The Raven and the Dove

       This next part can be found in chapter 8 of Genesis. Noah waited 40 days to open the roof and test to see if the waters had receded from the land. He first sent out a raven but it never came back. Instead, it travelled back and forth trying to find land. Why would Noah choose a raven as the first explorer? I have a hard time believing that the raven would die rather than return to the ark. Whatever happened to its' mate? It dies state in that verse (v. 6) that the raven flew until the waters dried up. However, that does not mean that it had actually found it. That part always made me sad. I have heard several preachers who believe that the raven did fly searching for land rather than return to the ark. Yet, I am not convinced. Some preachers villainize the raven for not coming back yet they do not respond the same way when the dove does not return later on in the story. It seems to me that these preachers just don't like ravens and they are unjustly bringing that into their preaching.
       The aforementioned dove was the second bird brought out by Noah. It is uncertain as to how long after the release of the raven that this had occurred.Anyway, the dove flew around searching for land but only found water. Thus it returned to the ark, presumably on the same day.Noah reached out his hand and brought the bird inside the ark. Noah waited another week, or 7 days, before he sent out the dove again. The dove returned in the evening with a freshly picked olive leaf in its' beak when the dove returned to Noah. This was to indicate that the water had receded enough to be below tree level. Is it at all possible that an olive leaf was floating on the ocean's surface? Yes, but a leaf on the surface of the ocean would not have stayed looking fresh that long. It does seem to indicate that the water had receded far lower it had previously. Noah waited another week before sending the dove out again. Noah displayed great insight in that he waited for the water to recede further. When I was younger, I would have taken off the covering of the ark after seeing evidence of growing plants. Of course, everything changes when you're in the situation and through the experience of time. Anyway, after Noah sent out the dove it did not return. It was now the first day within the first month and Noah was 601 years old.