Genesis 8

Genesis 8:8-12

In the close of the foregoing chapter we left the world in ruins, and the church in straits, but in this chapter we have the repair of the use, and the enlargement of the other. 1. The increase of the waters is stopped, ver. 1, 2. 2. They begin forcibly to abate, ver. 3. 3. The ark rests, ver. 4. 4. The tops of the mountains appear, ver. 5. 5. Noah begins to find out his place, a raven and a dove, to gain intelligence, ver. 6—12. 6. The face of the earth dry, ver. 13, 14. 7. Noah’s discharge and departure out of the ark, ver. 15—19. 8. His sacrifice of praise, which he offered to God upon his enlargement, ver. 20. 9. God’s acceptance of his sacrifice; and the promise he made thereupon not to drown the world again, ver. 21, 22. And thus at length mercy rejoice against judgment.

1. AND God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that may with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters afwaged. 2. The fountains also of the deep, and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was refrained. 3. And the waters returned from off the earth * continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

v. 1, 2, 3. Since the work of vengeance was finished, it was time to remember mercy to Noah, now so long a prisoner in the ark, and perhaps by this time looking with some solicitude for release from his confinement. It is said,

1. God Rehearsing 1546.

2. God remembered Noah; not that he had been ever forgotten of him; but for a time he left him, without any special token of his remembrance. Note, Though the faithful feem at some seasons to be forfeited, and begin to say, My God hath forgotten; yet are his eyes ever upon them to do them good; if he tarry therefore, wait for him: none ever trusted on him, and was ashamed.

3. He remembered the cattle also. His mercies are over all his works: he careth for health that perish, and shall be forget or forsake his people! that he far from him.

4. The evidence of his remembrance. He stayed the waters from flowing. (1.) He sent a wind, to dry up the floods. He hath winds in his treasures, as well as waters, to dry up, as well as to deluge. All things serve him. (2.) He shipped the windows of heaven, and the fountains of the deep. Note, When additive providences have accomplished their ends, they shall be removed. (3.) He caused the waters to return from off the earth continually; part shut up within its bowels, in the soft abyd, part exhaled by sun and wind, and reattending into the clouds. (4.) It was a work of time, an hundred and fifty days, before they were considerably alarmed. Note, When our trials are long, and our deliverance slow, we had used pray: hold out faith and patience.

in going and demanding.

4. And the ark relied in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. 5. And the waters * decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

v. 4, 5. After toffing on these billows, at last the ark rests on Ararat. Note, Though the church suffers long in this tempestuous world, it shall rest at last upon the mount of God. It was two months after they felt ground, before the mountains were seen. They looked out, no doubt, every day, and wished for dry land; at last, with joy it appears. Life is a long voyage; a age, or sickness, the believer perceives he draws near the shore; and when death’s shadows are stretching over him, he begins to discover the happy land of glory beyond the grave, as the morning spread upon the mountains.

going forth and returning.

6. And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7. And he sent forth a raven, which * went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

v. 6, 7. He was told when the flood should come, but not when it should abate. He begins now therefore to open the window, after forty days: perhaps he feared to expose himself sooner to the waters. He felt himself safe where he was. It is folly to expose ourselves to needless danger. A raven is then sent out, but returned not to the ark with any intelligence: the causality of the dead supplied it with food. Note, A carnal mind takes more pleasure in the carrion of the world, than the food of the ark.

Heb. Canied her to come.

8. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground. 9. But the dove found no rest for the soul 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. 10. And he stayed yet other seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11. And the dove came in to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off: So Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. 12. And he stayed yet other seven days, and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

Noah’s solicitude induces him to send out another messenger, a dove. Note, Taking proper means to be relieved, is very confident with perfect resignation. She returns at first empty, then with an olive-leaf, at last no more. Learn, 1. The world of his can afford no rest to a gracious soul for the side of his foot. This is not thy rest; it is polluted. 2. The olive-branch of the gaffed declares God’s waters of wrath are asswaged. 3. When God’s time is come, then shall we leave the ark of the church on earth, and thy away, and be at rest in the bosom of Jesus.

