The Raven and the Dove

“Then it came about at the end of 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; but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth. Then he put out his hand and took her, and brought her into the ark to himself. So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark. The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth. Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again. ”
Genesis 8:1–19

     Have you ever wondered why there are two, such very different birds in the flood narrative?  There are probably no two birds so different in their natures and behavior than the raven and the dove.  The raven is a predator and a scavenger - both aggressive and highly intelligent.  If you've seen the Hitchcock film "The Birds" you would remember the scene where the ravens gather in huge numbers in the school yard, perching menacingly on the swingset and the jungle gym.  There is a sense of foreboding and fear as the children slowly leave the safety of the schoolhouse - and you just know what is going to happen next.

     But could you imagine the same scene, but exchange the ravens for doves?  The horror imagery immediately falls flat, because everyone knows that doves are the gentlest, most fragile of birds.  The scriptures mention both birds numerous times, and neither in a negative sense.  Ravens fed Elijah under the Juniper tree, and the Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove.
     I've been reflecting a great deal on this story because it seems to have a bearing on times of crisis and major decisions in our lives.  Noah and his family floated on the water for almost six months - completely at the whim of the waves and the hand of the Lord.  Noah knew they would eventually "land" somewhere, but only God knew where.  When the Ark finally came to rest on Mount Ararat, they still did not know where they were, or how long they had to stay in the boat (around another 5-6 months; they remained in the Ark for over 365 days total).  So, the boat stopped moving, but they still weren't sure where they were, or if it was time to come out.  So what were Noah and his family doing inside the Ark all this time?  They were caring for the animals as they had been for many months.  They were worshipping, because they maintained the sabbath rest.  They were seeking God's direction, because Noah sent out the two birds to determine if the waters had receeded.  The raven flew "to and fro" until the water dried up from the earth - assumedly feeding on the carrion from the flood, and perching on the Ark... but it never came back inside.  The dove went out three times and only returned twice, the second time with the olive branch.  What did Noah now know?  He knew the water had receeded, and that the Raven found food and the dove a place to perch.  All that remained was for the Lord to give the green light to leave the Ark.

     Can you imagine the impatience Noah and his family must have felt at this point?  Let's get OUT OF HERE!  For reasons we do not understand, the Lord only spoke after nearly two more months and said, "OK, time to get out."  There is a corollary for us right now;  we "hit ground" during the summer when we made the decision to resign and leave NAMESTAN.  We've been waiting for the waters to receed, and I've sent out the raven and the dove to see if God will confirm our decision to move to Conifer, Colorado.  The dove has finally come back with an Olive Branch - and I hope to share some more details with you in the next few days.  Until then, we worship, and we wait.