Bible Babble (Genesis 8:1-22)
Before you get into this post, you should probably read the disclaimer from the previous post, Bible Babble (Genesis 1:1-31).
Genesis 8:1-22
Go ahead and read through that real quick, I’ll wait…
Ok, so far we’re moving right along in the whole ‘Noah’s Ark’ story that we’ve all heard, over and over, since birth. I realize that this isn’t something new for most folks, and that if you are anything like myself, you just skim right through this chapter. We’ve all heard it, we’ve all seen this story on felt ‘Children’s Church’ boards, we’ve all read it and/or had it read to us since we were old enough to be dressed in uncomfortable outfits and shoes and made to sit next to the old ‘I bathe in floral perfume’ lady at church. So why bother even trying to find something clever, something funny, something relevant here, right? Rather than turn it into a skit, or a show, I just want to walk through it and let you in on what it speaks to me. Unlike some, I don’t hear God’s voice booming from the heavens, with perfect diction, and a slightly British accent. God speaks to me in a biting, sarcastic, humorous, and humbling way. He knows me well enough to know this is the way I will understand, appreciate, and apply His lessons for me. So please bear that in mind as I share my thoughts.
Right from the git go, we’re told that God remembered what was going on with this whole global flood situation and the remaining living things aboard the ark and then turned on the galactic blow dryer to dry the place out a bit. My first thought was, ‘And God Remembered’? Really? Like He had kinda dozed off there for a few months, basking in the overall decrease in earthly ridiculousness that had caused Him to get fed up enough to flood the planet in the first place. Kinda like when you snap out of a really good daydream and realize that it’s way too quiet in your kids’ room, or that you haven’t seen the dog in while, or that you left the water running in the bathtub. You know that you’d better go check things out to make sure your few moments of peace weren’t wearing a price tag with the cost of new kids’ room walls, new couch cushions, or new bathroom carpet. That said, I know that wasn’t the point of this first verse. The point was, that no matter what kind of hot water you find yourself in, God remembers you, and He will send a breath of fresh air to pass over your situation, when the time is right.
The second verse tells us that God not only dried the place out a bit, but that he turned off the faucets. Making the point that it’s not enough to repaint the kids’ walls, or restuff the cushions, or dry out the bathroom floors. You have to deal with the source of the situation, as well, unless you want to inherit a lifetime of repainting, restuffing, and recarpeting.
Verse three reminds us that world changing situations don’t go away in a day. It’s a continual process that takes time. God has it well within His power to clean up every ‘disaster’ in our lives at the snap of a finger, with a word, in the twinkling of an eye. However, like any good parent, good teacher, or good mentor, He chooses to use time to coax, teach, and guide our understanding of what we are coming out of, and in process dump a little appreciation in our laps along the way.
‘The ark rested…’ Even though the process of drying out the entire planet was not yet complete, He allowed the ark to rest from the constant motion of the waves. He knows when we just need a rest from the constant roller coaster ride of life. When your world takes a turn for the worse, He wants to clean it up for you. Sometimes it takes a flood to clean up the messes we’ve made, and sometimes we feel like we’re stuck in a boat, being thrown around by the waves, getting a little sick of the cleansing process. Even before your world is restored to Godly order, He gives you a place to rest. It’s not safe to exit the boat just yet, there is still a little more work to be done, but at least the constant motion is over. It takes time to get used to solid ground when you’ve grown accustomed to the rock of the boat. God knows that, whether you do or not.
Finally the tops of the mountains could be seen again. You’ve been on one long, crazy ride, and now you can rest, and see the world being revealed in a new light. The reassurance that you will walk on solid ground again soon. Just be patient.
After the rain had let up, Noah was ready to get off that boat. He sends out a raven to search for dry land. He sends out a dove every week, on a repeat mission for land, for viability of life after the flood. The first week the dove comes back empty handed. Noah knows that it’s not over yet. Week two, better results, olive leaf. Noah knows that the end of this cruise is near. The third time was the charm, no more dove. Noah knows that the dove found a new, safe place to nest, or at least had found a place better than stuck inside that boat. Either way, a success, and Noah knows that he can open the doors and start his new life afresh and anew. God knows that we have trouble with the unknown, with patience, and affords us grace as we start to send out feelers to test the stability of this new world we encounter after a trial. He affords us to take baby steps as we learn to trust Him. He allows us to taste and see that He is good.
Finally, the door is opened, the cover removed, and the new world, dried from the previous flood, awaits. God speaks to Noah and tells him to empty that boat and get to work. Take your family and all your pets and release them. Let them start over. Let them free from the confines that had bound them through the trial, to explore the world renewed by God. God will let you know when to open the door, when to remove the cover and start over. Sometimes it seems like God hasn’t spoken to us in ages while we’re riding out the storm, but the truth is, God is speaking in the storm. Sometimes we have to go through the flood before we can hear his voice clearly. Sometimes the old Etch-a-Sketch of life needs to be turned upside-down and given a good shaking before we can start anew. When that’s been done and God opens the door, get right back out there and make a difference in your world.
After Noah had released his family and the animals back out into this recreated world, the first thing he did was have a barbecue, and God thought it smelled great. Noah recognized that God had picked them up from the mess of the world around them, protected them through the storm, and put their feet back on solid ground. He knew to give God the credit and thank Him for what He had done. This is also good advice. Celebrate when God pulls you through a ‘disaster’ of a situation. Have a cookout and give God the credit for His help, protection, and guidance.
God said that He wouldn’t punish the earth or other living things because of the stupid decisions of man again, like He had done with the flood. From now on, for as long as the Earth itself remained, it would have regular days, seasons, weather patterns, and the concept of sewing and reaping. This is what God does. After your world has been messed up, after you’ve been taken through the storm, he wipes it all clean, gives you a new start, and restores balance and order to your world. Let Him do what He does best.
Remember, it’s not about what you’ve done, but about what He did. God will take your messed up world, wipe it clean, and recreate a new world for you if you have sense enough to get aboard.
Chapter 8 ends there. Chapter 9 continues next.
As always, feel free to comment or ask questions about any of the ideas shared in this post.
