NOTES for Gen 7:11-8:22
God gives humanity another chance: He knows that not all people will be like Noah, and He knows this secret of the human person, of which people themselves are not always aware—that “every imagination of the heart is evil from youth.” God promises that humanity will never again perish in a worldwide catastrophe. He makes this promise, as it were, “in advance,” knowing of the apostasy to come. But for God this is not simply indulgence toward human evil and sin—He acts out of mercy, symbolized by the olive branch in the dove’s beak. His mercy is always given beforehand; it is never a “reward” for good behavior. He forgives, comforts, and saves (how else can His actions be expressed in human language?), giving us the opportunity to respond to His actions—with our own.