In the midst of our ever-changing world, it is very
refreshing to come into this place week after week and celebrate the One who is
unchanging and whose message brings real and everlasting hope! Such themes are
present in blessings God gives to Noah in Genesis 9:1-17. The commands and
covenant present in this passage illustrate the extent of God’s grace and the
assurance of His promises for His people—promises that we can cling to, even in
the midst of great distress and uncertainty.
1. The
Commands-Further Instructions-9:1-7
In spite of mankind’s great sin and subsequent destruction,
God graciously blesses humanity with the opportunity to do what they were
originally called to do in the beginning---“And God blessed Noah and his sons
and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (9:1). The
capacity to bear children was and continues to be a great blessing. As it was
for Adam, so now was it applied to Noah and his sons. This blessing, inasmuch
as it is the same blessing found in 1:28, demonstrates that the effects of sin
and the flood had not totally robbed the new world of the old hope (Matthews,
400).
This command to be fruitful and multiply is repeated in
verse 7, almost as if to highlight its significance. No doubt it was imperative
for Noah’s sons to reproduce for the sake of the human race. However, it has
also always been God’s design to fill the earth with His greatest
creation—humanity—from the beginning. The repetition of this phrase forms an inclusio with verse 1. Mankind would be
allowed to grow and thrive only if other commands were headed (see verses 2-6).
In contrast to what will be prohibited later, Noah’s family is called here to
propagate and celebrate life.
Moving now to those other commands, it become exceedingly
clear that Noah’s world is very different from the garden of Eden—“The fear of
you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird
of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the
sea…”(9:2a). In 1:28, immediately following the command “be fruitful and
multiply”, mankind was called to “subdue” and “rule” the earth. However, by
now, the effects of sin have led to danger and potential death at the hands of
the very animals that Adam had named. Therefore, to insure that animal life
would not be a threat to the human family on a large scale, the Lord gives
animals a sense of fear and dread of human beings. This would help mankind
exercise authority over them. “The providence of God is a secret bridle to
restrain their violence” (Calvin, 290).
No doubt part of the reason animals began to fear mankind
involved what God says next—“Into your hand they are given. Every moving thing
that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you as I gave the green
plant” (9:2b-3). Though it is unclear whether or not mankind was allowed to eat
meat up to this point, the allowance expressed here is one of the formal
distinctions given between the antediluvian and postdiluvian world. Just as God
had given plants for humans to consume in the garden, so now was He gave them
meat for their own nourishment.
However, the third command issued places some restrictions
on how Noah and his descendants were supposed to enjoy their steak—“Only you
shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” (9:4). Here, the eating
of raw meat that still possesses the animal’s blood is prohibited. This also
forbade the eating of an animal while it is still alive.
This restriction was not a matter of decorum but a
recognition that the blood was representative of the life force. In Hebrew, “blood”
is appositional to “life.” Animal life, though given to humanity for food, was
valuable in the eyes of God as they, like humans, were “living creatures.” As
such, even animals deserved respect and not wanton abuse. In other words, the
privilege of killing animals for food came with the responsibility of caring for
animal life (Matthews, 402).
Not only were men and women to respect animal life. But
above all, they were called to respect and protect human life. Before the
command is issued, the consequences of transgressing this law are laid out in
verse 5—“sure I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require
it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of
man” (9:5). The general rule here is that human life when violated, either by
animal or fellow human, required the life of the offender.
This is reiterated and further emphasized in verse
6—“whoever sheds man’s blood by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of
God He made man” (9:6). This verse indicates that the killing of a human person
is an offense to God Himself for it is in His image that mankind was created.
Those who take human life, under this covenant, will themselves suffer
execution. This is set, no doubt, because of the enormous value God places on
human life. “The basis of the prohibition against taking human life is rooted
in the transcendent value of human life conferred at creation” (Matthews, 403).
To take a human life unlawfully therefore is to usurp God’
sovereignty over life and death. However, because God has decided not to deal
with wickedness via global curses any longer, God delegates the authority to
carry out His vengeance on such wrongdoing to other men –“by man, his blood shall
be shed” (9:6).
The commands that God intended to characterize the next era of
mankind include the following: Be fruitful and multiply, be feared by animals
and use them appropriately, and be clean (do no kill unwittingly and especially
value the human person). With these commands come corresponding graces that are
found in the promise that comes next.
2. The Promises-The
Noahic Covenant-9:8-17
Verse 8 marks a natural transition from command to covenant
as it says “Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,…” (9:8).
This indicates that God is about to reveal something new. Now that the Lord has
made clear His expectations of mankind in this new world, He would make clear
what mankind could expect from Him.
What God makes known is a covenant—a new promise. He says,
“’Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your
descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the
birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out
of the ark, even every beast of the earth,…” (9:9-10). God’s promise here is
not limited to a particular people group (as the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants
later). Instead, this covenant was universal in its appeal and scope. In fact,
this promise is not even a respecter of species. Humans and animals of all
kinds are included in this covenant. In other words, all of the earth’s
inhabitants would in some was taste the grace of this new promise that God
made.
