Book on Genesis- chapter Eight verses 1-12

Kraig Josiah Rice
Genesis- The Way I See It

Genesis chapter Eight
verses one through twelve

Written by
Kraig J. Rice
www.7-star-admiral.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Clicking on these links will move you down this web page)

Chapter Eight- the waters recede from the earth
Genesis 8:1-5 God remembers
Genesis 8:6-12 God brings encouragement

Encouragement for a suffering Christian
You are special in Christ

Chapter 8:
The waters recede from the earth

"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; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. 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"
(Genesis 8:1-5).

God remembers:
We see here that God was in total control. He is in control of our circumstances as well. He sent a strong wind to help dry up the water. Many times God uses nature to bless individuals, communities, or nations. Sometimes, in a drought, He sends rain. Let us always praise and worship Him for all of His blessings to us.

The ark rested on the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month. That means that the ark rested on Mount Ararat on the seventeenth day of Abib. Is there any spiritual significance to that? Did anything else ever happen on the seventeenth day of Abib? Yes. In the exodus from Egypt the Israelites passed through the Red Sea on the seventeenth day of Abib. Jesus Christ rose from the dead in His resurrection on the seventeenth day of Abib. God has perfect timing in everything that He does. This is a message of liberation. Noah was liberated from the ark, the Israelites were liberated from Egyptian slavery, and we are liberated from our sins by a living Christ who rose from the dead.

What is the relevance? God remembers- He never forgets anything. He remembers your sin no more when you come to Him for salvation. He will cast your sins into the sea of His forgetfulness never to be remembered again. As far as the east is from the west He will remember your sins no more- and those are opposite directions that never meet.

God is a big God and there is nothing that He cannot do. Keep things in perspective- always have a BIG God and a little problem. And take everything to Him in prayer. He loves for you to communicate with Him. Be sincere in prayer and lay out before Him your petitions on your private prayer altar. As your Heavenly Father, He will only do what is best for you. Jesus said, "...and I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened"
(Luke 11:9-10).

"And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made- and he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground, 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. And he stayed yet other seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark, and the dove came in to him in the evening, and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off- so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days, and sent forth the dove, which returned not again unto him any more"
(Genesis 8:6-12).

God brings encouragement by the use of a bird:

Mount Ararat is in the land of Armenia which is in the present nation of Turkey. Noah was looking for an indicator that would tell him the physical condition of the earth as he wanted to get off of the ark. The bird brought him the proof he needed to know that the olive trees were doing good in the sunshine and sprouting forth new shoots. This indicated to him that the waters were drying up and that dry land was emerging so he could leave the ark in the near future. All too often Satan breeds discouragement but God is a God Who brings encouragement to His people. Hint: a wonderful sermon or bible study lesson can be prepared about this.

Is there anywhere else in the bible where God uses birds as a sign of encouragement? Yes. God commanded ravens to feed Elijah. You can read about this in
(1 Kings 17:6). And a dove landed on Jesus at His water baptism
(Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32). The dove is a spiritual symbol of God the Holy Spirit.

Along a different train of thought, Jesus taught, in one of His sermons, the helplessness of a dove in comparison to the physical or mental damage caused by mankind, "...behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves- be ye therefore wise as serpents, harmless as doves, and beware of men..."
(Matthew 10:16-17). What is the relevance to you and I? Let us act like Jesus.

Since God gave encouragement to Noah, I want to teach on this subject here for awhile because I think it is very important. Why? Because one of Satan's major weapons is discouragement and we are not ignorant of that fact
(2 Corinthians 2:11). The first part of this teaching, I want to direct to those believers who are discouraged because they are in pain. I write it in a little different way so I can minister to others who are hurting.

