The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-30
COMP PARES NOAH
TO MODERN MAN
Raven and The Dove" Sub
ject of Rev. McVOy
"BE OF GOOD CHEER"
Advice to Young Man or Woman Is
To Never Give Up To Despair
or Lose Their Faith
in God

THE Raven and the Dove" was the
subject of an able sermon delivered yes
terday morning at the South Highlands
| Methodist church by the Rev f. c. Nc
Voy. the pastor He spoke in part as
follows:
And he sent forth raven.'-Gen ST..
| And again he sent forth the dove out
of the ark.'-Gen. $40.
"A man who calmly goes on with his
work in the face of scoin and ridicule is
| something of a man. Noah, the man who
built the ark, did that God had revealed
to him that there was to be a great
flood, for 10 days and nights rain would
fall. until the waters covered the whole
face of the EARTH and only the people.
and animals. birds and fowls, that were
in the ark would be saved.
with simple faith in God, Noah went
to work to build the ark. The people, |
dare say, called him a fanatic and held
| him UP to ridicule. / see yonder a crowd
| of men gathered around him: What are
you doing, Noah?' they ask. 4 am getting
ready for the food he replies. And they
laugh long and loud. The schoolboys,
doubtless, moeksd him and said: Noah,
that's an awfu1ly funny house you are
building But undaunted Noah kept on at
his work. l say, 1t takes a man to
stand up against ridicule. Evidently Noah
was a man.
People Fooled
well, after a while the people found
out that they had played the fool and
not Noah. The flood came, the waters
covered the earth, and all animal life
was destroyed except what was in the
ark.
"Our text this morning brings before us
an impressive scene. For long months
Noah and the people with him had been
shut up in the ark and they begin to Won
upon dry land again.
| Il imagine l can see Noah He has
been a man of strong faith in God, but
now his faith weakens. He says to him
self, 1t looks like the God whom l have
trusted has forsaken me. 1t seems as
| IL this flood is here to stay, and after all
my hard work in building this ark we
| are destined to perish
| Now, notice what Noah does. Almost
| in despair, he chooses one of the birds in
| the ark, raven, and sends out this
| raven, hoping against hope that the bird
would bring back some token of dry land
| | see Noah as he stands there at the
| window watching this raven until he
| disappears from sight. Then he waits foI
| the return of the bird, but waits in vain
| the raven comes back nevermore.
| Now it was perfectly natural that Noal
| should first send forth the raven, fol
you know the raven typifies despair, ano
| that was Noah's condition, almost in de.
spair.
Noah Ashamed
But look againl Noahs mood has
| changed. He is ashamed that he has
| doubted God. Hope revives In his heart
| And he SAYS to himself. L will send out
another messenger Now notice what
bird he selects This time he chooses the
dove, the beautiful dove. And says, Lit
tie dove, you shall be my messenger &c
| forth and see if you can bring back some
token of dry land SO, away flies the
dove And again Noah stands at the
window and watches and waits. But once
more he is doomed to disappointment
| The dove flies out over the waters, and
| finding no resting place for her feet, pres
| entity, she returns with no token or dry
land.
| "Pathetic scene 1t is, as Noah reaches
| forth his hand out of the window to bring
| the dove back into the ark. But in spite
of the second failure the hope of Noah s
heart is not crushed.
| what does he do now? Well, he waits
seven days and then for the third time he
opens the window of the ark and having
chosen the dove again for his messenger
he sends her forth in still stronger faith
| The day passes, and as the shades o
evening begin to tall l see Noah at the
window of the ark. anxiously gazing out
| Look, A smile plays over his face
Yonder in the distance he spies the re-
| turning dove, and. 10, as she reaches the
ark, behold in her n.outh is an olive leaf
fresh leaf. She had not found it floating
on the water, but had plucked it from ar
| olive tree.
THAT olive leaf was token that the
| flood would soon be gone, a symbol oi
peace. 1t was Gods message TO Noal
that all was well. And now we read:
"'And Noah stayed yet other sever
days, and sent forth the dove; which re
| turned not again unto him any more"
1.-The waters subsidized. and the ark restec
| on dry land. So we see, In those trying
days of anxious waiting, Noah made the
raven his messenger once, and the dove
1 three times.
| Now, as | recall this Old Testament
| story, / am thinking that the human
! neATI IN ali axes mas Hdu tWo IltStSHteIS
1.-THE raven and the dove. The raven rep
resenting gloom, darkness. despair. The
dove representing good cheer, peace, nope
land every human heart sends out one
or the other of these messengers.
How differently people look upon lfcl
Some look upon 1t as bitter and hard and
cruel-not worth living; they send out the
raven Others look upon it as sweet and
attractive and beautiful, a constant Joy.
They send out the dove.
| Many Lose Heart
| .Those who have made the raven their
messenger form a great multitude. Some
times the best OF men and women lose
| heart, and utter The note of despair. Ja-
cob, standing before Pharoah at the ripe
age of 1870, said that his days had been
| few and evil Moses at one time asked
| God to kill him, that he might not see
| his wretchedness. Gideon was man of
| strong faith usually. but one day he lost
| heart and said The Lord hath for
| saken us. and delivered us into the hands
! of the Midianites. Job was patient
| man, but he cried out: My soul Is weary
| of my life: 1t is bitterness to me-. Jere-
miah, that man who made kings trem5le,
| said: Cursed be the day wherein l was
| born Solomon, after tasting of all life S
honors and pleasures cried out: Vanity
of vanities all is vanity These men sent
out the raven.
Going into profane history, we fire..
quently And there the note of pessimsnl,
! the raven of despair. Schopenhauer. the