Genesis 8 begins with Noah and his family safe on the ark. The first verse of chapter 8 says that God "sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded." This verse looks forward to the later miracle at the Red Sea, where God sent wind to part the waters (Exod 14:21).
Genesis 8 also signals a new beginning, a renewal of creation, and the language in this chapter often parallels that of Genesis 1. The wind in Gen 8:1 reminds us of God's Spirit hovering over the waters in Gen 1:2. As the months go by, dry ground appears, reminding us of the third day in Genesis 1.
The ark finally comes to rest in the mountains of Ararat on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (v. 4). In the later liturgical calendar of Israel, where the year starts in the spring, this is the third day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The date suggests thinking of the ark as a booth and seeing God's blessing and provision in these events.
On the other hand, if the calendar being referenced in Gen 8 began in the fall, say with the Feast of Trumpets, then this date would occur during the Days of Unleavened Bread, and we could think of Noah and his family being "passed over" and rescued, given new life in the ark.
There is further symbolism in Gen 8:13, where Noah "removed the covering from the ark." The word for "covering", mikseh, is the same word used for the tabernacle covering (Exod 26:14). We can think about the ark foreshadowing the tabernacle as a place where God was present with Noah and his family.
Noah and his family were in the ark for over a year. During the current time of staying home to head off an epidemic, we can put ourselves in Noah's place and know that God is with us too.
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