The promise itself is simple—“I establish My covenant with
you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood,
neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth” (9:11). As the old
children’s song goes “I’ll never flood the earth again, earth again, earth
again; I’ll never flood the earth again, God told Noah!” What a promise! For
Noah, I imagine this was a great relief. Having witnessed the intensity of
God’s wrath and the corresponding power that successfully judged the entire
planet in a most definitive way, I imagine Noah breathed a great sigh of relief
for his children and for all of his descendants after them.
Both the covenant and its sign have their origins in the
Lord: they are ‘my covenant’ (6:18; 9:9, 11, 15). “Gathering storm clouds,
lightning bolts, and torrents of driving rainwater no longer meant” immanent
global disaster (Matthews, 408) and this promise was irreversible.
Added to the grace of this promise is its corresponding
sign—a reminder of and evidence of the covenant made. Just as the covenant
applied to all living things on the earth, so too is the sign available for all
to see—“God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between
Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive
generations” (9:12).
The sign given is none other than a rainbow—“I set My bow in
the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth…”
(9:13). Three times this “bow” is mentioned in this passage and every time with
a “cloud” (9:13, 14, 16), demonstrating its prominence and significance. The technicolor
rainbow, witnessed against the backdrop of dark storm clouds, demonstrates
grace and hope even in ominous rain.
“It shall come about,
when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud”
(9:14). Therefore, upon every reminder of God’s power and sovereignty, there is
a consistent reminder of His wondrous grace.
Though we understand this “bow” to refer to a rainbow, it
may also refer anthropomorphically to the Lord, Who defeats His foes with
weaponry, including flashes of lightning bolts as arrows flung by his bow (see
Matthews, 411 and Hab. 3:9-11; Ps. 7:12; Lam. 2:4; 3:12). The Lord is depicted,
often in the Old Testament, as a warrior who vanquishes his foes (e.g. Ex.
15:3; Isa. 42:13; Zeph. 3:17). However, here the image is employed as a symbol
of peace. The same God who is capable of destroying great enemies, is the same
One who is ensuring the covenant promise of grace.
Upon seeing this sign in the clouds, God says “I will
remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of
all flesh…”(9:15). The language of “remembrance” is covenant language. Just as
it will be applied to God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 19:29) and His promise to
Israel (Ex. 6:5; Ps. 106:45), so too is it applied here in connection to what
has already been said in 8:1.
Genesis 8:1-“But God remembered Noah and all the
beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a
wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.”
Upon remembering, God will keep the promise made—“and never
again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in
the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant
between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth” (Gen.
9:16b-16).
As this passage comes to a close, God takes ownership of the
promise made saying “”this is the sign of the covenant which I have established
between Me and all flesh that is on the earth…’” (9:17). Because the promise is
sourced in God—who is holy and omnipotent—it is assured. Inasmuch as the
details and staying power of the promise are dependent on his impeachable
character, it can be fully trusted!
The perfect tense verb “I have established” suggests a
definitive act that is completed with present and ongoing implications. Here,
the making of the promise is the completed act, and the ongoing implications
include the grace shown to a world that, although deserving of global tragedy,
will be shown grace upon the sight of the beautiful rainbow.
So What?
So how might we apply what is
found in this passage in meaningful ways today. First, we must recognize under
which covenant we live as believers—the New Covenant of grace through Jesus Christ.
Though, to be sure, the Noahic covenant applies to us and we can continue to
expect that God will never flood the earth again, what is more pressing for
believers are the promises that God has made to us in His son and the victory
we have in him that is as sure as His empty tomb. Just as when Noah emerged out
of the ark, so too when Jesus emerged from the tomb, a new era was established,
an era of renewed grace between God and Man. While following God’s commands
would lead to a fruitful and prosperous life for Noah’s descendants in the Old
Testament, repentance and faith inevitably lead to fruit and salvation for New
Testament saints. While peace was promised on a global scale in a general way
for Noah, now, lasting peace and grace is realized only in relationship with Jesus
Christ. Though who are in Christ, like Noah, can expect God to keep the
promises He has made. So what are they?
A summary passage highlighting
many of these promises exists in Romans 8.
Therefore there is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of
sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was
through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He
condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be
fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to
the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the
things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things
of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death,
but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on
the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law
of God, for it is not even able to do so, and
those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
However, you are not in the
flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if
anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If
Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive
because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus
from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in
you.
So then, brethren, we are under
obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if
you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit
you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For
all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For
you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have
received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of
God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with
Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also
be glorified with Him.
For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the
creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For
the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because
of Him who subjected it, [i]in hope that the creation itself
also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the
glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans
and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only
this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even
we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption
as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been
saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already
sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance
we wait eagerly for it.
In the same way the Spirit also
helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the
Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that God causes all
things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called
according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He
also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,
so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these
whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He
also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who is against
us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over
for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who
will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died,
yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes
for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For
Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
But in
all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What is the corresponding sign to
these and other promises? An empty tomb! Praise be to God! The same One who
flooded the earth is the One who shows common grace to all. The same One who
conquered the grave, is the One who gives life to those who trust in Him!
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