Why Did Noah Send The Raven Out Of The Ark First Before The

Why Did Noah Send The Raven Out Of The Ark First Before The Dove ?

Fun Symbolic Meanings:

“Sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth..."

• Following the raven's mission, Noah sends the dove. The dove goes out and returns "to him", to Noah, whereas the raven just returns, but not "to him".
• Noah may have sent out the raven to see whether it would return or would stay away from the ark, perhaps eating from the remnants of carcasses exposed as the waters receded and land appeared. However, the raven did not stay away. The Bible says that it returned, but it does not say that it returned to Noah. Perhaps it came back to rest on the ark between flights to find food floating on the still-prevailing waters.
• It could be that Noah realized he would not get the information he needed from the raven, due to its propensity for dead carcasses, some of which might have appeared in water that had not yet abated. The dove, however, would not have been comfortable landing on such refuse and would have been able to supply Noah with the needed information.

So Why The Raven ?

• RAVEN - This unclean bird is a symbol of the type of person who lives in the flesh, pleasing his carnal desires. Just as the raven went to and from the ark to feast on rotten flesh, so to do those who come to Church, act holy, only to return to these unpleasing things. They live a double life. They still like to be in the world. Just like the raven, eventually these people never return, and remain in the world permanently.
• DOVE - The dove is a gentle bird which does not feed on rotten flesh. It was also a clean bird. This bird eventually came back with a freshly plucked OLIVE leaf. This OLIVE TREE is where oil comes from. In the bible the TREE is a symbol of man. Jesus though perfect in deity was also the perfect Man. Through Him we receive the Holy Spirit (symbolized by the OLIVE oil), after receiving the good news of Salvation. Believers are to be just like this harmless dove. They are not to feed on dead rotten things. They do not live a double life of hypocrisy. Their identity is one in the same as the Holy Spirit (also symbolized by the DOVE), who's will they do daily.
• FIRST TIME THE DOVE WAS SENT - The 1st period of God's dispensation in the period of the Old Testament. God's Holy Spirit was only resting on a few people here and there like the prophets. Afterwards the Spirit returned to God.
• SECOND TIME, WITH THE OLIVE LEAF - The 2nd period of God's dispensation in the time of Jesus' ministry. The dove returning with news of LIFE, reminds us of the good news of Jesus Christ. He came to give us eternal life. He died on the cross for our sins. Then he rose to eternal life, and left us His Holy Spirit to continue spreading this good news of Salvation.
• THIRD TIME, DOVE DID NOT RETURN - The 3rd period of God's dispensation since Pentecost until the Rapture. This time the dove did not return. The dove talks about the Holy Spirit who indwells the heart of the believer. Only those with the Holy Spirit will go to eternity at the rapture. One day Salvation for the Gentiles will be closed, and God's Holy Spirit will no longer be available. Soon the Lord will return.

The raven will land on anything including something that is dead. But the dove won't land on a dead thing.

If the raven came back not tired Noah knew that the water had subsided and the raven had something to land on. But the dove also came back and had not rested; meaning that the raven found rest on something possibly dead, but nothing living was there for the dove to land on.

If there was nothing for the dove to land on, then there may have been disease on the earth from the dead bodies or animals. So it wasn't safe for Noah and his family to leave the ark.

The dove found no rest on the earth so he returned to the safety of the ark and Noah.

The Dove

The Raven

• A dove subsists on seeds and small insects, which would have been around in abundance, a bit later after the flood.
• Doves manifest considerable trust of humans.
• It is said that doves rest only on dry ground, are known to fly low in valleys, and feed on vegetation. (Ezekiel 7:16)

This is why the dove always came back to Noah to make him aware of their surroundings before it left for good.

The Verse

• A raven is a scavenger, and would have had much to eat, after the flood.
• Ravens are more prone to survival and can take on the harsh conditions after the flood.
• Tend to travel over a fairly wide area.
• Can fly without rest for long spans of time.
• A strong flier, and it can subsist on a wide range of food items, including dead flesh.

(Gen 8:6-12) 6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, t9hat Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. 8 He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. 10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.