In The Begining, God (Message 10)

Key Thoughts for This Series:

God is the SUBJECT of Genesis 1-11 even though He is often forgotten as we talk about the FOUR incredible events of this section of Scripture.

These four events are given as NARRATIVE, and according to other portions of the Bible, they happened just as they are TOLD. We need to determine HOW to respond.
The Story of Day 6

The Changes Because of the Flood

Gen. 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. 4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.
6    “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.
Gen. 9:7    As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

This passage begins and ends with the command MULTIPLY.
Gen. 1:22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

The relationship with man and animals will now CHANGE. The creatures will now have a FEAR and DREAD of man. These creatures are NOW “given into the hands of men.”

To this point, man had been VEGETARIAN, but now he will ADD meat to his diet.
— There is no RESTRICTION of clean or unclean animals.
— Meat cannot be eaten without DRAINING the blood.
— There should be no WANTON killing of the creatures.

The penalty for taking the life of another human will be DEATH (an accounting). This is because man is made in God’s IMAGE. Note that this wasn’t the case earlier with CAIN.
Gen. 4:15 But the LORD said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

The Covenant Because of the Flood

Gen. 9:8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
Gen. 9:12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Gen. 9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

Next, God provides the LEGAL language for the covenant that He PROMISED earlier.
Gen. 6:18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

This covenant is not DEPENDENT on men or on the creatures, but upon God HIMSELF.
Gen. 9:11 I establish my covenant with you: . . .

EVERY step of the covenant is carefully RECORDED.
Gen. 6:18 But I will establish my covenant with you, . . .
Gen. 9:9 “I now establish my covenant with you . . .
Gen. 9:12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you . . .
Gen. 9:15 I will remember my covenant between me and you . . .
Gen. 9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.

The covenant was spelled out in EXACT terms.
Gen. 9:11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

God has always provided a SIGN to CERTIFY His covenants, and this covenant was NO different.

— With Abraham — CIRCUMCISION
Gen. 17:11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

— With Israel — SABBATHS
Ex. 31:12 Then the LORD said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

— With Christians — The CUP
Luke 22:20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

— With Noah — The RAINBOW
Gen. 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

However, the Hebrew text does not say “RAINBOW,” it says “BOW” (קֶשֶׁת qesheth).

Gen. 9:13 My bow I have given in the cloud, and it hath been for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth; (Young’s)
Lam 2:4 Like an enemy he has strung his bow; his right hand is ready. Like a foe he has slain all who were pleasing to the eye; he has poured out his wrath like fire on the tent of Daughter Zion.

When God hung His BOW in the CLOUD, He was declaring PEACE and was giving a sign that the earth would not be destroyed AGAIN until the end of time.

Walk the Talk

Which of the changes after the flood were a surprise to you and why?

Why is the issue of blood so important to God?

What are your thoughts on the passage and the issue of capital punishment?

Why is God’s covenant important?

Why is the rainbow so meaningful to you now?