YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN. Genesis 8:1-5, 13–22, Genesis 19:29, Hebrews 8:1-6
GENESIS 8:1-5
1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.
2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down,
4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.
Genesis 8:13–22
13 By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was completely dry.
15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
22“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Genesis 19:29
“So it came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow”. God’s remembrance of Abraham was the basis for saving Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Hebrews 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
The title: YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
The context of Genesis 8:13–22 is the conclusion of the flood narrative, a turning point in God’s dealings with creation after judgment. Here we see that God provided a food supply for Noah and every living creature a the whole year while in the ark:
The Waters Recede (vv. 13–14): After a year in the ark, Noah removes its covering and sees that the earth has dried. By the 27th day of the second month, the ground is completely dry, signalling the end of the flood judgment.
Noah’s Worship (v. 20):
Noah builds an altar to the Lord and offers sacrifices from the clean animals and birds. This is the first recorded act of worship after the flood and shows gratitude, dependence, and acknowledgement of God’s mercy.
While the Bible does not provide all the details we need to give a precise figure for the time Noah had to build the ark, it does give us some parameters that allow us to think that around 75 years was roughly the upper limit.
Genesis 5:32 tells that after Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japhet.
Now, Genesis 7:6, Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.
And the Water flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. The details of the ark is in chapter 6:15-16. It is said that the Ark was six times longer than it was wide, the same ratio used by modern shipbuilders.
So the ARK OR THIS HUGE BOAT WAS ALMOST ONE AND A HALF OF A FOOTBALL PITCHES IN TODAY’S CONTEXT.
Many of have trouble sticking to any project, whether or not it is directed by God. Interestingly, the length of Noa’s obedience was greater than the lifespan of people today. The only comparable long-term project is our very lives. But perhaps this is one great challenge Noah’s life gives us to live, in acceptance of God’s grace, an entire lifetime of obedience and gratitude.
A major strength of Noah was that he was the only follower of God left in his generation. After Adam, he is the second father of all human races.
A Man of patience, Consistency, and obedience. A First major shipbuilder under God’s instructions.
- BEYOND LIFE’S STORMS, GOD OPENS THE DOOR TO A NEW BEGINNING.
(Genesis 8:15–17, Genesis 1:22, 28, 18–19, 2 Corinthians 5:17) God’s Command to Leave the Ark
GENESIS 8:15-17
15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!
God tells Noah, his family, and the animals to come out of the ark. The command echoes the original blessing in Genesis 1:22, 28—to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth—showing that creation is starting anew. The ecology restarted all over? Noah’s family began a new chapter through God’s mercy. He offers us a new chapter. Is like being born again, the old is gone now the new is here.
Obedience and New Beginning (vv. 18–19): Noah, his family, and all the animals leave the ark. This moment represents a new chapter for humanity and creation, much like a “second creation.”
God’s Judgment is real, and He is also merciful: The flood was God’s judgment, but this passage highlights His mercy and grace in preserving life and promising stability.
New Creation: Just as God began creation in Genesis 1, He now “recreates” through Noah and his family.
Human Sinfulness: Even though the flood wiped out wickedness, the human heart is still inclined to evil (v. 21). Salvation must ultimately come through a greater covenant fulfilled in Christ.
God’s Faithfulness: The promise of regular seasons reflects God’s commitment to sustaining life and keeping creation ordered. - THE NEW COVENANT WITH CHRIST IS ETERNAL AND UNCHANGING.
Hebrews 8:1-6, Genesis 8:20-22, Genesis 12:7-8,
Hebrews 8:1-6 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
Genesis 8:20-22
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 22“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Jesus is our ultimate sacrifice. God’s Response and Covenant of Stability (vv. 21–22):
God accepts Noah’s offering and makes an internal resolve: never again will He curse the ground or destroy all living creatures, even though human sinfulness remains. Instead, God promises the stability of creation—the cycles of seedtime and harvest, seasons, and day and night will continue as long as the earth exists.
The unchanging nature of God and the New Covenant
While the covenants in Genesis are distinct from the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ, Christian theology views them as part of a single, unfolding story of God’s redemptive plan.
God’s unchanging nature: The faithfulness and reliability that God demonstrated in his promises to Noah and Abram are considered evidence of his unchanging nature, or immutability.
New Covenant built on earlier covenants: The New Covenant, which Christians believe was inaugurated by Jesus at the Last Supper, is understood as the ultimate fulfilment of the promises made in earlier covenants. The Letter to the Hebrews, for example, argues that Jesus is the mediator of a “better covenant” established on “better promises”
A “better” promise: Unlike the Old (Mosaic) Covenant, which was conditional on human obedience and often broken, the New Covenant is based on God’s faithfulness and includes a new heart and the forgiveness of sins, made possible by Christ’s sacrifice. The unchanging nature of this covenant is secured by Jesus, who himself is described as “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
KING SOLOMON’S TEMPLE
The temple built by King Solomon is widely referred to as the “first temple.” Construction on the “house of the Lord” began in the spring of 967 B.C.E. (1 Kings 6:1;2 Chronicles 3:1-2).
It took seven years to build and was completed in the fall of 960 B.C.E. (1 Kings 6:38). The temple was situated adjacent north of the City of David on Mount Moriah, in the same area that Abraham built the altar to sacrifice Isaac. King David purchased the land from Ornan the Jebusite at the end of his reign (1 Chronicles 21).
The temple was a large and impressive structure, especially compared to the palace and surrounding buildings, but it was not colossal or ostentatious.
