Chapter 8 has echoes of Genesis 1 all the way through it. The land being created as the waters subsided and then life being re-established upon it. It has the feel of a factory reset orchestrated by God. It’s an expression of His desire to see all things made well and true again.

There are a lot of numbers in this chapter and they carry a significance that’s easy to miss if they’re not part of your normal culture. So:

150 (v.3) is a number that simply reflects abundance so could represent a long time in this context.

17 (v.4) represents complete victory over an enemy or that sin is overcome.

10 (v.6) is a representation of creation

7 (v.10 and v.12) the number for completion or wholeness

Just following the numbers through the passage reveals God’s desire for a new creation which is unspoiled. It’s always his heart for His people to want to redeem what He created from the place of loss or brokenness. It’s the same story that follows all the way through the Bible. We make mistakes and errors and He finds a way to fix it all again. Ultimately it would be through the life of His Son Jesus that all things would finally be made well.

***

Questions:

How has God made opportunities in your life for you to find resolution for your mistakes?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to our rescue. Forgive us for our ways. Forgive us for the times when we’ve followed our own path and allowed ourselves to be consumed by worldly things. Help us to receive the forgiveness that Jesus won for us on the cross that we might walk in Your ways always. Amen.