the sole of her foot. She would not settle on the carnage left by the flood. So she returned to the ark, and Noah reached out his hand and gently pulled her in.
A picture of two natures
Many Bible teachers have seen in the raven and the dove a picture of the believer's two natures.
The new nature does not delight in the sins and filth of the flesh. It cannot rest there. It longs to come home. And like Noah reaching out to pull in the dove, the Lord reaches out His hand to draw His own back to Himself.
This picture opens up one of the most practical truths in the Christian life.
Two Natures: The Old Man and the New Man
Not reformation, but transformation
The answer to the old nature is not to fix it up. Paul says we are to have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). God does not repair the old. He creates the new. It is like the new heaven and new earth that God will create after the Millennium. God is not going to fix up the old world. He is going to make a whole new one (Revelation 21:1 and 5).
The Lord Jesus taught that doing good things does not change a person's nature. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit (Matthew 12:33). The key is the source. A good tree produces good fruit, and a corrupt tree produces corrupt fruit. He used the same picture to expose false teachers in Matthew 7:15 to 20.
Many people believe reformation is the answer. But reformation only changes the outside. It is like taping oranges onto an apple tree. That does not make it an orange tree.
Transformation is the change God works in the heart. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).
People can even be conformed to a Christian mould. They can look like a disciple, talk like a disciple, and act like a disciple. Judas is the clearest example. He sat at the table with the Lord, yet after the sop Satan entered into him (John 13:27). Jesus had said of him, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? (John 6:70).
Anyone can reform. People ask, can people really change? It is hard, but it is possible to make better decisions. That is not what we are talking about. We are talking about transformation by the renewing of the mind, thinking differently because of the Word of God and the work of the Spirit.
That does not mean a Christian does not sin. But it does mean God is at work in his life, directing and disciplining him. A Christian sees sin differently. He knows it displeases God, and he seeks to flee from it, even when he does not always succeed. We make decisions, and then our decisions make us.
The new nature
The answer is to be born again and receive a new nature. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him (Colossians 3:10). And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
The new man is what the believer is in Christ.
The Christian has two natures. He has the flesh, corrupt in all its deeds, and a divine nature, which is from God and is righteous.
The divine nature cannot sin. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (1 John 3:9). The nature that is born of God is created in true holiness and true righteousness.
But we also still have a nature that cannot do right. It cannot please God. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). A person who is not born again can do good things, but he cannot do anything that pleases God, for without faith it is impossible to please him (Hebrews 11:6).
The old man is driven by lust. The new man is driven by love for God and a desire to please Him.
The battle within
These two natures battle every day. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin (Romans 7:25).
The believer has three enemies: the devil, the world, and the flesh. I would suggest that your greatest enemy is you.
Paul knew this pull to sin. 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. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me (Romans 7:18 to 20).
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Galatians 5:17). Contrary means they oppose each other.
Some desires are natural and good in their proper place. Others must be avoided altogether. Paul calls the old man corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (Ephesians 4:22). These lusts deceive. They promise what they cannot deliver.
The spiritual life is planted in the heart of the newborn Christian. But the old nature is not dead.
A man once called and asked to talk with me. We met in my office, and he was very troubled. He had just been saved, but he still struggled with sin. "Pastor Burns," he said, "I thought when I became a Christian all these desires to sin would be gone. But they are still here, and I am frustrated."
Yes, when we are saved, the old flesh remains. Yes, there is a battle. Which one is winning in your life?
There is an old tale of a chief speaking to young braves about the struggle within. "It is like two dogs fighting inside of us," he said. "One good dog wants to do right. The other wants to do wrong. Sometimes the good dog is stronger, and sometimes the bad dog is stronger." A young brave asked, "Who wins in the end?" The chief answered, "The one you feed."
But in truth, the flesh is no match for the Spirit. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). The flesh is already a defeated foe. Yet the nature we yield to is the one that will show in our lives.
When we let the old nature overshadow the new, we do not act very godly. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies (Galatians 5:19 and 20).
We must let the Spirit overshadow the flesh. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22 and 23).
How is that possible? How can we let the new nature thrive? Walking in the Spirit is not automatic. If anything, the opposite is true.
Walking in the Spirit
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
Walking in the Spirit is a choice to follow the Spirit's leading and to walk in the truth. The Bible uses the language of put off and put on again and again. That is the language of action and decision. It is like putting on clothing. We take the qualities of the new man and put them on in our daily lives. How does that happen?
