TTN - The Torah Network

Why a raven first?

7 w

Then he sent out a raven and it kept going back and forth until the waters were drying up from the land.
Genesis 8:7 TLV

Why a raven first? As a carrion eater, it would be satisfied with any piece of bare ground with something dead nearby, but Noah knew that there was some dry ground outside. Perhaps it was to make sure that all corruption had been washed away? The raven goes first to ensure that death is complete and the ground is ready to begin producing life.

I'm curious what others think.

Comment

when we look at the story, what's happening is a four-fold sending out.
noah sends out the raven, with no mention of it returning, btw.
it just says that the raven flew around back and forth (check out backing and forthing) until the waters had dried up.
then, a dove was sent out, but she returned.
then she went out again and returned, with an olive branch.
and then, when sent out again, she did not return.

and so, there's a connect to the four living creatures.
the raven can be seen as a 'wild' creature, as is the lion.
the dove, returning empty beaked, a 'domesticated' one, alike the ox.
then sent again and returning with an olive branch, she is identifying with someone having moved from an animal-like existence to being human, epotimized by the israelites, the natural branches of THE olive tree.
and then, she does not return, she has 'taken flight', as an eagle.

now this can seem fanciful.
were it not that this theme spans across all scripture, one would have a point.

you know, this is a moment when i just sigh.
you either see it or you don't.
the hope is one see it later on, as the salve gets to work on the eyes.
one sees what one is supposed to see at each stage.
mebbe i'm making a mistake trying to show what i see, mebbe i'm throwing pearls to swine.
spaeking of which, what's the problem with a pig?
i spoke with someone last, who said it's a dirty animal, eating rubbish.
and i said, do you know about the pigs in spain that all their lives only eat acorns and have a premium price tag? little fat on these boys.
the problem with the pig is it does not chew the cud, it does not ruminate on what it consumes. we're talking knowledge here, not food.
and that good food is grass, which the Word is being likened to.
even though it (the pig), like the israelites (sheep), is quite capable of being a (cloven-hooved) divided kingdom, the heart and mind being in conflict.
and so, the legion being sent into the herd of swine is saying they are removed from believers and sent into unbelievers, doomed anyway, and their doom is just hastened.
why do you think the townspeople begged Him to depart from them?
anyway, so my mistake is to expect someone to ruminate, because i hope they're a sheep.

look, none of us is going to see things in the same way, we all have our own, peculiar to ourselves, pair of eyeballs, and our own mind.
but we CAN help each other see better.
excuse me jay, i'm unloading here, it's like even the wilderness is not hearing any noise this donkey makes.

and yet, my Father made me so.
let me keep on braying, i know no better.

when we look at the story, what's happening is a four-fold sending out. 
noah sends out the raven, with no mention of it returning, btw. 
it just says that the raven flew around back and forth (check out backing and forthing) until the waters had dried up. 
then, a dove was sent out, but she returned. 
then she went out again and returned, with an olive branch. 
and then, when sent out again, she did not return. 
 
and so, there's a connect to the four living creatures. 
the raven can be seen as a 'wild' creature, as is the lion. 
the dove, returning empty beaked, a 'domesticated' one, alike the ox. 
then sent again and returning with an olive branch, she is identifying with someone having moved from an animal-like existence to being human, epotimized by the israelites, the natural branches of THE olive tree. 
and then, she does not return, she has 'taken flight', as an eagle. 
 
now this can seem fanciful. 
were it not that this theme spans across all scripture, one would have a point. 
 
you know, this is a moment when i just sigh. 
you either see it or you don't. 
the hope is one see it later on, as the salve gets to work on the eyes. 
one sees what one is supposed to see at each stage. 
mebbe i'm making a mistake trying to show what i see, mebbe i'm throwing pearls to swine. 
spaeking of which, what's the problem with a pig? 
i spoke with someone last, who said it's a dirty animal, eating rubbish. 
and i said, do you know about the pigs in spain that all their lives only eat acorns and have a premium price tag? little fat on these boys. 
the problem with the pig is it does not chew the cud, it does not ruminate on what it consumes. we're talking knowledge here, not food. 
and that good food is grass, which the Word is being likened to. 
even though it (the pig), like the israelites (sheep), is quite capable of being a (cloven-hooved) divided kingdom, the heart and mind being in conflict. 
and so, the legion being sent into the herd of swine is saying they are removed from believers and sent into unbelievers, doomed anyway, and their doom is just hastened. 
why do you think the townspeople begged Him to depart from them? 
anyway, so my mistake is to expect someone to ruminate, because i hope they're a sheep. 
 
look, none of us is going to see things in the same way, we all have our own, peculiar to ourselves, pair of eyeballs, and our own mind. 
but we CAN help each other see better. 
excuse me jay, i'm unloading here, it's like even the wilderness is not hearing any noise this donkey makes. 
 
and yet, my Father made me so. 
let me keep on braying, i know no better.