It was 31.5 meters (103 feet) long, 10.5 meters (34.4 feet) wide and 15.8 meters (51.8 feet) high. The quality of its construction was exceptional. It was built from the highest-quality stone, metals and timber, which were fashioned, largely off-site, by expert Phoenician and Israelite craftsmen.
The “Molten sea” was a large metal
A basin in which the priests washed. The giant bowl, which measured 2.62 meters (8.5 feet) high and 5.25 meters (17.2 feet) in diameter, held 44,000 litres (almost 12,000 gallons) of water (1 Kings 7:23-26;2 Chronicles 4:2-5), Underpinning this heavy basin were 12 bronze oxen, each facing outward, arranged in sets of three.
Used for Burnt offerings, the large altar was 5.25 meters (17.2 feet) high, 10.5 meters (34.4 feet) long and 10.5 meters wide, and was accessed by aramp (2 Chronicles 4:1).
Ten bronze wheeled stands, each holding a basin of water, were positioned around the temple-five on the north, five on the south. The stands were decorated with hand-carved wreaths, lions, oxen and cherubim (1 Kings 7:27-28; 2 Chronicles 4:6). These basins of water were used by the priests to rinse off animal parts used in burnt offerings.
The “Porch” (vestibule) was 10.5 meters (34.4 feet) wide and 5.25 meters (17.2 feet) deep (1 Kings 6:3; 2 Chronicles 3:4). Two large bronze pillars framed the entrance. The pillar on the right was called “Jachin,” meaning “he will establish”; The one on the left was called “Boaz,” meaning “quickness” and “in strength” (1 Kings 7:21; 2 Chronicles 3:17).
Two Gold-overlaid, wooden folding doors with carved images of cherubim, palm trees and flowers separated the holy place from the porch (1 Kings 6:33-35).
The Holy place was the largest room in the temple and contained the golden incense altar, the table for the showbread, and 10 golden lampstands with 10 tables (1 Kings 7:48-49). The holy place was 21 meters (68.8 feet) long and 10.5 meters (34.4 feet) wide. The gold-overlaid walls, built from cedar imported from Lebanon, were carved with images of palm trees, “knops” and flowers.(1 Kings 6:17-18; 2 Chronicles 3:5-7).
The Holy Place was separated from the holy of holies by a large, finely embroidered purple, blue and crimson linen “vail,” or curtain (2 Chronicles 3:14). The holy place had clerestory windows with recessed frames (1 Kings 6:4).
OLD TESTAMENT ALTARS.
The Hebrew word for altar, mizbeach, means “a place of slaughter”. Altars served as the central feature of worship and held deep theological significance for the Israelites.
Encounters with God: Patriarchs such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob built altars to commemorate divine encounters and give thanks to God. The first biblical mention of an altar was when Noah built one after the flood to offer burnt sacrifices to God (Genesis 8:20).
Atonement for sin: Under the Mosaic Law, specific instructions were given for building altars for the Tabernacle and the Temple. The altar of burnt offering was used for sacrifices to atone for sins and seek reconciliation with God.
Worship and covenant: The altar was a sacred space where the divine and human worlds interacted, and covenants with God were established. An altar of incense was also used to burn incense, which symbolised the prayers of the people ascending to God.
NEW TESTAMENT ALTARS
The New Testament redefines the concept of the altar through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which fulfils and replaces the need for the physical altars of the Old Covenant.
Christ as the ultimate sacrifice: The ultimate altar is the cross, where Jesus offered himself as the perfect, once-and-for-all sacrifice for humanity’s sins (Hebrews 13:10). This final act of atonement means that animal sacrifices are no longer needed.
Believers as living sacrifices: With the arrival of the new covenant, the emphasis shifts from a physical altar to a spiritual one within the heart of the believer. Christians are called to offer their own bodies and lives as “living sacrifices” to God (Romans 12:1).
A heavenly reality: While physical altars are obsolete for Christian worship, the Book of Revelation describes a heavenly altar where the prayers of the saints are offered to God (Revelation 8:3-4). This reflects the spiritual continuation of worship and intercession. - CHRIST AS THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE: Hebrews 9:11- 15, Hebrews 9:24-28
The ultimate altar is the cross, where Jesus offered himself as the perfect, once-and-for-all sacrifice for humanity’s sins (Hebrews 13:10). This final act of atonement means that animal sacrifices are no longer needed.
Believers as living sacrifices: With the arrival of the new covenant, the emphasis shifts from a physical altar to a spiritual one within the heart of the believer. Christians are called to offer their own bodies and lives as “living sacrifices” to God (Romans 12:1).
Hebrews 9:11- 15
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation.
12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
A heavenly reality: While physical altars are obsolete for Christian worship, the Book of Revelation describes a heavenly altar where the prayers of the saints are offered to God (Revelation 8:3-4). This reflects the spiritual continuation of worship and intercession
Hebrews 9:24-28
24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. - BEFORE THE LORD, YOU ARE A PLEASING AROMA. OFFER YOURSELF AS A LIVING SACRIFICE. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15a, Genesis 8:21-22,
2 Corinthians 2:14-15a
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved …………………….
Genesis 8:21-22
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
Conclusion
Isaiah 54:7-10, Hebrews 13:20-21
Isaiah 54:7-10
7 For a brief moment, I abandoned you, but with deep compassion, I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger, I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness, I will have compassion on you.” says the Lord your Redeemer. 9 “To me, this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, Yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Hebrews 13:20-21
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
