God’s Goodness

Day 10 – The Dove

Everything about the dove is gentle – its appearance, its sound, and even its motions. Have you ever observed one in flight? The grace and beauty of its landing upon a rooftop appears to be effortless – light as a feather. One of the most relaxing sounds I have ever heard is the cooing of the morning doves in the mornings. Their beautiful sound could calm the most restless soul. I can’t think of a better way to start my day than to hear those coos. This helps me to truly appreciate why God used the dove to represent His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not barge into our lives. His entrance is gentle, His sound is gentle and His motions in our lives are gentle. He speaks to us in that still small voice. I once heard preach that the Holy Spirit was a Gentleman – He does not force Himself upon us like a roaring lion but as gentle as the dove. I love that about Him, don’t you?

Therefore, when our lives are filled with noise and confusion, we know it is not from the Holy Spirit but from the god of this world. It’s so important for us to be plugged into God’s word to receive our necessary spiritual power, just as it’s necessary to plug in a lamp in order to receive electricity.

All four Gospels give the beautiful account of the Holy Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus after He was baptized. It is in this account that the Trinity was evidenced – The Son submitted, the Spirit rested upon Him, and the Father spoke. The first appearance of the dove in the Bible is in:

Isn’t it wonderful that The Holy Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters in Gen. 1:1 and the first mention of the dove was to send it out over the face of the waters to see if the waters had abated? God’s Word is so thorough – nothing is by chance – God reveals Himself throughout the Word. I thought that was so like God to show His Spirit in these two verses! Gen. 1:1 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

I also discovered that the dove (turtledove or young pigeons) was the only bird that was used in sacrificial offerings, Luke 2:24. God’s justice requires atonement for sin but sacrificial offerings could never provide complete atonement because our sin is never ending. But God’s love was so great for us that He provided the perfect atonement by taking on the form of man and becoming the perfect, sinless sacrifice on our behalf. It is only through the sacrifice of the Cross that we can have atonement for our sin. God no longer sees the born-again believer as a sinner because His Son’s blood was the atonement needed – the price had been paid over 2,000 years ago.

The gentle and quiet Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus Christ. He testifies to us of Christ through the Word of God.

What a beautiful depiction the two turtledoves were – they were a testimony of the coming of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ to us and presents us this wonderful Gift. Oh thank you, Lord!

With the acceptance of Christ’s work on the Cross, we receive eternal life and the sweet peace that accompanies salvation. I can’t think of sweeter more gentle animal than the dove to depict the Holy Spirit and how He introduces us to Christ. We are not forced to believe in Christ. We are gently stirred and called – and when we yield ourselves and accept Christ, the Spirit comes to reside within us. Thank You, Lord, for the beautiful picture of Your Holy Spirit today!

My Father lovingly prepared a way
And provided an atonement for sin
The Holy Spirit like a dove
Pricked my heart and entered in!