The flood at Noah’s time was a kind of baptism. On the one hand it terminated the entire negative situation on the earth; on the other hand, Noah and his family emerged from these waters to live a new life–a life in resurrection.

Here’s what happened in Noah’s story after the flood waters began to recede.

• The ark came to rest on a mountain (vv 4-5)
  • Being on a mountain signifies being in resurrection with Christ.
• A raven was sent forth
  • As soon as it got a chance, the raven left the ark to be among the things in the death waters. In the same way, we may sometimes leave the “ark,” or the church-life that God has provided, and return to the world.
• A dove was sent forth
  • The dove, in contrast to the raven, returned to Noah with a fresh olive leaf. This olive leaf symbolizes the Spirit.  Hence the dove is someone who brings in the new life of the Spirit.
• Noah and his family came out of the ark
  • The number of persons who came out of the ark was eight—eight in the Bible is the number of resurrection.

After our baptism, we don’t want to be like the raven returning to the world. Instead, through faith and the encouragement of fellow brothers and sisters, we can claim a new life in resurrection, full of the spirit.