14. ¶ And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14. And in the

second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

Rehearsing 1546.

v. 13, 14. On the first day of the new year he ventured to remove the covering, and behold, (and a matter of praise no doubt it was) the ground was dry. He did not leave the ark thereupon, but wanted God’s call to come out, as he had it to go in. Note, God’s time is the best time, and now that time is come.

15. ¶ And God spake unto Noah, saying, 16. Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons wives with thee. 17. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and * be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.

Chap. 1.2.8.

v. 15, 16, 17. Not a day is he confined more than is needful for him. When the ground is fit for his abode, God sends to deliver him from his confinement. They are sure always of being in the right, who do nothing without the divine warrant. And now the earth is renewed, the blessing is renewed also. It will be a wretched world, desolate as it is; but God will replenish it for Noah’s use. Note, They that serve him shall want no manner of thing which is good.

18. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons wives with him: 19. Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their * kinds, went forth out of the ark.

mises.

v. 18, 19. He obeys as soon as called. More than a year he had been now confined, yet all was safe and well, of his numerous families. It does not appear that one was missing. Note, Those who are safe lodged in Christ, are safe for eternity; there is no death there.

20. And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar.

Genesis 8:20

The first concern of a gracious soul is to praise God for his mercies. Noah’s first building is an altar, and his employment a sacrifice of thanksgiving. His flock of clean beasts and fowl was small, and one out of seven might be thought much; but Noah knew they would never be diminished by such a use of them. Note, No man was ever the poorer for what he employed in God’s service, nor the richer by what he defrauded it of.

21. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour, and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake; for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth: neither will I again finite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22. ¶ While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and *day and night shall not cease.

Heb. A favour of rest. On though, Chap. 10. 2. Matt. 10. 19. Heb. As yet all the days of the earth. 10, 9. 3.

v. 21, 22. A grateful heart is that sacrifice wherewith God is ever well pleased. The Lord accepts his service, and blesses him in return abundantly.

1. The smell of the sacrifice is a sweet savour: it was the figure of that, in which God hath since declared he is well pleased. It is for Christ’s sake alone, that any of our services are offerings of a sweet smell.

2. God’s gracious promise: I will no more curse the ground, &c. Though man will be still a sinner, these floods shall not return. Note, It is a signal mercy to be assured from the return of judgment.

3. The reason given: For the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. It would seem this was rather a reason for the curse. No; there would be no end of deluges, if this were the case; and they would not mend the matter. With the Ethiopian in all these waters, he will be an Ethiopian still. Note, God remembers whereof we are made, and prays us; he is under a covenant of patience with all, but he is under a covenant of peace with many.

4. While the earth remaineth, the regular successions of seasons shall continue, and meet with no such dire interruptions! In virtue of this declaration, they abide unto this day, a confirmation to our faith in better promises. He that establishes the covenant of the day and the night, will surely be found faithful in that everlasting covenant he hath established with his people.

CHAP.

Both the world and the church were now again reduced to a family, the family of Noah, of the affairs of which this chapter gives us an account. Here is, 1. The covenant of provisions settled with Noah and his sons, ver. 1—11. God presupply, (1.) They should replenish the earth, ver. 1—7. (2.) They should be safe from the inflicts of the brute creatures, which should stand in awe of them, ver. 2. (3.) They should be allowed to eat flesh for the support of their lives, only they must not eat blood, ver. 3, 4. (4.) The world should never be abounded again, ver. 8—11. (5.) God requires of them to take care of one another’s lives, and of their own, ver. 5, 6. 2. The soul of that covenant, viz. the وعنdom, ver. 12—17. 3. Noah’s job and shame, ver. 20, 21. 4. Ham’s impatience and stupidity, ver. 22. 5. The pious medity of Shom and Yophet, ver. 23. 6. The early of Canaan, and the blasting of Shom and Yophet, ver. 24—27. 7. The age and death of Noah, ver. 28, 29.