Focal Passage: Genesis 9:1-13
God had every right to judge humanity completely. The intentions of mankind were “nothing but evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5) Yet God’s grace found Noah. Through Noah the Lord preserved humanity and His promises of redemption.
For 150 days the waters prevailed on the earth. Once the waters receded and the Lord instructed Noah and his family to come out of the ark on dry ground, the patriarch built an altar to give glory to God. The Lord’s renewed blessing to Noah remains in effect for us today.
God takes the redemptive initiative. God blessed Noah and His sons with the same mandate He gave to Adam in Genesis 1. This is not simply a repetition of a common blessing. It is a renewal of the creation mandate. God could have changed the name of the game, introducing stricter rules or taking away key promises He gave at creation.
Moore
Instead, the Lord doubled down on His plan for mankind. God took the initiative through His grace to instruct Noah to build the ark. It was God who shut the door of the ark at the beginning of the deluge, protecting the remnant of humanity. It was God who commanded the family to come out of the ark to receive His blessing. We can take heart that God is still in control and has a promise for His people regardless of the pervasive sinfulness in the world. God’s redemptive initiative described in the story of Noah finds its ultimate fulfillment in the salvation won on the cross by Christ and championed by the church today.
God affirms the value of life. While the creation promise was repeated, a change took place in man’s relationship with the created order. Fear and terror would now dominate the animal kingdom under the authority of humankind.
This points to something being lost from the symbiotic connection between man and beast in the Garden of Eden. This projects a need for redemption not just of humanity, but also for the entire created order. Even though God grants mankind the permission to eat the meat of animals, no one should eat the meat with the lifeblood still in it.
Also, God prohibits the vengeful, violent spilling of human blood. Jehovah’s foundation for this command rest in humanity as image-bearers of God. This proves the sanctity of every human life. A preserving God calls His people to likewise work to preserve all human life at every stage.
God promises to preserve His creation. God renewed His covenant with mankind in the presence of Noah and his family. Within this blessing came the promise that He will never destroy the earth by a flood. God pointed to the rainbow as the sign of His covenant promise to preserve creation.
Despite the attempt by the prevailing culture to use the rainbow as a symbol for one particular community’s identity, believers should always see the rainbow and be reminded of God’s providential love. The bow in the sky is pointed up toward heaven, signifying that God is willing to lay down His own life to uphold His covenant promises. This ultimately finds fulfillment in the sacrificial death of God’s only Son on the cross for our sins, preserving for Himself a people of the promise forever. B&R
