Genesis 8 Chapter Commentary: God Begins to Dry Out the Earth

God stopped the rains falling from the sky. It is believed that Noah’s ark rested on the highlands of Ararat after the flood. The mountain peaks could finally be seen after a ten-month gap.

As Noah prepared to leave the ark, God sent a dove as a sign that he could start anew with his family as well as with all the animals he gathered. The bird carried an olive leaf to show that the waters had truly subsided, and that vegetation would soon start to sprout once more.

Noah stepped out to see what had happened to the ark and examined it closely.

Before leaving the ark, God instructed Noah to reproduce and bear children to restore humanity and start over. The same held true for every animal that God commanded Noah to protect in the ark.

Noah built an altar, burned sacrifices there, and gave thanks to his Savior. God established a covenant with Noah because he had delighted him.

He finally made a covenant that he wouldn’t attack his own people—his flock—nor would he judge and attack the people and animals of Earth as he did during the great flood.

What’s the Main Point?

“God remembered Noah.” This sentence at the beginning of this chapter is very short but meaningful because it says a lot about God. He punishes yet he knows when to stop. He gets angry but his love for mankind is bigger.

What Can We Learn from This Chapter?

There are three takeaways from this chapter.

Lesson 1: God remembered Noah. Although Noah was so virtuous and loyal to God, it’s not as though God had forgotten about him throughout this terrible catastrophe in the Bible.

Instead, God gave Noah a particular favor by saving him and his loved ones from extinction. This is how the Lord demonstrates his love and fidelity to the people who rely on and trust him. He will never abandon us, particularly during the trying times.

Lesson 2: Both from below and above, God shuts off the water. To start evaporating the water and drying off the land, he sends a powerful wind. The ark rests on the heights of Ararat after 150 days (Genesis 8:4).

God is always in control. He will never let bad things happen to us if he doesn’t have any plans to save us. He is a powerful and ever-living God. All we must do is to be patient and to keep praying while exhausting everything we can to solve our problems. Surely, God will answer our prayers in his time.

Lesson 3: God made a covenant with a man. Even though every human heart’s predisposition has been toward evil since birth, God promised Noah that he would never condemn the earth because of humans. He would never again kill every living thing, as he had done.

God never fails to keep his word. He has also carried out his promise by sending his only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem mankind from sin. Let’s also maintain a solid relationship with God and a burning desire to love him. God won’t abandon us till the very end.

Prayer:

Thank you Heavenly Father for the gift of nature – the wind, the warmth of the sun, rain, soil, and the sky. Because of these, we can sow and reap a good harvest. Help us remember the days of Noah so that we will never get tired of hoping that one day, you will come again to save us all. Amen.

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