Ears To Hear # 87

NOAH’S DOVE

         The Dove is all about Love…gentle love. Beautiful, white, soft, tender…wings covered with silver and gold, (Psalms 68:13) representing the change in the converted life to a “dove-like” spirit. This spirit breathed into the child of God by the Holy Ghost, whose emblem is the dove; the messages of peace from God to sinful men.

Noah’s Dove

         I see Noah now with my eyes of imagination. He stands in the ark which is weathered by rain and rising water. The smell of dampness and animals fills the walls of the tempered wood. A soft breeze filters through the top level.
         Noah walks past the many animals to the dove on her perch waiting for him. He extends his cupped hands toward her with gentle adoration, placing them on each side of her, lifting her from her perch.
         The dove loves him, too, and knows the procedure. She has been waiting for him. Can’t you hear them cooing to each other? This is her mission. It is the end of forty days and she is being sent out with a raven to see if the waters of wrath have abated from off the face of the ground… earth. (Genesis 8:8).
         Noah released her and she flew…but finding no rest, she returned unto Him into the Ark. Then, He (lovingly) put forth His Hand, and took her, and pulled her unto Him…into the Ark…her safe place. (Genesis 8:9).
         So Noah waited yet seven more days. (verse 10). Which makes me wonder how many flights the dove actually took between each 7-day period of waiting. But, whether once or many, the dove was willing to go again. In her harmless simplicity, and love for Noah; in her sweet dedication, she flew with ease, carrying the desire for peace on the ground (earth).
         On her possibly second flight…after seven days, Noah sent the dove again. She flew all day…seeking…seeking…seeking. Seeking land to build her nest and a place for the Ark to settle on earth. It was worth the flight because in her persistence she found a fresh Olive Leaf which represented new life.

         So she came to Him in the evening. Although late and perhaps weary,  she had the sign of life in her mouth. This let Noah know that the waters (of wrath) were abated from off the earth.

         Third or last flight. Noah and the dove waited seven more days and he sent forth the Dove; which returned not again to him anymore.

WHY DIDN’T THE DOVE RETURN?

         Our Lord says to study to show ourselves approved…rightly dividing the Word of God. (2 Timothy 2:15). Because of the limited hours we have each day to study, I may have to put this in my file that says: “It’s for God to know and for us to find out.”
         All I know, is that I have come away from this study with more questions than I had when I began. Yet, they are exciting possibilities. The idea that God would use a little “cooing dove” to peak my interest so highly toward greater revelations of Himself, thrills me.

??? QUESTIONS ???

  

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (Matthew 7:7).

         Our Father delights in us asking questions. It shows we are interested and want to know Him better. Jesus continually put forth questions to help people think. Then, He sent the Holy Spirit (Dove) to reveal mighty mysteries in His Word.
         Dare I share a few of my questions?  For instance, in Genesis 8:7, what does the Raven symbolize? What happened to the Raven? Where did he go? Why didn’t he come back to the ark? Or did he?
         In Genesis 7:2, why clean and un-clean beasts and birds? What was the Lord telling us by using the number seven in choosing the animals and birds? In this verse “by sevens” could mean “seven sevens” of every clean beast and bird, or could mean seven pairs, such as three pairs…plus one, with the extra one being used for sacrifice/Sacrifice later.  Awesome!
         This possibility made me wonder: Did the dove not have a mate? If so, why wasn’t he sent out with her? Was she meant to fly alone? Was she seeking her “turtle dove”? Did she find him?

OUR TURTLE DOVE

         Surely the Lord is our Turtle Dove. And He promises that if we seek Him, we shall find Him, when we search for Him with all our heart. “And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart”. (Jeremiah 29:13).
         Even as Noah represents God, and the Ark represents our Safe Place with Him, even so, God sends out His “turtle doves” to seek and find the lost land and replenish it with His Good News of Restoration.