Setting

The previous passage narrates the execution of God’s judgment through the floodwaters. Then the LORD remembered Noah and made a determination in His heart not to destroy every living thing as He had done. In the chapter this lesson covers, we will learn about God’s everlasting mercies and kindness to His creation, though the imagination of men’s heart is evil from their youth.

Key Verse

(8:17)

Did You Know...?

  1. The mountains of Ararat (8:4) were probably the Kurdish range of South Armenia. This range generally refers to a high and almost inaccessible mountain which has two conical peaks covered with perpetual snow. [ref]

Outline

  • The Receding Waters
    (8:1-5)
  • The Raven and The Dove
    (8:6-12)
  • The Command to Go out of The Ark
    (8:13-19)
  • The Promise of God
    (8:20-22)

Segment Analysis

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  • 8:1-5

    1a.

    After the waters had prevailed on the earth, whom did God remember?

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    After the waters had prevailed on the earth, God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark (8:1).

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  • 1b.

    Look up the following passages in which it is stated that God remembered His people and record the result of His remembrance: Gen 8:1, 19:29, 30:22; Ex 2:24, 25; 1 Sam 1:19, 20; Psa 78:38, 39 and 106:45.

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    Below are the examples of how God remembered His people and the results:

    1) When God remembered Noah, every living thing and all the animals, He made the prevailing waters subside (Gen 8:1),

    2) When God remembered Abraham, He sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrown city (Gen 19:29),

    3) When God remembered Rachel, He listened to her and opened her womb (Gen 30:22),

    4) When God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob, God looked upon the children of Israel and acknowledged them (Ex 2:24, 25),

    5) When the LORD remembered Hannah, He made it possible for her to conceive and she bore a son (1 Sam 1:19, 20),

    6) When God remembered that His people were but flesh, He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity (Psa 78:38, 39),

    7) When God remembered His covenant for His people’s sake, He relented according to the multitude of His mercies (Psa 106:45).

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  • 1c.

    Share the experience when God “remembered” you in your difficult times.

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  • 2.

    How did God make the waters on the earth decrease?

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    God made the waters on earth decrease by:

    1) Making a wind to pass over the earth (8:1),

    2) Stopping the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven (8:2),

    3) Restrained the rain from heaven (8:2).

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  • 3a.

    How long did Noah, his family and all the animals stay inside the ark?

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    Noah, his family and all the animals stayed inside the ark for about one year and ten days (cf. Gen. 8:11, 13, 14).

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  • 3b.

    What do you do in your “waiting period” before God’s deliverance comes?

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  • 8:6-12

    4.

    What birds did Noah send out from the ark?

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    Noah sent out two kinds of birds. The first one was a raven and the second one was a dove (Gen 8:7, 8).

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  • 5.

    What purpose did the two birds serve for Noah?

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    Noah sent out the raven and the dove to know whether the waters had receded from the face of the ground (Gen 8:7-8).

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  • 6.

    What did the two birds do to fulfill their assignments? a. The raven; b. The dove

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    a. The raven:

    The raven kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. In other words, from the time Noah sent the raven up till the face of the ground was dry, the raven went out and returned repeatedly (Gen 8:7).

    b. The dove:

    When the dove was sent the first time, it tried to find a resting place but there was none (Gen 8:9). The second time, the dove brought back to Noah a freshly plucked olive leaf, which was an indication that a resting place for the dove was now available and the waters had receded from the earth (Gen 8:11).

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  • 8:13-19

    7.

    What was the command of God to Noah after the waters had dried up?

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    God told Noah to go out of the ark, along with his families. Noah also had to bring out every living thing of all flesh with him (Gen 8:16, 17).

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  • 8.

    Compare God’s command to Noah in Genesis 8:17 with that of Genesis 1:22. How were they similar?

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    God told Noah to bring out all the living things that were with him so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth (Gen 8:17). This purpose coincides with God’s command to the living creatures after He had created them (Gen 1:22).

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  • 8:20-22

    9a.

    List examples from the following passages of people who built an altar to the LORD. See Gen 8:20, 12:8, 26:25, 35:7; Ex 17:15; Josh 8:30; Judg 6:24; 1 Sam 7:17, 14:35; 1 Chr 21:26 and 1 Kgs 18:32.

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    The following are examples from the Scriptures of people who built altars to the LORD:

    1) Noah built an altar to the LORD and he offered burnt offerings on the altar (Gen 8:20),

    2) Abram built an altar to the LORD and he called on the name of the LORD (Gen 12:8),

    3) Isaac built an altar and he called on the name of the LORD (Gen 26:25),

    4) Jacob built an altar and he called the place El-Bethel because there God appeared to him (Gen 35:7),

    5) Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner (Ex 17:15),

    6) Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel (Josh 8:30),

    7) Gideon built an altar to the LORD, and he called it The-LORD-Is-Peace (Judg 6:24),

    8) Samuel built an altar to the LORD (1 Sam 7:17),

    9) Saul built an altar to the LORD (1 Sam 14:35),

    10) David built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the LORD (1 Chr 21:26),

    11) Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD (1 Kgs 18:32),

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  • 9b.