A personal relationship with Jesus
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24).
In the verses before, Paul describes people who had given themselves over to the flesh (Ephesians 4:17 to 19). Then he says, But ye have not so learned Christ (Ephesians 4:20).
Notice the wording. Not learned about Christ. Learned Christ. I can learn about Spurgeon by reading his books and watching videos about him. But I cannot learn Spurgeon, because he is dead. Jesus is alive. I can learn Christ through personal fellowship with Him.
Nearness is likeness. If you spend time around an angry person, what is the danger? If you spend your time with the unruly, what is the danger? We become like those we are near. Spend a lot of time with someone who criticises, and you will soon be that person. You cannot run with a skunk and come away smelling like a rose. Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33).
The same is true in the other direction. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded (James 4:8). There is an old saying, attributed to John Bunyan and often quoted by D. L. Moody, "This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book."
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1). Lay aside. Run. Looking unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
When we walk with Christ, we lose the attitude of "I have to." We want to please God. We want to honour the Lord. Because we love Jesus.
Limit opportunities
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof (Romans 13:14).
Limiting the flesh has much to do with our relationship with Christ. But we also need to be wise. If I am on a diet, it is not a good idea to keep my favourite junk food lying around the house. I am not setting myself up for success. What we feed the most will dominate.
I believe we all have a besetting sin, a weakness of the flesh. We know it, and the devil knows it. David wrote, I was also upright before him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity (Psalm 18:23). Mine iniquity was probably David's besetting sin, the thing he struggled with most. David fought hard to keep himself pure and to honour the Lord.
But as we know from David's life, he did not always win. When David sinned with Bathsheba, he should have been at war with his army (2 Samuel 11:1). He put himself in the wrong place. We may find ourselves in a bad place, but we must not stay there. Joseph, by contrast, fled, and got him out when Potiphar's wife tempted him (Genesis 39:12).
An old saying, often credited to Martin Luther, puts it well. We cannot stop the birds from flying over our heads, but we can stop them from building a nest in our hair. We want to make wise decisions that help us succeed.
Feed the Spirit
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
We must feed the Spirit, nourish the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. Being in church is important. Reading our Bible is important. Ministering to others is important. Feed the Spirit, and starve the flesh.
The Christian life begins with Christ, and we are continually nourished by Him. He is our Good Shepherd, and He leads us to the spiritual food we need. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake (Psalm 23:1 to 3).
Jesus is the true bread of life (John 6:35).
Go all the way back to the garden of Eden. Everything Adam and Eve needed was provided. Jesus is our garden. He is our provision. He is our purpose. He is our power.
A personal walk with Christ. Making no provision for the flesh. Feeding the Spirit. That is how the dove finds its rest.
Adam Clarke
On Genesis 8:4-6
The mountains of Ararat - That Ararat was a mountain of Armenia is almost universally agreed. What is commonly thought to be the Ararat of the Scriptures, has been visited by many travelers, and on it there are several monasteries. For a long time the world has been amused with reports that the remains of the ark were still visible there; but Mr. Tournefort, a famous French naturalist, who was on the spot, assures us that nothing of the kind is there to be seen. As there is a great chain of mountains which are called by this name, it is impossible to determine on what part of them the ark rested; but the highest part, called by some the finger mountain, has been fixed on as the most likely place. These things we must leave, and they are certainly of very little consequence.
From the circumstance of the resting of the ark on the 17th of the seventh month, Dr. Lightfoot draws this curious conclusion: That the ark drew exactly eleven cubits of water. On the first day of the month Ab the mountain tops were first seen, and then the waters had fallen fifteen cubits; for so high had they prevailed above the tops of the mountains. This decrease in the waters took up sixty days, namely, from the first of Sivan; so that they appear to have abated in the proportion of one cubit in four days. On the 16th of Sivan they had abated but four cubits; and yet on the next day the ark rested on one of the hills, when the waters must have been as yet eleven cubits above it. Thus it appears that the ark drew eleven cubits of water.
Historical Source
On Genesis 8:6-12
We have here an account of the spies which Noah sent forth to bring him intelligence from abroad, a raven and a dove. Observe here,
I. That though God had told Noah particularly when the flood would come, even to a day (ch. vii. 4), yet he did not give him a particular account by revelation at what times, and by what steps, it should go away, 1. Because the knowledge of the former was necessary to his preparing the ark, and settling himself in it; but the knowledge of the latter would serve only to gratify his curiosity, and the concealing of it from him would be the needful exercise of his faith and patience. And, 2. He could not foresee the flood, but by revelation; but he might, by ordinary means, discover the decrease of it, and therefore God was pleased to leave him to the use of them.
