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Why did Noah release a raven? Why did he later release a dove?



      

Genesis 8:1 - 22

ESV - 1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained.

Clarify Share Report Asked July 01 2013 Mini Anonymous (via GotQuestions)

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Shea S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries
 Following the Genesis flood, as the ark was resting on Mount Ararat, Noah released a raven and dove from the ark at different times. The goal in sending these birds was to determine if the flood w...

July 01 2013 1 response Vote Up Share Report


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Mini Sidgar . Supporter
It has a deeper meaning as well. The raven symbolizes the flesh or the worldly, the dove the Spirit. The raven that did not return shows that which is of the flesh, or of the earth, is temporary and fleeting, but that which is of the Spirit is eternal and a sign of God's promise. We see this motif in several other places in the Bible, such Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Saul and David. One was the son of the natural order, the other the son of promise, brought about by miraculous circumstances instead of physical. This theme was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus' coming, as He too was the son of the Spirit, born of the Spirit by miraculous circumstances, who came to save those born of the flesh under ordinary circumstances and bound by the limitations of their flesh. It's a lesson we can take comfort in, for the power of God is greater than all that which restricts us or limits us or binds us in the natural order of things.

October 04 2013 1 response Vote Up Share Report


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Just new JESTEEN Y ALEN KUMAR Supporter Sunday School Teacher at Baptist Church
We know very much about Jesus Christ but we also need to understand the Holy Spirit. We can compare Holy Spirit to a Dove/ Pigeon, wind, oil, Swatch etc.

Dove / Pigeon: after Jesus was baptized, the Spirit descended on him like a “dove”, here clearly we read that, Spirit is like a Dove. To study more about dove, please turn your bible to Genesis 8:6 to 12: Noah sent forth a Raven to know waters subsided or not, but there was no good thing learned from useless raven. Secondly, Noah sent forth a useful Dove. But the dove found no place to set her foot & returned to her master. After 7 days the Dove brought good news to Noah by bringing a fresh olive leaf. By this Noah learned TWO things, one is water subsided from the earth i.e, Judgment is completed and myself & my family are saved, and secondly that New Creation is started. 

From this tale we may learn three or more lessons. 

1) Each and every believer had these two personalities:

Here there are two personalities, one is Raven & another is Dove, Each and every believer had these two personalities. One is like a raven behavior comes by birth, no use for God or any other, disturbing behavior, setting foot on bad things, this behavior always covered under the wrath of God & punishment. 

But when we receive Jesus as our personal savior, we will get new behavior like a Dove, it is useful for God & others also, we read no place found to rest her feet, so she returned, fully opposite character compare to raven. Raven likes bad but dove not, 

The raven was happier to set her foot on the dead bodies, but the dove utterly rejected that & returned to her owner.

2) The Holy spirit gives guarantee of our salvation by collapsing fear of Judgment:
The whole family who were in the ark are fearing about the Judgment of water, But the dove brought good gospel to the Noah's family by saying “ you are saved, God’s Judgment is completed, you are not going to perish like other peoples who did not enter the ark. New creation has started.

Even today also He testifies in our heart that, if you die today you will definitely go to heaven because you are saved only by receiving Jesus as your personal savior. Jesus took God’s Judgment on him only to save us. Holy Spirit only reveals this guarantee of life.

3) One thing we need not to forget, 

Ephesians 4:30, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” 
Holy spirit dwells in you, so do not grieve or make Him sad by doing all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander etc., Walk according to the Dove not according to the Raven.

4) Relationship between Jesus & Holy Spirit:
The dove found a fit place to set her foot, not on bad thing but on new olive plant. In the Old Testament the Dove searched for a suitable place to rest, but in New Testament there was no need to search, the Holy Spirit found right full person “Jesus."


Jesus died for our sins (by taking God’s Judgment). On the 3rd day He raised from the dead. The New Olive tree also died by water judgment and was raised from the dead. This tree is rightful for the Dove.

We need to put the Olive Tree (Jesus) in our hearts, and then with in a no time Holy Spirit will set His foot in us, We will get Holy spirit only when we believe Jesus Christ our savior & died for our sins and kept Jesus in your heart. Do not believe that you will receive Holy Spirit if some person or pastor prays by putting his hand on your head. Put Jesus the real Olive tree in your heart and you will receive Holy Spirit.

August 21 2015 1 response Vote Up Share Report


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My picture Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church
The raven and the dove symbolize the believer’s 2 natures
Genesis 8:6-12; Gal. 5:16-17 

After waiting 40 days waiting for God to tell him what’s next, Noah then sent out the raven, and being an unclean carrion-eating bird (Leviticus 11:13-15) as was already mentioned, the raven felt right at home among the floating carcasses.

Noah’s sending out the clean dove and its returning with a fresh olive leaf indicated to him that plants were growing and fresh life had started happening on the earth (Gen 8:10-11). A dove bearing an olive branch is a familiar symbol of peace around the world. 

THE RAVEN an unclean bird that feeds on carrion: was only sent out once. (There was another in the ark but it was not sent). Found satisfaction in the old order, so did not return.

THE DOVE A clean bird: in Luke 3:22 the form assumed by the Holy Spirit. It made three flights.

1 Found no satisfaction in that which had come under God’s judgment.
2 brought back an olive leaf, Emblem of peacefulness and Earnest of fruitfulness.
3 did not return because God had provided for it in the new creation.

October 05 2019 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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