Title: The Blessing of Water being Dried Up
When God created the heavens and the earth, He also created male and female. He created Adam and put him in the Garden of Eden, However, almost immediately sin comes along and finds its place in Adam. After Adam and Eve were kicked out from the Garden of Eden, Adam’s spiritual condition was portrait through Cain as the son of sinfulness and Abel as the son of obedience. When it comes to Adam’s 10th generation, Noah. The Bible says that sin was overflowing in the world. Thus, God brought about His judgement through the Great Flood (Genesis 6:5-7). Genesis 6:8 confirms that Noah found favor in the eyes of God, that is Noah received grace from God. Because Noah found favor in the Lord, he was able to overcome the time of the great flood.
What kind of blessings and grace that Noah received?
- The blessing of water being dried up (Genesis 8:13-14)
The great flood was brought about on the 17th day of 2nd month at Noah’s age of 600. About 10 months (313 days) later, the 601st year, on the 1st day of the 1st month, the water was dried up. However Genesis 8:14 says that the water was dried up on the 27th days of the 2nd month which is about 57 days later.
Hebrew word for ‘to dry’ used in v13 is ‘Hareb’ which means ‘to dry’, whereas the one used in v14 is ‘Yabesh’ which means ‘to dry without moisture’. Also, the subject in v13 is water, whereas the one in v14 is the earth. So, what it means is that on the 1st day of the 1st month, the water lost its power and was dried up from the surface, whereas on the 27th day of the 2nd month, the earth was dry completely and not even moisture could be found.
The water is used as a tool to bring about God’s wrath and judgement. Therefore, the water being dried up means that God’s wrath is finished and God’s judgement is lifted. Noah received God’s grace and was able to see that the water being dried up and the earth being dried. In NASB, it is expressed that Noah looked and behold. Hebrew word for ‘to look’ is ‘Raah’ which is a verb but the word for ‘to behold’ is ‘Hine’ which is an exclamation.
2. The blessing of the covering is removed (Genesis 8:13)
From the time the flood started, for about 10 months, Noah could not even open a window. How suffocated it was for him as in the ark as there were so many animals in the ark. After a long-suffocated time, he managed to open a little window and release a dove to check whether the earth was dry.
When it comes to the 27th day of the 2nd month, Noah and his family and all the animals were able to come out from the ark and step on the earth again. While Noah could not do anything in the ark, how suffocated he was spiritually but when a window is open, he could breathe at least fresh air. When the covering is removed, he could easily see how fast the earth was being dried up and how God work diligently to provide a place of life for Noah’s family. It is the same for us during this Pandemic Covid-19 lockdown, one day we will come out from this cage. Until then, we must open the window of prayer, we must open the covering of our spiritual eyes to see how God works at the moment to provide us a good land to live.
3. The blessing of coming out from the ark (Genesis 8:15-16)
After 1 year and 10 days from the day of the great flood began, Noah finally checked the earth is dry and ready and safe for Noah’s family to live again. However, the Bible teaches us the most important lesson here is that only after God commanded Noah to go out from the ark, he was able to move and step on the new world.
It teaches us that we have to fully depend on Him all the way through. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. From the beginning till the end, our God is the only hope.
Only when we follow God’s instruction that allows us to go out, the world becomes a place of blessing. The beginning of the new world must be according to God’s instruction, the new world must be time and place where no sin sneaks in. When that happens, the new world becomes a place of blessing.
Genesis 8:17- Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.
God blessed Noah to become fruitful and multiply. This is the exact blessing that God bestowed upon Adam in the Garden of Eden. God will bestow the same blessing upon us as well. This great blessing is ahead of us. In order to receive it and enjoy it fully and properly, we should not give even a small spot to sin. We should follow God’s commandment. Secondly, it teaches us that as it is God who determines when to come out, if God commands even today, today is the day that the earth will be completely dried up and ready.
Conclusion
God surely remembers us
Genesis 8:1 clearly says that the reason why the work of God, drying up the waters, stared was God remembered Noah. Therefore, if our God to remember us, we may receive the same blessing that Noah received.
Isaiah 49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child
And have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.
Let’s pray that by receiving the grace of God remembering you and me, may there be the blessing of window and door being open, may there be the blessing of water being dried up, and the blessing of moving forward to the blessed land be with all of us.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 