The Dove

"And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'" -Matthew 3:16–17

"The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." -Genesis 1:2

In English, we lose the distinct connection between these two Scriptures; but in the original Hebrew, hovering most literally means fluttering, thus rendering the verse "fluttering like a dove over the face of the waters" in the Aramaic manuscripts of Jesus' time.

So, we see that the dove has long been used to embody the Spirit of God, possibly because of the characteristics the creature holds; gentleness, meekness, peace.

Perhaps the most well-known instance of doves in Scripture (the reason we associate the olive branch with the bird), is how they were used to tell if the floodwaters had lowered, in the story of Noah's ark.

"And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore." -Genesis 8:11–12

Though we don't have much reason to assume this bird is the Spirit of God, it is interesting to consider the last time we see this dove in the Old Testament, and how we are introduced to a similar creature in the Gospels.

Give it some thought; we are left with the fact that the dove did not return to Noah because she had found a place to rest. Many years later, we see another dove, the Spirit of God, finding Himself a place to rest... this time, however, we are told exactly where that place is- and that is on the shoulder of Christ.

The reason the dove did not return to Noah was that she had found a place to rest, and even flourish. She found land, sufficient food to eat, and water to drink.

In the Gospels, the dove found the same thing in Jesus. He chose to rest on Him because here He saw someone who could provide; the Bread of Life and the Living Water Himself. Jesus, standing in the Jordan River and surrounded by water, offered the dry land that the bird sought after.

"And John bore witness: 'I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.'” -John 1:32–34

The dove, the Spirit of God, did not depart from Jesus; but remained on Him, and in Him. As He found a place to rest in Christ, so may we with the faith that He will no doubt provide for us if we only abide in His love.