Genesis 8 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Genesis 8

WHEN:

• According to the genealogical record found in Genesis 5, the flood happened approximately 1650 years after the creation of the earth.

• Noah and his family were on the ark for a little over 1 year.

CHARACTERS:

• Noah – The son of Lamech. One of the few people on earth who honored God.

• Noah’s Wife – According to Jewish tradition her name was Naamah (Gen 4:22).

• Noah’s Sons and Their Wives – They accompanied Noah on the ark during the flood.

WHERE:

• The flood mentioned in this chapter was a worldwide flood. The water covered all the earth’s dry land, even the mountains.

• As the flood subsided, the ark came to rest on the top of the mountains of Ararat.

OUTLINE:

• THE FLOOD WATERS BEGIN TO SUBSIDE (8:1-5):

  • When God’s judgement on the wickedness of mankind was complete, He began to remove the waters of the flood from off the earth.

  • At the end of 150 days, He created a wind which stopped the water level from increasing and sent it into a gradual decline.

  • The ark came to rest on the top of the mountains of Ararat.

  • In the 10th month, the tops of the mountains became visible.

• NOAH SENDS OUT A RAVEN AND A DOVE (8:6-12):

  • Noah released a raven from the window of the ark and it “went to and fro” until the flood waters dried up.

  • Next, Noah released a dove, but finding no place to land, it returned to the ark.

  • After 7 days, Noah released the dove again and it returned to him with a freshly picked olive leaf.

  • After 7 more days, He released the dove a final time and it did not return. 

• NOAH AND HIS FAMILY LEAVE THE ARK (8:13-22):

  • Noah removed some of the ark’s covering to inspect the land around him and found it to be dry.

  • After a little more than a year onboard, God told Noah, his family, and all the animals to leave the ark and to inhabit the new earth.

  • Noah built an altar and sacrificed some of the clean animals to the Lord.

  • God promised He would never again “strike down every living creature” as He had done with the flood waters.

  • “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

APPLICATION:

• God uses the world He created for His purposes.

• Although God promised not to flood the earth again, that doesn’t mean He removed His hand from His creation entirely.

• God still uses His world to providentially to guide people and nations.

• God may use nature to judge the wicked, to teach lessons (Mat 6:25-30), to change the trajectory of someone’s life, or to cause someone to worship.

• Nature and weather are a complex and powerful tool at God’s disposal.