Noah built an altar and offered burnt offerings (typifying Christ) to God to please Him (vv. 20-21) so that the earth with its systems of nature could be preserved. The perpetual regularity of the different cycles in nature without end is God’s guarantee that the order of the universe will be maintained for the preservation of the earth and the growth of all kinds of living things, that man may multiply endlessly and replenish the earth to fulfill God’s eternal purpose (Gen. 1:26-28).

Man’s fall brought in the curse (Gen. 3:17); the offering of Christ to God through the cross in the church life keeps the curse away and brings in the blessing (v. 22; Gal. 3:13-14). The ultimate curse is death, and the greatest blessing is life (Psa. 133:3).

Or, soothing.

See note Lev. 1:3^1a.

The altar is a type of the cross of Christ, and the offerings are types of the different aspects of Christ (Lev. chs. 1—7 and notes). The building of an altar and the offering of offerings on it signify the offering of Christ to God through the cross. In the church life, the first thing we must do is not to work for God but to go to the cross to be terminated; then we need to experience Christ and offer to God the Christ whom we have experienced in different aspects for God’s satisfaction. See note Exo. 29:38¹.

Eight people emerged from the ark. Christ was resurrected on the first day of the week, i.e., the eighth day of the old week (see note John 20:1^1b); thus, the number eight signifies resurrection. Since all the believers, the components of the church, were included in Christ’s resurrection (Eph. 2:6; 1 Pet. 1:3), they are the resurrected people. Hence, the living of Noah and his family after the flood signifies the living of the church in Christ’s resurrection. This is a seed of the church life.

Eight persons were in the ark when it passed through the flood and when it came to rest on the mountain. Thus, whatever the ark experienced, they also experienced by being in the ark. This illustrates how the believers, by being in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:4), were crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6; 2 Cor. 5:14; Gal. 2:20a) and also resurrected with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 2:12; 3:1). Because we are in Christ, His experience has become ours.

The olive is a type of the Spirit, and the fresh olive leaf signifies the new life in the Spirit. Thus, the olive leaf was a sign of life.

The raven is an unclean bird (Lev. 11:15) because it feeds on carcasses, i.e., on death. The raven signifies the fleshly believers who love the world judged by God and return to it to feed on the things of death. The dove (v. 8) is a clean bird because it feeds on seeds, i.e., on life. The dove signifies the spiritual believers who remain in the church life and care for life in the Spirit.

The ark’s passing through the water of death and coming to rest on the mountains of Ararat is a type of Christ’s passing through death and resurrecting out of death.