To and Fro
A Devotional Series from Genesis
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
6/29 Reading Portions: Joshua 1; Psalms 120-122; Isaiah 61; Matthew 9
Genesis 8:7
and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.
RAVEN
In yesterday’s devotional (click here to read), we took a spiritual and applicational approach to the use of a raven by Noah after the flood. Today, let’s first take a look what was going on historically. A few commentaries express that the raven “went to and fro,” from floating carcass to carcass, from dead body to dead body, picking at decaying flesh. Ravens are scavengers. I watched them daily for years, flying into my yard in Alaska, scaring off the other birds to eat from my feeders. Although picking at decaying flesh would be quite characteristic of ravens, the commentaries must be wrong that express the idea that the raven fed itself on rotting flesh. “Why is that?” some might ask. There are two reasons. First, the term “and went to and fro” is composed of the Hebrew words ויצא יצוא ושׁוב (vay-yā-TZĀ ya-TZŌ va-SHŌV). You can literally translate this phrase,
“and went going and returning…”
The raven was sent out, but it returned, then went out and returned several times, ultimately returning to the ark. Although this would have been unnatural and uncharacteristic of ravens since the fall, under the sovereign and miraculous will of God, the raven would do such. As mentioned yesterday, ravens have acted unnaturally by God’s command in Elijah’s case:
“You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 1 Kings 17:4-6
Second, again as mentioned yesterday, the raven was an unclean animal (Lev 11:15), and so there was only one pair of ravens aboard the ark. God wouldn’t have saved these creatures through the storms of judgment only to let the raven depart without its mate. So, what is going on here? Again, as yesterday’s devotional noted, it’s the gospel of Christ.
The raven unnaturally and uncharacteristically returning to the ark is a prophetic picture of your salvation and mine. Although we were unclean before the eyes of our holy God, by His sovereign grace through Christ, God has saved us, regenerated our souls, converted our minds, and spiritually changed our hearts. By God’s sovereign grace, we now act contrary to a nature of uncleanness and unbelief. Though we are sent out by Christ Jesus as witnesses for Him (John 20:21; Acts 1:8), our minds must always return to the ark of our heavenly home, as it is written:
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2
Hallelujah! What a Savior!