A NEW BEGINNING

Genesis 8:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; 2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; 3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. 4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

Genesis 8:1–5 NKJV

1 Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. 3 And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. 4 Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on 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, the tops of the mountains were seen.

Genesis 8:1–5 CSB

1 God remembered Noah, as well as all the wildlife and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to subside. 2 The sources of the watery depths and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky stopped. 3 The water steadily receded from the earth, and by the end of 150 days the water had decreased significantly. 4 The ark came to rest in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The water continued to recede until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were visible.

Genesis 8:1–3 ESV

1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated,

Gen. 8:1-5

Genesis 8:1–3 NLT

1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede. 2 The underground waters stopped flowing, and the torrential rains from the sky were stopped. 3 So the floodwaters gradually receded from the earth. After 150 days,

Genesis 8:1–4 CSB

1 God remembered Noah, as well as all the wildlife and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to subside. 2 The sources of the watery depths and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky stopped. 3 The water steadily receded from the earth, and by the end of 150 days the water had decreased significantly. 4 The ark came to rest in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

A NEW BEGINNING

GEN. 8:

The number 8 in the bible is the number of "new beginnings."

The number 8 in the bible is the number of "new beginnings."

Today, we are starting the 8th chapter of Genesis & there are 8 people in the ark…and in this chapter, they are about to leave the ark & have a new beginning.

The flood waters are going to recede from the earth…and God will call them from the ark they will leave the ark & start over.

NOTE: God can give you a new beginning…He can give you a fresh start.

Things may not be going as you would like for them to go…but God can turn it around & give you a new beginning.

He can cancel the past & do a new thing in your life today.

From this chapter, there are 3 lessons that I want to share with you if you need a new beginning in your life.

1 - GOD NEVER FORGETS HIS PEOPLE (V 1)

In , Noah was invited by God into the ark before the rains began to fall.

But that was the last time Noah would hear God's voice until we get to .

For over a year, Noah didn't hear from God…and I wonder if Noah ever felt abandoned by God.

Certainly, Noah was a man of faith b/c he obeyed God by building the ark…But he was human too.

It couldn't have been easy to be shut up inside the ark with his family and all those animals.

For 40 days & nights, he could hear the rain falling…but after the rain stopped the only sound he could hear would be that of the water sloshing against the sides of the ark.

I can only imagine what was going through the mind of Noah during all that time on the water.

And I wonder if he ever had his doubts…and to be honest, I couldn't blame him if he did.

He had done what God had said.

He had preached to the unbelieving world.

He had built the enormous ark.

Then he entered with his family.

Now he's in a giant boat bobbing up and down with the waves.

One day fades into another...He can't see the sun b/c of the cloud cover.

There’s no course to follow, just drifting on the surface of the endless ocean.

Noah probably expected to hear from God…but he didn't.

As I said earlier, it was at least a year before Noah heard from God again…and Noah perhaps felt forgotten by God.

But verse 1 says - "God remembered Noah…"

NOTE: God may have been silent…and Noah may have felt abandoned…but God hadn't forgotten about Noah.

NOTE: You could be here today & you feel forsaken, forgotten, & abandoned by God…but I have come today to let you know that God never forgets His people.

God had kept His word to Noah…and kept him safe.

God didn’t abandon Noah…and God will not abandon you.

Even if He is silent…it doesn't mean He is absent.

Isaiah 43:2 NKJV

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Hebrews 13:5 NKJV

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Be Basic 1. God Remembers His Own (Gen. 8:1a)

We can be sure that God never forgets or forsakes His people, not only because of His promises, but also because of His character. God is love, and where there’s love, there’s faithfulness. He can never deny Himself or His Word, for He’s the faithful God; and He can never change, because He’s immutable.

2 - THE LIFE OF FAITH IS OFTEN A LIFE OF WAITING (V 6-12, 13-19)

2 - THE LIFE OF FAITH IS OFTEN A LIFE OF WAITING (V 4-12)

Genesis 8:6–19 KJV 1900

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. 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 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. 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 pluckt 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. 13 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. 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. 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.

Genesis 8:6–12 KJV 1900

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. 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 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. 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 pluckt 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.

Genesis 8:4–12 KJV 1900

4 And the ark rested 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. 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. 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 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. 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 pluckt 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.

2

The ark has come to rest on the mountains of Ararat & Noah may be thinking that it’s not going to be long before he & his family will be getting off of the ark.

But he & his family would be on the ark for approximately 7 more months before God ever calls them to come off the ark.

But Noah begins to look for signs that it's time to depart from the ark.

So, he sends out two birds to see if the ground is dry.