Encouragement For A Suffering Christian

Are you suffering and in pain?
Are you dying from a fatal disease?
Are you are going through a painful divorce?
Have you lost a loved one?
Have you lost your job or money?
Are you suffering persecution, or are you suffering because of some other reason?
Well, you (as a child of God) are not alone because
God is going to go through it with you.
So no matter what you are going through, God has given you a Comforter to help you.
When Jesus was on this earth He was the Comforter, but now the Comforter is God the Holy Spirit:
Jesus said,
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive Him, because it is not looking for Him and does not recognize Him. But you do...
No, I will not abandon you as orphans- I will come to you"
(John 14:16-18).

It is Going to Be OK
God Has Everything Under Control

Now, I want you to do this- I want you to insert your name in the following scriptures and read them over and over again. By doing this you will realize
how very special you are,
that you are not abandoned,
that you have God as your Comforter,
that God loves you very much,
and that you will realize that God is in the process of helping you.
He will help you when you are hurting and He will help you when you are grieving.
As a child of God you have a right to call out to God to help you when you need help- don't be too ashamed or to proud to do that.
God wants you to call out to Him when you need to. That is the Father-heart of God. He loves to help His children.
"But now,
(insert your name here),

the Lord who created you says:
Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine.
(-----),
when you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.
(-----),
when you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!

(-----),
when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up- the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior"
(Isaiah 43: 1 - 3 New Living Translation NLT).
(Your name is in red because you are under the blood of Jesus)

"All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
(2 Corinthians 1:3 & 4).

There is not a person alive on the earth who has all of the answers of why, from God's point of view, you are going thru what you are going thru. But you can take comfort in the fact that the Lord says, "I will never leave you or forsake you"
(Hebrews 13:5).
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them"
(Romans 8:28).
"Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light"
(Matthew 11:28 - 30).

God's perspective is infinitely greater than ours. He sees the "bigger and better picture". My old pastor used to say: it is like God sitting in a chair doing embroidery work. From our perspective we look at the back of it and all we see are of the knots, hanging threads, and tangles. It looks like a disaster and a failure. However, when God is finished with it, He turns it around and shows it to us and it is a beautiful masterpiece of artwork. He really is in control and He knows what He is doing. He is also the potter and we are the clay.
"Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.
Remember, O Lord, Your unfailing love and compassion, which you have shown from long ages past"
(Psalms 25:4 - 6).
"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.
For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything"
(James 1:2 - 4).

"O Israel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case?
Have you never heard or understood? Do not you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding.
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak.
Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up.
But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint"
(Isaiah 40:27 - 31).

Trials are not enemies of faith
but
are opportunities to prove God's faithfulness

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble"
(Psalms 46:1).
"For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory.
The Lord says,
"I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you."
(Psalm 32: 7 & 8 NLT).

"I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth!
He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not hurt you by day, nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all evil and preserves your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever"
(Psalms 121).

Self doubt is an inside job

Two Things You Must Not Do:

There are two things that you must not do when you are hurting this badly:
1. Do not blame God for your negative circumstances. Only goodness and kindness comes from God's hand to you. Satan will lie to you and try to manipulate you against God by telling you that God did it to you. God is not to blame for your pain or for your circumstances. You might consider the possibility that Satan is behind it all somehow.
2. Do not throw away your faith. Your belief in God is a benefit to you. If you ever needed your faith to work for you, now is the time. Prayer, relevant bible study, and seeking Godly counsel will greatly help you.

"See, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to repay all according to their deeds.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let each one who hears them say, "Come." Let the thirsty ones come- anyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge"
(Revelation 22:12 - 17).

When Life Gives You Lemons
Then Make Lemonade

When something negative happens in your life- see if you can turn it around and make something positive from it with God's help.

