Day 41: Genesis 8- Re-Creation

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, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.
13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
 
Meditation
We love fresh starts, beginning again: New school semesters, new sports seasons, and new years with new resolutions for a new you. Today’s chapter is a new world, a new beginning for God’s people, showing us after judgment there is new creation.
 
The waters of judgment were waned by the wind of God (1) and the dove returned with proof of new beginnings (11-12). Noah and his family were called out of the ark with creation commands, “Be fruitful and multiply.” (17) Where wickedness had come from the hearts of humanity and filled the earth (6:5) now the aroma from Noah’s sacrifice filled the air with worship (20-21).
 
The promise of God to never flood the earth again (22) is a relief for a family coming off a long and smelly boat journey but it does not deal with the heart of the matter, the rebellion against God in the heart of humanity. A judgment greater than the flood was still needed for new life from a new heart and a new wind in humanity.
 
Jesus Christ was flooded by the judgment of our sin so we could walk in a newness of life. (Romans 6:4)  Jesus paid the penalty for sin so we can begin again in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). The power of sin is gone and the presence of sin can be eliminated from our lives. In Christ the old is gone and the new has come! Judgment we deserve fell on Christ so we can begin again.
 
 Richly Dwelling
-Where are three areas you want to begin again in your life? How far do you think you can you go in your own strength? How far can the grace of Jesus take you in these areas?
 
-How do you see the need for gospel power that begins with your confession, goes through God’s grace, and culminates in spirit filled, resurrection power?
 
-Ask Jesus for this level of power and begin again today, and tomorrow, and the next day. Walk in victory, a newness of life (Romans 6:5).
 
Key Verse
17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”