In Genesis 7 and 8, we read the account of God’s judgment upon the earth through a flood that wipes out all living things except those preserved in the ark. What I would like to draw your attention to this week is a short section of Scripture that is often overlooked. In Genesis 8:6–8, we read:

“Then it came about at the end of the forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land.”

I have read this passage several times, but only recently did I catch myself asking, What was the purpose of sending out the raven?

A raven was considered an unclean animal, primarily because ravens are scavengers that feed on dead flesh, carrion, and bloody meat. You will also notice in the passage that the raven never returns to the ark after being sent out. The raven found its home amid death and the judgment of God.

Charles Spurgeon, in his commentary on Genesis, likens the raven to an unregenerate heart, or the carnal nature of man, fully content with satisfying itself with earthly things. At one point in time, we were all like the raven, going to and fro, fulfilling our selfish, sinful desires. We were satisfied in death!

However, the dove found no rest or satisfaction in the world. After searching and searching for a “place to rest the sole of her foot,” she returned to the ark, which was the only source of life at that time.

Christ is our Ark, and He is the only source of lasting satisfaction we can find in this life.

This week, examine where you are finding your rest. Is it in the worldly, sinful vices that only leave you wanting more? Or are you like the dove, finding no satisfaction in worldly pursuits, but instead finding your rest in the all-sufficient and most glorious Christ?