The Ninth Person on the Ark

6 After another forty days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat 7 and released a raven. The bird flew back and forth until the floodwaters on the earth had dried up. 8 He also released a dove to see if the water had receded and it could find dry ground. 9 But the dove could find no place to land because the water still covered the ground. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside. 10 After waiting another seven days, Noah released the dove again. 11 This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone. 12 He waited another seven days and then released the dove again. This time it did not come back.

He was the ninth person on the Ark and the first one out of the boat!

1.   The raven is a type of Satan

A.    He made it through in the flesh of the other eight

B.    God delivered Noah and his family from judgement but he did not deliver them from their own selfishness

C.     He is the first one out of the boat.  He went to and fro looking for a place to rest and someone to devour.  Wouldn’t it be great if  the roaring lion who walks about seeking whom he may devour could not find a victim

2.    The Dove is the Holy Spirit went forth three times

A.    He went forth in the form of the law and the prophets but came back empty handed because there was no way yet made for a clean bird to dwell in unclean vessels

B.    He went forth the second time in the form of God’s Son and returned with an Olive leaf.  The Olive leaf was a sign of life.  Someone had opened up their heart to him.  Someone had washed his feet.  Someone went weeping along behind him up Calvary’s hill

C.     The third time he went forth in the form of the Holy Spirit on the wings of a dove.  He’s with us today not looking for a place to rest but a heart to dwell in.

        The Bible is the greatest literature ever written.  It has the greatest Author.  Most great stories with real truth are not necessarily written by Christians.  Yet they spring out of man’s subconcious desire for the greatest story ever told. 

        A Story that comes to mind that parallels Noah sending out these birds is the animated movie A.I.  All human life has left the planet because man has destroyed his own habitation.  But the little android brings back a small plant that shows there is hope of life on the earth