II. That though Noah by faith expected his enlargement, and by patience waited for it, yet he was inquisitive concerning it, as one that thought it long to be thus confined. Note, Desires of release out of trouble, earnest expectations of it, and enquiries concerning its advances towards us, will very well consist with the sincerity of faith and patience. He that believes does not make haste to run before God, but he does make haste to go forth to meet him, Isa. xxviii. 16. Particularly, 1. Noah sent forth a raven through the window of the ark, which went forth, as the Hebrew phrase is, going forth and returning, that is, flying about, and feeding on the carcases that floated, but returning to the ark for rest; probably not in it, but upon it. This gave Noah little satisfaction; therefore, 2. He sent forth a dove, which returned the first time with no good news, but probably wet and dirty; but, the second time, she brought an olive-leaf in her bill, which appeared to be first plucked off, a plain indication that now the trees, the fruit-trees, began to appear above water. Note here, (1.) That Noah sent forth the dove the second time seven days after the first time, and the third time was after seven days too; and probably the first sending of her out was seven days after the sending forth of the raven. This intimates that it was done on the sabbath day, which, it should seem, Noah religiously observed in the ark. Having kept the sabbath in a solemn assembly of his little church, he then expected special blessings from heaven, and enquired concerning them. Having directed his prayer, he looked up, Ps. v. 3. (2.) The dove is an emblem of a gracious soul, which finding no rest for its foot, no solid peace or satisfaction in this world, this deluged defiling world, returns to Christ as to its ark, as to its Noah. The carnal heart, like the raven, takes up with the world, and feeds on the carrions it finds there; but return thou to thy rest, O my soul, to thy Noah, so the word is, Ps. cxvi. 7. O that I had wings like a dove, to flee to him! Ps. lv. 6. And as Noah put forth his hand, and took the dove, and pulled her in to him, into the ark, so Christ will graciously preserve, and help, and welcome, those that fly to him for rest. (3.) The olive-branch, which was an emblem of peace, was brought, not by the raven, a bird of prey, nor by a gay and proud peacock, but by a mild, patient, humble dove. It is a dove-like disposition that brings into the soul earnests of rest and joy. (4.) Some make these things an allegory. The law was first sent forth like the raven, but brought no tidings of the assuaging of the waters of God's wrath, with which the world of mankind was deluged; therefore, in the fulness of time, God sent forth his gospel, as the dove, in the likeness of which the Holy Spirit descended, and this presents us with an olive-branch and brings in a better hope.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
On Genesis 8:6
at the end of forty days - It is easy to imagine the ardent longing Noah and his family must have felt to enjoy again the sight of land as well as breathe the fresh air; and it was perfectly consistent with faith and patience to make inquiries whether the earth was yet ready.
John Gill
On Genesis 8:6
And it came to pass at the end of forty days,.... From the appearance of the mountains, that is, from the first day of the tenth month, to forty days after; and being ended, this must be the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the month Ab, which answers to July and August; and according to Bishop Usher (k) it was Friday the twenty eighth of August:
that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; of which See Gill on Genesis 6:16.
(k) Ut supra. (Annales Vet. Test. p. 4.)
