Covenant with Noah - Part 2.
And Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. (Genesis 8:20 Webster)
Noah has done his part, God has brought the animals into the Ark. Noah goes in, and God shuts them in and the rains come down. The Bible goes into a lot of detail of what happened to cause the flood, it also gives a very definite timeline of events.
Toward the end, Noah sends out a raven, then a dove (twice). Finally God gives the green light to exit the ark.
The first thing Noah does is build an altar and offer sacrifices. God responds by promising never to destroy the earth by water again. God then blesses Noah and tells him and his sons to replenish the earth - very similar language as in Genesis 1:28. God then makes a change to our diet by including the eating of meat. Not only are we to eat plants, but flesh too. There is a barrier erected in this eating of meat, we are to drain the animal of blood and we are not to drink blood.
In addition, man's life is sacred. No man may take the life of another and no animal may take the life of man. We are created in God's image.
When we look at these events in the light of a Covenant, we can see the flood as being the consummation of the Covenant. With the feast occurring when Noah and his family exit the ark.
The law is then pronounced. Before we get to the law though, it is important to see who the parties are to this Covenant. Genesis 8:21, we see that God is the first party in the Covenant and the initiator. The second party is all of humanity, and all of the beasts of the field and the fowl of the air. Basically every living thing on planet earth. We see the parties repeated more clearly in Genesis 9:9-10.
Now the law. We have the instruction to Noah, his family and the animals. Do not kill man, do not drink blood, fill the earth.
God's part of the Covenant is that he will never destroy all the earth with water again.
Symbol. God places a rainbow in the clouds of the sky and points to this as being the sign or symbol of the Covenant. It is a reminder to God to never destroy the entire Earth by water, it is a sign to us that God keeps His promises.
Mediator. This is the final part of the puzzle in terms of this Covenant. A mediator is a person that is not a part of the Covenant, but is bring the Covenant and the parties together in negotiating the terms and conditions. In this role, it is clear that God is the mediator.
In summary, this Covenant is between God and all of humanity as well as all animals. The duration of this Covenant is until day and night are ended.
The ban on not killing man, besides the obvious of being created in God's image, also has reflects on the time before the flood. Genesis 6:11, the flesh was corrupt and the earth was filled with violence. So restating the obvious needed to be done.
There is much more than can be said, but will be said at the right time.
Father, thank you that you have kept your promise for about 4400 years already. We all know of regional floods that have occurred, but the earth has not yet been destroyed. I pray for those who have not yet entered into the Ark - the Lord Jesus Christ - to be saved from the destruction to come, that they may find repentance and faith and be saved.
And I establish beriti [my covenant] with you
And not again shall all flesh be cut off by mey hammabul [the flood waters]
And not again shall be mabul [a flood] leshakhet [to ruin, to destroy] ha’arets
What Was the Covenant GOD Made with Noah? Don Stewart
https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_745.cfm
After the Flood GOD made an unconditional covenant
with Noah & his descendants. This is known as the
Noahic covenant. There are several specifics of this covenant.
1.] Fill The Earth
GOD gave Noah a similar commandment that HE
had given Adam & Eve. They were to fill the earth.
The same Hebrew word that is used in Genesis 1:28
meaning to fill, not refill or restock. There is no basis
of some Pre-Adamic race in the world.
2.] Rule Over Animals
The rule over the animals would now be different.
Fear & terror would now characterize the relationship of
beasts to humanity. GOD performed a gracious act in
giving humankind the rule over the beasts.
If the beasts were allowed to multiply without any restraint,
they may have eventually wiped humanity off of the
face of the earth.
2.1] Problems With Wild Beasts
In Leviticus 26:6-22, problems with wild beasts are mentioned.
Leviticus 26:6-22 | And I will give peace to the land,
& you will lie down with nothing to fear.
I will rid the land of dangerous animals,
& no sword will pass through your land.
You will pursue your enemies, & they will fall by the
sword before you. Five of you will pursue a hundred, &
a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, & your
enemies will fall by the sword before you.
I will turn toward you & make you fruitful & multiply you,
& I will establish MY covenant with you.
You will still be eating the old supply of grain
when you need to clear it out to make room
for the new. And I will make MY dwelling place
among you, & MY soul will not despise you.
