DWDP - Gen 8: 5-14 Noah Opened the Window of the Ark

A dove with an olive leaf, a window cracked open to a washed world, and a family waiting for dry ground—Genesis 8 gives us a vivid frame to see God’s justice and mercy side by side. We walk through Noah’s long year, trace the raven and the dove, and face the question many raise today: can a loving God also judge? Rather than dodge the tension, we let Scripture guide us from the Flood to Sodom and Gomorrah and forward to Revelation’s winepress, where heaven itself declares that God’s judgments are true and righteous.

What emerges is not a harsh deity but the Holy One who loves without lying about evil. We push back on the comfortable claim “my God isn’t like that” by listening to the Bible’s witness: the Judge of all the earth does what is right, spares the righteous, and opposes corruption. Then we turn to the surprising center of Christian hope—imputed righteousness. Noah found favor because he believed, and his faith took shape as obedience. In Christ, that pattern culminates: God credits the righteousness of Jesus to those who trust Him, not because of works but by grace through faith. The cross is not a minor footnote; it is the ark that carries us through the flood of judgment.

Along the way, we explore how a strong view of divine justice actually anchors compassion, courage, and moral clarity in a confused age. If judgment is real, grace is astonishing; if holiness is true, mercy becomes more than a slogan. We end with a clear reminder that our only plea is the blood of Jesus, our only hope the finished work of the crucified and risen Lord. Listen, reflect, and share with someone who needs a sturdy word about love, justice, and the righteousness only Christ can give. If this conversation helps you, follow the show, leave a review, and pass it on to a friend who’s wrestling with these questions.

Transcript

Welcome And Scripture Reading

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Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr. Robert Jackson.

