The Noahic Covenant

Genesis 7:24-9:1contains a story many who are familiar with the Bible will recognize. What stands out first and foremost in this story is what we learn from chapter 8 verse 1, and that is that God remembered. Now, don't think because of this that God has a memory problem. God has an intentional commitment to remember his covenants. This is a positive reinforcement of God’s character and immutability. God didn’t need a post-it note or phone alarm to remember to let Noah out of the ark.

"God remembered" is the theology of immutability. Immutability is God’s unchanging sovereignty and character. Stephen Charnock says, "Immutability is a glory belonging to all the attributes of God" (Charnock, 318). 18th century theologian Samuel Willard said this about God’s immutability: “Live upon this attribute; it is enough to keep up your spirits, and strengthen you with patience to run that weary and difficult race that you are called unto. It is true, you meet with many changes among creatures; yea, there is nothing here, but what is changeable; you are tossed up and down from one change to another…yet faint not, nor be weary, for in all these you have an unchangeable God to stand by you” (Willard, 64-65).

Birds As A Symbol

Birds have always been a used as signs and signals for understanding one’s environment. I just learned recently that one of the first signs of spring in upstate New York is the call of the red-winged black bird. My wife and I have a hummingbird feeder, and we look at a chart each year to see when the hummingbirds are returning. It is an indication of summer! Canaries used to be carried into coal mins to indicate if there was toxic gases present in the air. If the bird stopped singing, it was dead and the area was unsafe. Geese fly south every fall, and it makes me sad. Geese fly north every spring, and it makes me happy! Birds tell us what is going on, and the story of Noah is no exception. The Bible actually speaks in several places about birds being significant signs of God’s work:

• The provision of quail (Numbers 11:31-35)

• The provision of bread by ravens to Elijah (1 Kings 17:6)

• The rooster crowing after Peter’s third denial of knowing Jesus. (Matt. 26:69-75)

• Jesus’ teaching about God’s care of sparrows and ravens. Jesus used ravens as an example of a bird that does not gather or reap and yet God provides care. (Luke 12:22-26) This was a teaching about battling anxiety with rest in the Lord which is an interesting connection to the story of Noah because Noah was having to patiently trust God’s care while he waited for the Ark to rest on the earth.

The Raven & The Dove

The raven reminds us of wandering. Ravens and crows, two very different birds, are very similar in function. They scavenge for food. Crows are the reason I have to cover my trash cans. Around here in New York, they are worse than raccoons.

Ravens were considered an unclean bird in the Law of Moses for this reason. There was a significance to the story of Elijah being fed by unclean Ravens. God was going to accomplish his purposes in an unclean nation to provide the future bread of life for all humanity! We miss these nuances when we aren’t looking for them.

The Raven was used as a warning of judgement for unyielding and disobedient people in passages like Prof. 30:17 and Isaiah 34:11 which give the idea of ravens feeding on the dead.

The Raven was significant to Noah’s story because it symbolizes one of two paths forward for Noah out of the ark and toward rest. The first path, sending out the Raven, marked the path of wandering and scavenging and dying. It reminds us of Cain’s curse just a few chapters earlier. God allowed the Raven to wander continuously without finding rest, and that was important symbolism for Noah and his family. Would Noah and his family follow after God on a freshly remade earth? Would they recommit the mistakes of Adam and Eve, Cain, and all of the evil people who followed them?

The dove, by contrast, reminds us of returning. God chose an opposite to show a clear prophetic message of following after God. The dove is soft and white and gentle and unassuming, quite the opposite of the raven. God was presenting a second path out of the ark, one of surrender and sacrifice. In fact, according to the law of Moses (Lev. 1:14-17) the dove was an acceptable sacrifice for those who could not afford a lamb. The money changers were selling doves and pigeons for sacrifice at the temple when Jesus, filled with holy rage at the abuse of the poor, turned over the money tables (Matt. 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-46, John 2:13-16).

Christ is seen in the dove and olive leaf. Matthew 3:13-17 records,

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' But Jesus answered him, 'Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased'."

God wants us to see the dove as a connection to Old Testament imagery. The dove symbolized the presence of God through Jesus. Luke 22:39-46 says,

"And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation.' And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.' And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, 'Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation'.”

God wants us to see in the olive leaf an anointed plan of God to provide a way forward into God’s rest. The dove returned with an olive branch. Why? She was going to build a nest! That is why birds carry branches. Where did she return? The ark was a symbol of God’s provision and protection, and this beautiful little dove was teaching us the whole point of the ark in this moment.

The Ark

The ark had a single door which is significant to Christ’s statement that He was the door and the only entrance into salvation (John 10:9). Peter connected the ark to baptism and the understanding that baptism symbolizes a death to our old self and new life being raised (1 Peter 3:20-21). Just like Noah, we must trust God for salvation by being born again of spiritual water and made new (John 3:5).

Three arks in scripture pointed to God’s presence and deliverance:

1. Noah’s Ark bringing salvation to a remnant.

2. Moses’ Ark (or basket) bringing a deliverer to save the nation of Israel.

3. The Ark of the Covenant which was the mercy seat of God in the tabernacle and temple.

   
   
   
   

References

Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God.

Willard, A Compleat Body of Divinity.