God Remembers and Noah Worships.

Introduction:

Our text this morning picks up one year and ten days after Noah was told by God to enter the ark. Imagine with me all that Noah and his family had been through in that one year and ten days.

A torrential downpour of rain for 40 consecutive days and nights. Imagine a rain so heavy that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Earthquake after earthquake so violent that all of the subterranean waters broke loose and shot upward causing massive tsunami like waves crashing into the ark.

The covering of the whole earth with water.

Every living person and animal being drowned, except the few survivors in the ark.

The churning of the waters fro another 150 days after the rain stopped until they started to recede.

The caring, feeding and cleaning up after the animals and themselves in a box like boat that was three stories high, the length of one and a half football fields, lit by only oil lamps and torches.

Now add the emotions that come with being cooped up. No doubt they were restless and probably a little bored. Maybe even a bit sea sick.

Now add all of the unanswered questions about life after the flood ending and know doubt, though they were safe, life onboard the ark was not easy by any stretch.

There are four scenes from this great narrative that we will examine together today as God saved these 8 souls through the flood and brought them to “A New Beginning.”

1.) God remembers and moves. (v.1-5)

When Genesis 8 opens, it had been 150 days since God last spoke to Noah. That is a very long time. No doubt Noah likely wondered if God had forgotten him. But the fact remained that God had not forgotten Noah. We know that becuase Genesis 8 opens with:

Genesis 8:1a “Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark.”

God is Elohim, the Almighty God, the Lord and Majesty of the Universe who created and sustains all things. He has perfect intelligence and memory. He never forgets because his intellect possesses no limits.

Remembered- Means that God thought on them. He loved them and was now ready to act on their behalf. It was now time for his love and care to be demonstrated once again. The time of deliverance from the ark had now come.

Noah may have felt like God had forgotten him, but God never had. In fact, in v.1-5 God takes six very sifnsfigant steps for Noah.

God caused a wind to pass over the earth. (v.1a)- This was a special kind of wind (miraculous even) that caused the waters of the flood to begin to recede.)

God caused the subterranean “waters of the deep” from surging on the earth. (v.2a) - The word “stopped” in Hebrew means to close or shut off something. God literally closed up the crust of the earth.

God stopped the torrential of rain. (v.2a)

God caused the waters to begin to recede. After 150 days at their peak, they began to go down. (v.3)

God rested the Ark on the mountains of Ararat. (v.4) We don’t know the exact peak but we do know this is a range of mountains in the present day country of Armenia. The highest peak of that mountain range it Mt.Ararat (17,000 ft).

God finally gave Noah and his family their first glimpse of dry land as the mountain tops were seen. (v.5) This took place 2 and 1/2 months after the ark came to rest on the mountain peak.

God, in his mercy toward mankind, was at work causing the waters to rapidly and miraculously recede so that Noah and his family could leave the ark and begin the work of repopulating the earth.

Application: All of this took place according to God’s divine plan and according to God’s time table. There was a set time for God’s people to be brought to safety from the raging flood. Friend, we can learn from this that God always delivers his people. Sometimes the journey is arduous, but, God, in his time will bring deliverance.

2.) Noah’s patience and faith. (v.6-14)

Noah’s great faith in God and great patience in the timing of God are on full display in these verse. Noah was trusting God and patiently waiting on God to dry out the earth in order that Noah and his family could begin their new life. Just imagine how difficult it was for them to wait. They had been inside for over a year unable to even go outside on the deck of the ark. Now, they can see the waters receding more and more each day, no doubt they were ready to throw open the doors and leave.

Yet, they waited until God told them what to do.

(v.6) Noah, in faith, waited 40 days after seeing the mountaintops before he sent out a raven to search for dry land. A raven was scavenger. Noah likely sent the raven out first because it could find food floating or lying around more readily than other types of birds. The raven never returned inside the ark but kept going to and fro, maybe only roosting on the top of the ark.

(v.8) Noah, in faith, waited another 7 days before sending a dove out to search for dry land. (We know seven days because of v.10) The dove is a bird that stays close to the ground. It would make sense that Noah would send out a dove to search for dry ground because of this. If the dove didn't return, Noah would have known the water had receded enough for low lying land to have appeared.

(v.10) Noah, in faith, waits another 7 days before sending the dove out a second time. You will notice on the second trip, the dove doesn't return until the evening hours. This signaled the land was drying out more becuase the dove had more areas on which to land. It would not be long until Noah and his family could exit the ark. Notice also the dove was carrying an olive branch. This was such a moving experience that even today a dove holding an olive branch is a symbol of peace.

(v.12) Noah, in faith waits another 7 days before sending the dove out a third time. When the dove did not return this time, Noah and his family knew the time to leave the ark was coming.