Noah’s Timeline And The Dove

Why Judgment Came: Violence And Corruption

“My God Isn’t Like That” Challenged

Sodom, Justice, And Biblical Wrath

Revelation’s Winepress And Bowls

True And Righteous Are Your Judgments

Noah’s Relief And Imputed Righteousness

Faith, Not Works, Credits Righteousness

Christ Our Only Hope

Closing And Listener Invitation

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Papa, can you tell me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go get your brother and your sisters, and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr. Papa. Gather round, grab your Bibles, and let's look into the written word which reveals to us the living word who is our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we're in Genesis chapter eight verses five through fourteen. The water decreased steadily until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible. 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. Now it came about in the six hundred and first year. In the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up. In the second month, on the twenty seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. The Lord add his blessing to the reading from his word. Now the ark is anchored on the mountains of Arat, waiting for the waters to abate. This took another seven months, so that they were in the ark three hundred seventy one days, slightly over a year. Say that with me three hundred seventy one days. So let's rehearse a little bit. How long did the rain fall? forty days. How long did the water cover the earth? A hundred and fifty days. How long were they in the ark? three hundred and seventy one days fifty three weeks. Why did God destroy the earth and all its inhabitants? Well, if you remember, the Bible told us plainly that it was because of violence. Hamas was the original word because of violence and corruption. Now I can already hear the liberals and infidels, that word infidel means unbelievers. Infidel is just another word for unbelievers, and I can hear the liberals and infidels, those that don't believe the plain teaching of the word of God rising up in their indignation and saying, But my God is not like that. He would never destroy the whole earth by a worldwide flood. And I'm sure some of you have heard liberals and unbelievers, liberals and infidels indignantly indignantly say to you, but my God is not like that. He would never do that as they listen to the plain teaching of the Word of God, not just in reference to the flood, but in reference to all manner of other plain teaching in the Bible. You know, that's the same question that Abraham asked God about when God told him his plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to their perverted sins. Abraham asked, Will not the judge of all the earth do right? You see, Abraham was having a hard time imagining a good and righteous God destroying all the people in two towns. That's why he negotiated so vigorously on their behalf. He just knew that a good God wouldn't do that. But here's the fly in the ointment of that kind of thinking. Now what does a fly in the ointment do? Well it dies and it makes the ointment stink. And that kind of thinking is stinking thinking because it's not biblical thinking. Why not? Because the God of the Bible is also a god of justice and a god of wrath. He did destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality, because of men having sex with men, and as Romans one tells us, the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. God the righteous judge spared righteous lot and his family, but rained down fire and brimstone from heaven upon those wicked cities. He is a God of love. Otherwise he would not have sent his son, his only son, to purchase our redemption, but he is also a God who is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows he shall also reap. If he sows to the flesh he shall of the flesh reap corruption. If he sows to the spirit, he shall of the spirit reap life and peace. The infidel says, My God is not like that. I'm here to tell you that the God of the Bible is a God of love and a God of justice, a God of loving kindness and a God of holy wrath, who once destroyed the entire earth and all its inhabitants by a worldwide flood, who once destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone, and the word of God informs us that one day he, like Lot, he will snatch all the Christians off this planet in the rapture of the church, and he will then tread the wine press press of the wrath of God. In fact, Revelation fourteen verse nineteen and twenty describes that time and that event. Let me read to you Revelation chapter fourteen, nineteen and twenty, which says Then the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press up to the horses' bridles for a distance of two hundred miles. Now I don't know where folks get off saying that my God is not like that. The Bible plainly tells us that he is a god of wrath, and that one day he will tread the winepress of the wrath of God. Then follows in Revelation sixteen the seven bowls of the wrath of God poured out on planet earth, and interestingly, in the very middle of these bowls of wrath poured out on the earth, an angel from heaven announces righteous are you who are and who were, O holy one, because you judge these things, for they are poured out the because they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserved it, and I have and I heard the water saying, Yes, O Lord God the almighty, true and righteous are your judgments. You understand that God is a God of wrath, he is a God who dispenses justice, and the angels declare, Yes, O Lord God the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments. In that day will the unbelievers dispute the angels of God while they stand on the sidelines wringing their hands and clutching their pearls and saying, But my God is not like that. Their God is a product of their vain imagining, and not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is a God of wrath and judgment, whose eyes are too pure to look upon iniquity, who does not tolerate evil, who will one day judge all the nations and whose righteous acts will be revealed. And when Noah opened the window of that ark, as we just read in chapter eight, and when he looked out at the watery grave of millions upon millions of earth's previous inhabitants, no doubt he breathed a sigh of relief and thanked God for imputed righteousness. Now doctor, pray tell, whatever in the world do you mean by that? What I mean is that Noah realized he was just as much a sinner as all the folks that were drowned in that flood. But because he believed in God, just like Abraham, who came much later, God credited that belief to his spiritual account as righteousness. One day you and I will stand on the other side of Jordan's stormy banks, safe in the arms of Jesus. We will look back at all of the unbelievers that we knew who did not make it, and realize that we were just as much a sinner as they were, but because we trusted in Jesus, trusted in the blood of the cross, God credited it to our spiritual account, the righteousness of Jesus Christ. With tears in our eyes and a big sigh of relief, we will remember all of our lies and deceit and jealousy and covetousness and lust, and we will bask in the warmth of Jesus' welcoming smile and draw tighter around us the snow white robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and we will begin eternity enjoying imputed righteousness, the very righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been credited to our spiritual account. You see, Noah received the favor of God because he believed, and we know he believed because he obeyed, and three separate times in the book of Genesis it tells us that he obeyed God, and we know he obeyed God because he built the ark. And the faith of Noah, just like the faith of Abraham, was credited to him as righteousness. And brothers and sisters, it's not by deeds of righteousness that you and I have done that we have been saved. It is only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Bible tells us that God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that you and I, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Let me say that verse again. God made him who knew no sin. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. That one verse describes imputed righteousness. The righteousness of Jesus Christ was credited to your account and my account, not because of deeds of righteousness that you and I have done, but because of faith. For by grace have you been saved. For by grace have you been saved through faith, and not by any deed of righteousness. Brothers and sisters, for by grace are you saved through faith, lest any man should boast. Thank the Lord for grace. Thank the Lord for imputed righteousness. And that's why I say to you when Noah opened the window of the ark and he looked out, that I have no doubt that the first thing he did was he breathed a sigh of relief and he thanked God for imputed righteousness. And when you and I stand on Jordan's stormy bank on the other side, and we look back and we see all the folks who did not make it because they were infidels, unbelievers, because they said in their heart, My God is not like that. I want you to understand that you're not standing there safe and secure in the arms of Jesus because of any deed of righteousness that you might have done. You are there only because you put your trust in the blood of the cross. Because you put your trust in the completed work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our only hope. If Jesus doesn't save you and me, you and I will not be saved. He is my only hope. He is my only plea. It is only by the blood of Jesus that you and I will stand on the other side of Jordan's stormy bay, safe and secure in the arms of Jesus. Thank God every day for imputed righteousness. You're listening to devotions with Dr. Papa. If you like what you hear, I pray that you would follow, like, or share. Tell your friends about it. Download it if you need to. And remember, Jesus loves you and your doctor loves you. And until next week, I pray that the Lord will bless you real good.

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Thank you for listening to this edition of Northern Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to our Facebook page, Instagram, or web page at Jackson Family Ministry.