Genesis:8

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* Verse 1-3 - The whole race of mankind , except Noah and his family , were now dead , so that God 's remembering Noah , was the return of his mercy to mankind , of whom he would not make a full end . The demands of Divine justice had been answered by the ruin of sinners . God sent his wind to dry the earth , and seal up his waters . The same hand that brings the desolation , must bring the deliverance ; to that hand , therefore , we must ever look . When afflictions have done the work for which they are sent , whether killing work or curing work , they will be taken away . As the earth was not drowned in a day , so it was not dried in a day . God usually works deliverance for his people gradually , that the day of small things may not be despised , nor the day of great things despaired of . * Verse 4-12 - The ark rested upon a mountain , whither it was directed by the wise and gracious providence of God , that might rest the sooner . God has times and places of rest for his people after their tossing ; and many times he provides for their seasonable and comfortable settlement , without their own contrivance , and quite beyond their own foresight . God had told Noah when the flood would come , yet he did not give him an account by revelation , at what times and by what steps it should go away . The knowledge of the former was necessary to his preparing the ark ; but the knowledge of the latter would serve only to gratify curiosity ; and concealing it from him would exercise his faith and patience . Noah sent forth a raven from the ark , which went flying about , and feeding on the carcasses that floated . Noah then sent forth a dove , which returned the first time without good news ; but the second time , she brought an olive leaf in her bill , plucked off , plainly showing that trees , fruit trees , began to appear above water . Noah sent forth the dove the second time , seven days after the first , and the third time was after seven days also ; probably on the sabbath day . Having kept the sabbath with his little church , he expected especial blessings from Heaven , and inquired concerning them . The dove is an emblem of a gracious soul , that , finding no solid peace of satisfaction in this deluged , defiling world , returns to Christ as to its ark , as to its Noah , its rest . The defiling world , returns to Christ as to its ark , as to its Noah , its rest . The carnal heart , like the raven , takes up with the world , and feeds on the carrion it finds there ; but return thou to my rest , O my soul ; to thy Noah , so the word is , Psalms strkjv @116:7 . And as Noah put forth his hand , and took the dove , and pulled her to him , into the ark , so Christ will save , and help , and welcome those that flee to him for rest . * Verse 13-19 - God consults our benefit , rather than our desires ; he knows what is good for us better than we do for ourselves , and how long it is fit our restraints should continue , and desired mercies should be delayed . We would go out of the ark before the ground is dried ; and perhaps , if the door , is shut , are ready to thrust off the covering , and to climb up some other way ; but God 's time of showing mercy is the best time . As Noah had a command to go into the ark , so , how tedious soever his confinement there was , he would wait for a command to go out of it again . We must in all our ways acknowledge God , and set him before us in all our removals . Those only go under God 's protection , who follow God 's direction , and submit to him . * Verse 20-22 - Noah was now gone out into a desolate world , where , one might have thought , his first care would have been to build a house for himself , but he begins with an alter for God . He begins well , that begins with God . Though Noah 's stock of cattle was small , and that saved at great care and pains , yet he did not grudge to serve God out of it . Serving God with our little is the way to make it more ; we must never think that is wasted with which God is honoured . The first thing done in the new world was an act of worship . We are now to express our thankfulness , not by burnt-offerings , but by praise , and pious devotions and conversation . God was well pleased with what was done . But the burning flesh could no more please God , than the blood of bulls and goats , except as typical of the sacrifice of Christ , and expressing Noah 's humble faith and devotedness to God . The flood washed away the race of wicked men , but it did not remove sin from man 's nature , who being conceived and born in sin , thinks , devises , and loves wickedness , even from his youth , and that as much since the flood as before . But God graciously declared he never would drown the world again . While the earth remains , and man upon it , there shall be summer and winter . It is plain that this earth is not to remain always . It , and all the works in it , must shortly be burned up ; and we look for new heavens and a new earth , when all these things shall be dissolved . But as long as it does remain , God 's providence will cause the course of times and seasons to go on , and makes each to know its place . And on this word we depend , that thus it shall be . We see God 's promises to the creatures made good , and may infer that his promises to all believers shall be so . **** Matthew Henry 's Commentary ****

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