Keil & Delitzsch
On Genesis 8:6-12
Forty days after the appearance of the mountain tops, Noah opened the window of the ark and let a raven fly out (lit., the raven, i.e., the particular raven known from that circumstance), for the purpose of ascertaining the drying up of the waters. The raven went out and returned until the earth was dry, but without being taken back into the ark, as the mountain tops and the carcases floating upon the water afforded both resting-places and food. After that, Noah let a dove fly out three times, at intervals of seven days. It is not distinctly stated that he sent it out the first time seven days after the raven, but this is implied in the statement that he stayed yet other seven days before sending it out the second time, and the same again before sending it the third time (Gen 8:10 and Gen 8:12). The dove, when first sent out, "found no rest for the sole of its foot;" for a dove will only settle upon such places and objects as are dry and clean. It returned to the ark and let Noah take it in again (Gen 8:8, Gen 8:9). The second time it returned in the evening, having remained out longer than before, and brought a fresh (טרף freshly plucked) olive-leaf in its mouth. Noah perceived from this that the water must be almost gone, had "abated from off the earth," though the ground might not be perfectly dry, as the olive-tree will put out leaves even under water. The fresh olive-leaf was the first sign of the resurrection of the earth to new life after the flood, and the dove with the olive-leaf a herald of salvation. The third time it did not return; a sign that the waters had completely receded from the earth. The fact that Noah waited 40 days before sending the raven, and after that always left an interval of seven days, is not to be accounted for on the supposition that these numbers were already regarded as significant. The 40 days correspond to the 40 days during which the rain fell and the waters rose; and Noah might assume that they would require the same time to recede as to rise. The seven days constituted the week established at the creation, and God had already conformed to it in arranging their entrance into the ark (Gen 7:4, Gen 7:10). The selection which Noah made of the birds may also be explained quite simply from the difference in their nature, with which Noah must have been acquainted; that is to say, from the fact that the raven in seeking its food settles upon every carcase that it sees, whereas the dove will only settle upon what is dry and clean.
Matthew Henry
On Genesis 8:6-12
We have here an account of the spies which Noah sent forth to bring him intelligence from abroad, a raven and a dove. Observe here,
I. That though God had told Noah particularly when the flood would come, even to a day (Gen 7:4), yet he did not give him a particular account by revelation at what times, and by what steps, it should go away, 1. Because the knowledge of the former was necessary to his preparing the ark, and settling himself in it; but the knowledge of the latter would serve only to gratify his curiosity, and the concealing of it from him would be the needful exercise of his faith and patience. And, 2. He could not foresee the flood, but by revelation; but he might, by ordinary means, discover the decrease of it, and therefore God was pleased to leave him to the use of them.
II. That though Noah by faith expected his enlargement, and by patience waited for it, yet he was inquisitive concerning it, as one that thought it long to be thus confined. Note, Desires of release out of trouble, earnest expectations of it, and enquiries concerning its advances towards us, will very well consist with the sincerity of faith and patience. He that believes does not make haste to run before God, but he does make haste to go forth to meet him, Isa 28:16. Particularly, 1. Noah sent forth a raven through the window of the ark, which went forth, as the Hebrew phrase is, going forth and returning, that is, flying about, and feeding on the carcases that floated, but returning to the ark for rest; probably not in it, but upon it. This gave Noah little satisfaction; therefore, 2. He sent forth a dove, which returned the first time with no good news, but probably wet and dirty; but, the second time, she brought an olive-leaf in her bill, which appeared to be first plucked off, a plain indication that now the trees, the fruit-trees, began to appear above water. Note here, (1.) That Noah sent forth the dove the second time seven days after the first time, and the third time was after seven days too; and probably the first sending of her out was seven days after the sending forth of the raven. This intimates that it was done on the sabbath day, which, it should seem, Noah religiously observed in the ark. Having kept the sabbath in a solemn assembly of his little church, he then expected special blessings from heaven, and enquired concerning them. Having directed his prayer, he looked up, Psa 5:3. (2.) The dove is an emblem of a gracious soul, which finding no rest for its foot, no solid peace or satisfaction in this world, this deluged defiling world, returns to Christ as to its ark, as to its Noah. The carnal heart, like the raven, takes up with the world, and feeds on the carrions it finds there; but return thou to thy rest, O my soul, to thy Noah, so the word is, Psa 116:7. O that I had wings like a dove, to flee to him! Psa 55:6. And as Noah put forth his hand, and took the dove, and pulled her in to him, into the ark, so Christ will graciously preserve, and help, and welcome, those that fly to him for rest. (3.) The olive-branch, which was an emblem of peace, was brought, not by the raven, a bird of prey, nor by a gay and proud peacock, but by a mild, patient, humble dove. It is a dove-like disposition that brings into the world earnests of rest and joy. (4.) Some make these things an allegory. The law was first sent forth like the raven, but brought no tidings of the assuaging of the waters of God's wrath, with which the world of mankind was deluged; therefore, in the fulness of time, God sent forth his gospel, as the dove, in the likeness of which the Holy Spirit descended, and this presents us with an olive-branch and brings in a better hope.
Tyndale Study Notes
On Genesis 8:5-6
8:5 the waters continued to go down: Another parallel with the creation week (see 1:9) suggests that the earth’s restoration was effectively a new creation (see study note on 8:1).
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