He's looking for signs of an end to the flood…and for an end to his captivity in the ark.

I'm sure that Noah was tired of being around those animals and caring for the animals, and we can't even imagine the smells and the other aspects of living in the ark.

Furthermore, I'm sure that Noah was ready to see the family have a little bit of space.

Can you imagine what it would be like to dwell with your sons and your daughters-in-law and your wife in close range for over a year?

Can you also imagine never being able to get out of the house…and never getting far enough away that you were out of trouble for whatever you had done wrong?

I'm sure that Noah was ready to get out of the ark.

But think about this - God told Noah when the flood was coming, but He didn't tell Noah when the flood was going to end.

He has landed somewhere in a mountain range…so Noah can't see down to the valley…He can't tell how far the waters have receded.

And so he uses some of the animals as spies.

He sends out a raven & a dove so that they can survey the land.

The raven goes out but doesn’t come back.

The dove goes

Think about this - God told Noah when the flood was coming, but He didn't tell Noah when the flood was going to end.

And so this became an opportunity for Noah's faith to be tested.

NOTE: Noah had to be patient, and he had to wait in hope, and so his faith was tested again.

Noah is still on the ark…and he's still having to wait.

The ark is at rest…but Noah is still waiting for the door to be opened.

And just imagine how Noah felt when he sent out the dove & it didn’t come back.

Genesis 8:13 KJV 1900

13 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.

GEn. 8:

Noah now looks out & everything looks dry…everything looks good…but the door on the ark is still closed.

He’s still having to wait…and he doesn’t know how much longer he has to wait.

NOTE: All of us can all relate to Noah’s situation.

We can endure almost anything if only we know when it will end.

That applies to sickness, personal pain, broken relationships, trouble at work, financial stress, or even watching our loved ones suffer.

Whatever it is, we can take it if we know that two weeks from next Tuesday, our troubles will come to an end.

But often, it's the not knowing that wears us down.

We watch and wait and wonder and pray as the uncertainty gnaws away on the inside.

Our chief question is always: “When will this end?” And the answer is always: “In God’s time, not one day sooner, not one day later.”

NOTE: The life of faith is often a life of waiting.

We can't hurry God up or rush Him a long.

God can make the dry ground appear anytime he chooses…but the dry land will appear in due time.

God's timing is the right time…and we must wait on Him.

He’s never early & He’s never late…but He’s always on time…and we must wait on Him.

3 - GOD'S FAITHFULNESS SHOULD EVOKE A RESPONSE OF WORSHIP (V 20-22)

Genesis 8:20–22 KJV 1900

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. 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 man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

There is no coincidence that the very first thing recorded that Noah did after he came out of that ark, was worship God.

There is no coincidence that the very first thing recorded that Noah did after he came out of that ark, was worship God.

Noah's first thought was towards God.

Noah's first thought was to lift up a sacrifice, a sacrifice of praise and worship to the Lord.

Noah’s sacrifice was an expression of gratitude for God’s salvation.

Noah knew his own heart.

He knew that there was no reason God should have spared him, but He did.

And so Noah expressed his thankfulness with this sacrifice.

Noah recognized that he owed everything to the Lord.

NOTE: Noah is thankful that God is giving him a new beginning…Noah is thankful for God's amazing grace…Noah is thankful that God has been faithful.

NOTE: God remembered Noah…and now Noah is remembering God.

Think with me for a moment of all the other things that Noah could have been doing when he stepped off the ark.

Think of all that he had to do to start over now that everything had been destroyed.

He needed to build a home for his family…and tend to the domestic animals.

They had to move everything off the ark to their new homes…And yet Noah took time to remember the Lord by building an altar and offering sacrifices.

And the text says, he took some of every kind of clean animal & bird & offered sacrifices to God.

This was a costly offering to God…but verse 21 let’s us know that God was pleased with Noah’s sacrifice.

Like Noah, most of us have a million other things we could be doing with our time.

And it’s easy to get busy with life and forget God and His blessings to us.

But when we forget what He has done for us...we grow ungrateful...And ungratefulness leads us away from God.

NOTE: We must guard against thankless hearts by regularly setting aside time in our busy schedules to remember God and the great salvation He has granted us.

Since God in faithfulness has remembered us, we by faith must remember Him.

CONCLUSION:

We serve a God of new beginnings.

He offers new life & hope.

And if you’re here today & life is chaotic…God can turn everything around.

He hasn’t forgotten you or forsaken you…but you also have to wait on Him to work everything out in His time.

And when He does…rejoice & worship Him for the great things that He does in your life.

Let’s worship & pray!!!