THE DOVE. NOAH'S MESSENGER. 



GRANVILLE OSBORNE. 



ftMONG the beautiful incidents of 

 scripture none has become more 

 familiar to old and young alike 

 than that which relates how 

 Noah " sent forth a dove from him to 

 see if the waters were abated from off 

 the face of the ground." We can im- 

 agine the timid messenger sent forth 

 by Noah's hand from the open window 

 of the ark. Over the vast surface of 

 the waters it fiew, in obedience to 

 natural instincts, seeking a place of 

 rest, but, as the narrative relates, " the 

 dove found no rest for the sole of her 

 foot, and she returned unto him into 

 the ark, for the waters were on the face 

 of the whole earth." With what an un- 

 erring flight the dove had returned to 

 the only safe refuge, and how gently 

 did Noah "put forth his hand" and 

 "draw her in unto him," after the 

 weary quest was over and the tired 

 wings had only brought back a mes- 

 sage of defeated hopes. After seven 

 days had gone by Noah sent forth the 

 dove again with longing expectancy 

 that the flood might be receding. With 

 swift flight the dove disappeared from 

 view, and, high in air, sought amid the 

 waste of waters, with its marvelous 

 powers of sight, for any sign which told 

 of safety and rest. At length it reached 

 a refuge, the spot it so'ght, where 

 the valleys once more began to show 

 themselves above the depths. And in 

 the evening, as Noah watched and 

 waited at the open window of the ark, 

 he saw afar off the glint of snowy wings 

 against the golden sky, and " lo, the 

 dove returned, bearing in her mouth 

 an olive leaf plucked off, so Noah knew 

 that the waters were abated from off 

 the earth." The olive branch was a 

 token that even the trees in the valleys 

 were uncovered, and has been the tvpe 

 in all after ages of peace and rest. The 

 Hebrew word "yonah " is the general 

 name for the many varieties of doves 

 and pigeons found in Bible lands. It 

 is frequently used by the prophetic 

 writers as a symbol of comparison. 

 Both Isaiah and Ezekiel speak of doves 



that "fly as a cloud." In many of the 

 wild valleys of Palestine the cliffs are 

 full of caves, and there the wild pig- 

 eons build their nests and fly in flocks 

 that truly are "like the clouds" in 

 number. Again the same prophets 

 speak of the " doves of the valleys, all 

 of them mourning." This is peculiarly 

 applicable to the turtle dove. Its low, 

 sad plaint may be heard all day long 

 at certain seasons in the olive groves 

 and in the solitary and shady valleys 

 amongst the mountains. These birds 

 can never be tamed. Confined in a 

 cage, they languish and die, but no 

 sooner are they set at liberty than they 

 "flee as a bird" to their mountains. 

 David refers to their habits in this re- 

 spect when his heart was sad within 

 him: "O that I had wings like a dove, 

 for then would I fly away and be at 

 rest." Nahum alludes to a striking 

 habit of the dove when he says: " And 

 the maids of Hazzab shall lead her as 

 with the voice of doves, tabering upon 

 their breasts." 



Hazzab was the queen of Nineveh, 

 who was to be led by her maidens into 

 captivity, mourning as doves do, and 

 "tabering," or striking on their breasts, 

 a common practice in that country. 



David, in beautiful imagery, comforts 

 those who mourn, saying: "Though ye 

 have lain among the pots, ye shall be 

 as the wings of a dove covered with 

 silver and her feathers with yellow 

 gold." A dove of Damascus is referred 

 to whose feathers have the metallic 

 luster of silver and the gleam of gold. 

 They are small and kept in cages. 

 Their note is very sad and the cooing 

 kept up by night as well as by day. 



To the millions who devoutly sing of 

 the " Heavenly Dove " no other sym- 

 bol either in or out of the Bible sug- 

 gests so much precious instruction and 

 spiritual comfort as this innocent bird — 

 pure, gentle, meek, loving, faithful, the 

 appropriate emblem of that " Holy 

 Spirit " that descended from the open 

 heavens upon our Lord at his bap- 

 tism. 



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