Good Morning.
So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. (Genesis 8:6-8)
As he prepared for the beginning of the of his ordeal, Noah decided to send two different birds from the ark to see if the waters had dried up on the earth. What many don’t realize is that he sent one clean bird — the dove — and one unclean bird, the raven. In Hebrew it is called ערב orev and comes from the root word that means “to mix, mingle.”
Of the raven it is said, that it kept going “to and fro until the waters dried up,” strongly implying that the raven never returned. Most likely this is because the unclean raven could sustain itself by feeding upon carcasses that would presumably be found upon the waters. The phrase “to and fro” also reminds us that the Adversary goes “to and fro” on the earth. Consider what we are told in the book of Job.
“And the LORD said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’” (Job 2:2)
The question is, why is going to and fro on the earth? Being unclean, he’s looking for those he may devour. Peter likened him to a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8) and thus we are to be “sober” and “vigilant.” We can’t afford to get separated from the herd, so to speak, and become the target of the Adversary. Separating ourselves from the main body, for whatever reason, or allowing our walk with the Messiah to grow stale alerts the Adversary to our vulnerability.
So then, let us reaffirm our commitment to walk with God, to draw closer to Him and to walk in harmony with our brothers and sisters in Christ. In the days ahead, we are going to need one another more than ever before. Stay alert!
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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