    Today, what lessons can we learn from the examples of the people who built an altar to the LORD?

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    The examples of building an altar to the LORD represent one’s deep relationship with God in all aspects of life. From Abraham’s, Moses’ and Samuel’s examples (Gen 12:7; Ex 17:15, 24:4f; 1 Sam 7:17), we learn that having a communion with God is not just during a formal worship, but also within one’s private home or personal life. Moreover, Isaac’s Jacob’s and Gideon’s examples (Gen 26:24-25, 35:7; Judg 6:22-24) show us that building an altar to the LORD signifies one’s sense of awe and thanksgiving for the LORD’s providence and protection. Lastly, David’s example (2 Sam 24:18-25; 1 Chr 21:18-26) demonstrates to us that building an altar to the LORD symbolizes one’s supplication in prayer to God.

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  • 10a.

    What did Noah offer as burnt offerings on the altar?

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    Noah took of every clean animal and of every clean bird (Gen 8:20).

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  • 10b.

    What is a burnt offering and how should it be offered? See Lev 1:3, 5, 6-10, 14-17.

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    According to the book of Leviticus, a burnt offering is an offering which consists of a male without blemish of the herd and or of the flock such as the bull, the sheep or of the goats (Lev 1:3, 10). The animal of the herd and of the flock offered must be killed before the LORD and its blood must be sprinkled all around on the altar. Then the burnt offering must be skinned and cut into its pieces. The parts, the head and the fat must be laid in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar. But its entrails and legs must be washed with water. Afterwards, the priest would burn all of them on the altar as a burnt sacrifice (Lev 1:5, 6-9).

    Moreover, the burnt offering can also be of birds, whether turtledoves or young pigeons (Lev 1:14). The head must be wrung off and burned on the altar. Then its blood should be drained out at the side of the altar. Furthermore, the crop (entrails or dung) should be removed with its feathers and be cast beside the altar. The bird should be split at its wings but should not be divided completely. Finally, the offering should be burned on the altar, on the wood that was on the fire (Lev 1:15-17).

    To take of every clean animal and of every clean bird of all living creatures and prepare them as burnt offerings would have been painstaking and laborous work. But Noah willingly prepared and offered those animals to the LORD after he went out of the ark.

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  • 11.

    Record God’s reaction to the sweet aroma from the Scriptures. See also Lev 26:31 and Ezek 20:28.

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    There are three different reactions of God to the sweet aroma presented:

    1) The LORD smelled the soothing aroma of Noah’s burnt offerings and decided not to curse the ground for man’s sake and would not again destroy every living thing as He had done (Gen 8:21),

    2) The LORD would not smell the fragrance of the Israelites’ sweet aromas due to their disobedience and contempt toward God’s commandments (Lev 26:14, 21-31),

    3) The LORD was provoked by the house of Israel’s offerings and sweet aroma to the idols (Ezek 20:21-28).

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  • 12.

    How can we give an offering of a sweet aroma before the LORD today? See Rom 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:5; Eph 5:2-6.

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    According to the apostle Paul, we can give an offering before the LORD by presenting our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God. The sacrifice here is not a physical burnt offering per se, but rather a spiritual sacrifice to God (1 Pet 2:5). In other words, we present a spiritual sacrifice to God by not conforming our mind and conduct to the world, but by transforming our mind according to the acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom 12:2).

    Furthermore, the apostle Paul also added that we can give an offering of a sweet aroma before the LORD by imitating Him to walk in love (Eph 5:2). Walking in love means that we are imitating Christ. The Lord Jesus has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Thus, we should also offer our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God. Such an act of imitation must be accompanied by deeds fitting for saints such as staying away from fornication, all uncleanness or covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, coarse jesting, and deceiving with empty words (Eph 5:3-6).

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  • 13a.

    What were the promises of the LORD after He smelled the soothing aroma of Noah’s burnt offerings?

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    After the LORD smelled the soothing aroma, He promised that He would never again curse the ground for man’s sake (Gen 8:21), and He would not destroy again every living thing as He had done. Thus, while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease (Gen 8:22).

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  • 13b.

    What can we learn about the relationship between God and mankind from the promises in Genesis 8:21-22? See also Isa 54:7-10.

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    The prophet Isaiah mentioned that the waters of Noah were like God’s relationship with mankind. Isaiah 54:5, 6 records how God the Maker is the husband and His people is the wife. Just as the LORD swore that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, He would not be angry nor rebuke His people. Although God would forsake and hide His face for a moment because of a little wrath, He would gather His people with great mercies and everlasting kindness. He would not remove His covenant of peace with His people (Isa 54:8, 10).

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