The Raven and the Dove …. Genesis 8:6-12
by Bishop Jacob Afolabi
Genesis 8:6 After forty days Noah opened a window
Genesis 8:7 and sent out a raven. It did not come back, but kept flying around until the water was completely gone.
Genesis 8:8 Meanwhile, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water had gone down,
Genesis 8:9 but since the water still covered all the land, the dove did not find a place to alight. It flew back to the boat, and Noah reached out and took it in.
Genesis 8:10 He waited another seven days and sent out the dove again.
Genesis 8:11 It returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water had gone down.
Genesis 8:12 Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove once more; this time it did not come back.
One of the greatest moral lessons in the Bible is found in these seven (7) verses of this chapter of the Book of Genesis. The end of the flood of Noah, affords this great opportunity to discover what the world after the flood would be like.
Two birds, the Raven and the Dove, showed the waly to the moral future of the world after Noah and the Great Flood. This moral picture of the world has been generally displayed ever since. The culture of the Dove against the culture of the Raven.
v.6 …. After a trial in this life, all you need is a window to see the future that lies ahead of you. Noah opened “a window.” When you look into the future through a window, you can’t see much, but you can estimate what lies ahead. Hope is your window into the future ahead of you. (Ps. 146:5). God is your Shepherd as you move toward your tomorrow.
v.7 …. The Raven is a wise, and strong bird. It’s survival rate is great. It can live and thrive in almost any place. But it’s survival is by feeding on any garbage, by killing other smaller birds for food, and by moving rapidly and being at home anywhere and everywhere. It does not discriminate on good or bad food. Everything goes.
Have a check on yourself. Do you have the character of the Raven bird. This is why Jesus Christ came for your salvation, which includes your moral culture. You were not just saved from sin – you were saved from filth, from corruption, from pride, and from all manner of immorality.
Because the Raven does not discriminate between good and bad sustenance, that was why it never returned to Noah. It found comfort in the filth that the great flood provided. The life of the Raven is the life of survival at any cost, even at the cost of causing others great harms and dangers. Morally, “the Raven is a Bad Bird.” (1 Peter 5:2).
The Raven went into the future without a Shepherd, Noah, who was its Shepherd throughout the flood. It went forth to and fro, just like its spiritual Shepherd, the Devil.
(Job 1:7). Don’t go into the future without your Shepherd, the LORD Jesus Christ.
False prophets do go about nowadays hugging every pulpit. They are morally Ravens who come to consume the fat of the sheep instead of feeding the flock of Christ. (Ezekiel 34:3). Avoid them like a bad disease. It is written, “the just shall live by faith, not by false prophesy….”
v. 8, 9 …. The Dove on the other hand is clean, gentle and very discriminating in its culture. The Dove was sent on the same mission as the Raven. The Dove returned to the “Shepherd,” because it could not find a clean landing place. The devastations of the flood were too much obstruction for the Dave to land.
People with a moral compass will not find comfort in filth. While the Raven landed on dead carcass and settled on “floating filth,” the Dove flew back to the “master.” It’s culture is refined and it’s nature is most pleasant. (Prov. 3:17).
If you do not succeed in a venture, do you go back to the Shepherd?
If you find corruption in a business opportunity, do you go back to your Shepherd?
If you find devastation where you expect success, do you go back to your Shepherd?
v. 10 …. The Dove remained in the service of Noah, even when the Raven has found its own way in the world. The Raven-spirit is restless, and must keep on moving to satisfy its greed and un-Holy desires. The Dove is a messenger, an Evangelist of constant faithfulness. The Dove will continue in service until the peaceful end. (Rev. 2:10)….
v. 11 …. Only the character of the Dove will lead to the assurance of the expected end – the guarantee of Total Salvation. The Raven could not wait to gather the gains of destruction, the loot of sorrow – the end of the lives of many people. But the Dove brought back to Prophet Noah, a symbol of peace between God and the remnant population of the world – the Olive leaf….the symbol of Godly REST. (Ps. 95:11).
v.12 …. The third time the Dove was sent out, he did not return. The Dove had completed its great commission. It has served the Shepherd well. Noah must have been very pleased with the Dove. May we, as Christians make a full end of the great Commission before we too fall asleep……..AMEN.
About the writer
Nigerian-born Bishop Jacob Afolabi is Senior Pastor at the Christ Chapel Bible Church in Ottawa. he is the recipient of many community awards, including the 2017 Black History Ottawa Community Builder award, for his many years of community work. He is the founder of the Ottawa Pastors’ forum and has contributed inspiring articles in community newspapers and commentary on community radio stations, as well training a new generation of pastors. He can be reached at: [email protected].