Gen 8:1-13 KJV 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. (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. (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. Son 2:8-17 KJV The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. (9) My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. (10) My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. (11) For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; (12) The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; (13) The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. (14) O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. (15) Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. (16) My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. (17) Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
Noah was in an intermediate stage of his experience.
The ark reminds me of the wilderness and the tomb of Jesus Christ.
Romans 6 teaches us about the transition awareness we must come to.
Romans 6 teaches that there is not only newness of BEING but newness of LIFESTYLE.
1Jo 2:6 KJV He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Rom 6:4-5 KJV Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Jesus' resurrection was a supernatural form of life.
God put Adam into the Garden but Adam had to WALK a certain way with his own decision-making power involved to choose the right tree afterwards.
Israel was taken out of Egypt by God and put into the wilderness.
Two trees in the Garden. Two sorts of spies. Num 13:25-30 KJV And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. (26) And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. (27) And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. (28) Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. (29) The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. (30) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. TWO SORTS OF BIRDS: Gen 8: (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; All through the bible there are two sorts of people, as well.
So YOUR CHOICE is going to be important for it will dictate the manner of life you live.
The dove always represents God's Spirit. Luke 3:22 KJV And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. I cannot emphasize enough the need for us to learn it is up to ourselves which decision we make and realize there are two distinct directions for those already saved.
Noah saw the raven and dove leave, but the raven never returned.
Noah sent these birds forth to let him know whether he should leave the ark yet or not.
Why would the dove find no rest since the waters were all over the earth, while the rave, did not return?
The dove came back because it is not a CARRION bird, eating rotting flesh. Rom 8:5-8 KJV For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Everyone knows the famous picture of the OLIVE BRANCH in the UNITED NATIONS logo.
To be SPIRITUALLY MINDED IS LIFE AND PEACE. Had Noah followed the desires of the raven, it would have led him to the very thing it desired.
Thankfully, Noah realized that his other director, the dove, returned for a good reason. The raven made the first choice.
STAY PUT UNTIL YOU GET A DEFINITE WORD FROM THE DOVE.
Jam 1:2-5 KJV My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. See how patience is associated with asking God for wisdom.
Speaking of WISDOM, Song of SOLOMON chapter 2 shows us the same picture. Solomon speaks of WISDOM.
(9) My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. (10) My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. (11) For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; (12) The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; (13) The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Spiritually, the church is the beloved of the groom, the Lord.
WISDOM FROM GOD WILL COME... but you have to wait for it. Sometimes when the Spirit speaks we rather would obey our flesh.
(13) The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. ARISE... RESURRECT!
Notice Solomon mentioned the cleft of the rock. (14) O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. The tomb.
The cleft of the rock is where Moses was when He saw the GLORY OF GOD.
It takes a plunge and step of faith to follow God's word, and so many never do it, but give up when they hesitate since they always followed flesh before.
NO! ARISE AND RESURRECT AND LIVE A NEWNESS OF LIFE! SECRET PLACES OF THE STAIRS: Recall Jacob's dream. Gen 28:12 KJV And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. John 1:51 KJV And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. Jesus IS THE LADDER!
And the dove is IN CHRIST.
Heb 10:19 KJV Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:22-23 KJV Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Not timidly hiding away all our lives.
It's THEN when you take a leap and start following God, even if you've never done it before, knowing in faith, that despite the fear of the unknown YOU TRUST GOD that it's going to be alright.... that you FINALLY deal with the little things that spoil the vine.
Drinking wine represents ENJOYING LIFE FROM Christ's salvation SO WE EXPERIENCE greater life and joy. Too many do not enjoy the resurrection life because, once again, they wallow in the mud of fleshly decisions all the time and never waiting to receive the direction from the Spirit. (16) My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. We finally go beyond Jesus having accomplished something for us.
Notice the progression: 2Co 5:14-15 KJV For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (15) And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. He died for us.. now let us LIVE for Him!
WHAT DOES HE WANT US TO DO? (17) Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. The day dawns and breaks... shadows flee BETHER means PARTITION.
He is a dove that wants the olive trees.
She belongs where the olive trees are. |