No resting place:
The word 'raven' that is used here is a loose term.
So let’s think of those black, big birds which you see grabbing at a flattened creature on the road.
They feed off any old scraps, and carcasses.
Where would this raven, that Noah released, rest, and what would it eat?
It could rest on the floating debris, and it could feed off any floating scraps of flesh.
There is no reason why it should return to the Ark, because it had all it needed.
Can you imagine the dove doing the same thing?
No, it would be totally out of the dove's nature to do such a thing!
A dove in the Bible, speaks of the working of God's Holy Spirit, or the sanctified life of a believer, - a life washed by the Holy Spirit. So by saying; the dove wouldn't rest on any filthy debris, it would wait for the new world to appear. We can relate that to Christians.
As believers, we will not find a true resting place in the world.
By that I mean, that the world cannot satisfy the yearnings of a believer.
The Christian cannot find fulfillment from the world.
We can have fulfillment in the world, by having our focus, and our affections upon God.
But not from the world.
The world is not a source of life, God is.
The non-believer is like the raven, why should they look towards another world, when they have got everything they need here and now.
The world, with all it's attractions, and pleasures, can dominate the mind that is not devoted to the Lord.
So the question to ask ourselves is: Are we besotted, and infatuated, with the things of this world?
No? Perhaps a little?
We should make the Lord our delight.
To be love-sick for Him is no bad thing.
Whenever we have a spare bit of time, our mind ought to return to the things of God.
Are we becoming more at home in heaven, than we are here on the earth?
It is recorded in Hebrews that men like Noah and Abraham: "admitted that they were strangers, and pilgrims, on the earth. People who say such things, show that they are looking for a country of their own .... they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16)
Let's return to what these two birds fed on.
The raven fed off the floating scraps of flesh. By saying; the dove wouldn't eat rotting flesh, we can relate that to Christians.
The scraps of flesh represent the world's wisdom.
We must not feed on the world's wisdom, and use it as our guide, and our authority, it is servile to God's wisdom, as displayed in the Bible.
We need to feed on God's Word.
It is Heavenly wisdom.
It is the Lord God Almighty's wisdom.
With that wisdom we can view the world correctly.
Upon that wisdom we stand.
Images: thanks to ‘The Pictorial Dictionary’ published by The Educational Book Company, London.
© 2003 Bible Explained part of www.seeking-god.co.uk