I know that when you are in pain you may not feel like you have much value but you do. You are a wonderful treasure to Christ who died for you. Here are some words of encouragement for you from God's Word:

IN CHRIST

I AM ACCEPTED: SCRIPTURES:

I am God's Child. John 1:12

I am Christ's Friend. John 15:15

I have been justified. Romans 5:1

I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17

I have been bought with a price. I belong to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I am a member of Christ's body. 1 Corinthians 12:27

I am a saint. Ephesians 1:1

I have been adopted as God's child. Ephesians 1:5

I have direct access to God through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:18

I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. Colossians 1:14

I am complete in Christ. Colossians 2:10

I AM SECURE: SCRIPTURES:

I am free forever from condemnation. Romans 8:1-2

I am assured that all things work together for good. Romans 8:28

I am free from any Satanic condemning charges against me. Romans 8:31-34

I cannot be separated from the love of God. Romans 8:35-39

I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

I am hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected. Philippians 1:6

I am a citizen of Heaven. Philippians 3:20

I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

I can find grace and mercy in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

I am born of God, and have power over the evil one. 1 John 5:18

I AM SIGNIFICANT: SCRIPTURES:

I am the salt and light of the earth. Matthew 5:13-14

I am a branch of the true Vine, a channel of His life. John 15:1, 5

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. John 15:16

I am a personal witness of Christ's. Acts 1:8

I am God's temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16

I am a minister of reconciliation for God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

I am God's co-worker. 2 Corinthians 6:1;
1 Corinthians 3:9

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. Ephesians 2:6

I am God's workmanship. Ephesians 2:10

I may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Conclusion

My prayer is that you reach out in love and faith to Him and touch the hem of His garment. You might be surprised at what happens...
Jesus Christ specializes in encouraging His children.
"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?
Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?...
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loves us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death cannot, and life cannot. The angels cannot, and the demons cannot.
Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell cannot keep God's love away.
Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord"
(Romans 8:35 - 39).

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As of July 1, 2014

I AM ACCEPTED:	SCRIPTURES:
I am God's Child.	John 1:12
I am Christ's Friend.	John 15:15
I have been justified.	Romans 5:1
I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him.	1 Corinthians 6:17
I have been bought with a price. I belong to God.	1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I am a member of Christ's body.	1 Corinthians 12:27
I am a saint.	Ephesians 1:1
I have been adopted as God's child.	Ephesians 1:5
I have direct access to God through the blood of Christ.	Ephesians 2:18
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.	Colossians 1:14
I am complete in Christ.	Colossians 2:10
I AM SECURE:	SCRIPTURES:
I am free forever from condemnation.	Romans 8:1-2
I am assured that all things work together for good.	Romans 8:28
I am free from any Satanic condemning charges against me.	Romans 8:31-34
I cannot be separated from the love of God.	Romans 8:35-39
I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.	2 Corinthians 1:21-22
I am hidden with Christ in God.	Colossians 3:3
I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected.	Philippians 1:6
I am a citizen of Heaven.	Philippians 3:20
I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.	2 Timothy 1:7
I can find grace and mercy in time of need.	Hebrews 4:16
I am born of God, and have power over the evil one.	1 John 5:18
I AM SIGNIFICANT:	SCRIPTURES:
I am the salt and light of the earth.	Matthew 5:13-14
I am a branch of the true Vine, a channel of His life.	John 15:1, 5
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.	John 15:16
I am a personal witness of Christ's.	Acts 1:8
I am God's temple.	1 Corinthians 3:16
I am a minister of reconciliation for God.	2 Corinthians 5:17-21
I am God's co-worker.	2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 3:9
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm.	Ephesians 2:6
I am God's workmanship.	Ephesians 2:10
I may approach God with freedom and confidence.	Ephesians 3:12
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.	Philippians 4:13

Encouragement For A Suffering Christian

the Lord who created you says: Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine.

(Your name is in red because you are under the blood of Jesus)

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble" (Psalms 46:1).

Two Things You Must Not Do:

When something negative happens in your life- see if you can turn it around and make something positive from it with God's help.

Conclusion

My prayer is that you reach out in love and faith to Him and touch the hem of His garment. You might be surprised at what happens... Jesus Christ specializes in encouraging His children.