(v.13) Noah, in faith, then waits another 29 days before removing the covering off of the top of the ark.

(v.14) Noah, in faith, then waits another 57 days until the earth was completely dry. Now the land was completely dry.

Not once do we see Noah getting impatient with God, not once do we see waiver in his faith. Through all of the apprehension, stress, claustrophobia, anxiety and uneasiness. Noah stands like a rock patiently and faithfully waiting on God’s instructions.

Application: What a great example Noah is for us today. An example of waiting and trusting on Gods timing and God’s will. Noah, never got frustrated with God, nor did he run ahead of or try to rush God along. He just faithfully and patiently set back and waited on God to show him the next step.

Psalm 37:5 NKJV

5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Isaiah 26:3–4 NKJV

3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

3.) God’s long awaited instructions and Noah’s obedience. (v.15-19)

Finally, after over a year, God speaks. The last time that Noah heard from God was on the day in which he entered the ark. God had kept his promise to bring Noah and his family through the flood. Now God was going to prove his faithfulness to Noah yet again.

(v.16) “Go out of the ark...” - This is God’s final step in the deliverance of Noah and his family through the waters of the flood. Now it was time for Noah and his family to put their feet back on dry ground. Notice the force with which God gave his words to Noah. Go Now! Do it immediately! Don’t hesitate or delay! The day of your salvation has arrived, Go now!

(v.17) “Bring forth” all the animals- It was time for a new life to be built in a new world.

Application: God did not forsake Noah, his family or His creatures. There may have been days where perhaps Noah wondered but God never forsook them. Friend, let us never despair, never let a trial or temptation overcome us. God will always deliver, we must trust his ways and be patient for his time. Our redemption draws nigh, God is faithful! He’s going to complete our salvation and deliverance from this sinful world and the judgment to come.

Philippians 1:6 NKJV

6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

2 Thessalonians 3:3 NKJV

3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

2 Timothy 1:12 NKJV

12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

1 Peter 1:3–5 NKJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Noah immediately obeyed God’s Word. He left the ark and launched out to start a new life but with a renewed severance and respect for God and a renewed commitment and determination to obey and serve God all the more.

Application: When God speaks and shows us his will, we must obey and obey immediately. We must do as God commands, even when were unsure of what might lay ahead.

4.) Noah’s sacrifice and God’s promise. (v.20-22)

The first thing Noah did when he left the ark wasn't to kiss the ground but to build an altar. HIs first concern wasn't for shelter or survival but for the worship of the Lord.

By building altar, Noah established a place of worship for him and his family. After all they had been through perhaps now more than ever they needed this altar, a worship center where they could meet and worship God on a regular basis.

After building the altar, Noah worshipped God. He offered a sacrifice, a burnt offering to the Lord.

God had brought Noah through this great and terrible judgement and now Noah’ heart was overflowing with thankfulness and praise to God for delivering them.

In scripture a burnt offering was made when a person had a desire to:

Thank and praise God.

Make a renewed commitment to God.

Ask and petition God for something.

Noah was doing all of these things. Praising God for deliverance, renewing his commitment to serve God with his life and seeking forgiveness for for his own failures and sins and to ask God to continue to care for them in this devastated world they were now in.

Notice the enormity of this sacrifice. Noah didn't just offer one animal; he offered one of every clean animal and every clean bird on the ark. He sacrificed dozens of animals and birds to the Lord. Think just how long that would have taken.

Application: Friend like Noah we have so much to be thankful to God for. Our salvation alone is enough to praise God eternally for. Like Noah, the worship of God must be central to our lives and we must be willing to give God our all.

God took great pleasure in Noah’s sacrifice and worship to the point that he responded to it by making a covenant. But notice something here, God isn't speaking to Noah, when making his covenant but to himself.

God promised to never again curse the earth even though the depravity and sinfulness of man would continue. (v.21)

God promised to never again destroy every living thing (man or animal) with a flood of water

God promised a continuation of seed time, harvest and seasons until the end of this world. (v.22)

Notice these promises were as long as this earth remains. There is coming a day when this world will be completely destroyed and a new heaven and earth created. A world free from the taint of sin.

Conclusion:

We have mentioned already that the ark was a picture of Christ and the salvation that is provided in him. Christ is on display in Genesis and in the account of the flood in more than one way. The ark wasn't the only picture of Christ in the story of Noah.

But, the sacrifice is also a picture of Christ. Noah believed God, that He would accept Him and his family through the sacrifice of these animals. We must believe God, that he will accept us through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus upon the cross. It is the aroma of Christ’s sacrifice, that please God and makes us acceptable to him.

Make some comments about this being Palm Sunday and Jesus death on Friday.

Friend, just as Noah found a new beginning through the flood and sacrifice, you too can find a new beginning in Christ.