I will walk among you & be your GOD, & you will be
MY people. I am the LORD your GOD, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, that you would no longer
be slaves to the Egyptians.
I broke the bars of your yoke & enabled you to walk in
uprightness. If, however, you fail to obey ME &
to carry out all these commandments, & if you reject
MY statutes, despise MY ordinances, & neglect to
carry out all MY commandments, & so break MY covenant,
then this is what I will do to you:
I will bring upon you sudden terror,
wasting disease, & fever that will
destroy your sight & drain your life.
You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies
will eat it. And I will set MY face against you, so that you
will be defeated by your enemies.
Those who hate you will rule over you, & you will flee
when no one pursues you. And if after all this you will
not obey ME, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold
for your sins. I will break down your stubborn pride &
make your sky like iron & your land like bronze, & your
strength will be spent in vain.
For your land will not yield its produce, & the trees of the
land will not bear their fruit.
If you walk in hostility toward ME & refuse to obey ME,
I will multiply your plagues 7 times, according to your sins.
I will send wild animals against you to rob you of your
children, destroy your livestock, & reduce your numbers,
until your roads lie desolate.
In the Book of Revelation wild beasts become a global threat
during the tribulation because of lack of food at the time.
Without a strong sense of fear & terror, some of them
could prey upon humanity.
2.2] New Diet?
One of the ways GOD permitted to help solve this new problem
with the animals was a new diet for humankind.
Previously, there had been a vegetable diet, now there was
a meat diet. The vegetable diet was still in effect after the Fall.
If human's ate meat before the Flood, there is no record of it
in Scripture. We are not specifically told why GOD permitted
the eating of meat after the Flood,
though the keeping down of the animal population is
one obvious reason. It has also been suggested that
humankind's physical strength was not the same as
before the Flood as is evidenced in his
decreased life-span.
The meat diet was now more necessary to their survival.
This also demonstrated GOD’s mercy
by this increased provision.
Finally, the fact that humans could eat animals emphasized
the gap between humanity & the animal kingdom-only
humankind has been made in the image & likeness of GOD.
Not all agree that this new diet was instituted after the Flood.
There is no prohibition of eating meat before the Flood.
The BIBLE is silent on the matter.
2.3] Prohibition Of Eating Blood
The BIBLE says that humanity is not to eat flesh that has
not been drained of its blood.
The sacredness of the blood is emphasized in this command
for it is the life-principle for both humanity & animals.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, &
I have it to you upon the altar to make
atonement for your souls [Leviticus 17:11]
These prohibitions have nothing to do with blood transfusions.
There are some groups who believe that the sacredness
of the blood does not allow themselves or others to receive
blood transfusions.
This, however, is not the intent of Scripture.
3.] Capital Punishment
Humankind was allowed to shed the blood of other humans.
The death penalty was given for murder.
Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a
human shall that person's blood be shed;
for in HIS own image GOD made humankind
[Genesis 9:6]
Since life was sacred, as represented by the blood in the body,
GOD will require the life of an animal or a human
who takes the life of a human being.
The taking of a life must be outside the sphere of a proper
punishment by a civil authority or legitimate defense of
one's self or others.
GOD does not require the death penalty for those who
lawfully put another one to death or who kill in self-defense.
Although humankind may shed the blood of beasts for food,
they are not allowed to shed the blood of another humans.
4.] No More Floods
One of the promises GOD made to Noah & his descendants
is that there would be no more floods like the one they endured:
Thus shall I establish My covenant with you;
Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the
waters of the flood; never again shall there
be a flood to destroy the earth [Genesis 9:11].
If the Flood were only local, then the promise has seemingly
been broken because there have been many devastating
local floods since Noah's time.
Those who believe in a local Flood do not think this is the case.
There have been devastating floods, but there has not been
a flood that has destroyed all of humanity.
5.] Sign Of The Rainbow
GOD gave a sign of the rainbow to Noah & the rest of
humanity that HE would not destroy the earth again
by means of a Flood.
I set MY rainbow in the cloud, & it shall be for the
sign of the covenant between ME & the earth
[Genesis 9:13]
Though there may have been rainbows before the Flood,
the sign of the rainbow testified GOD would never again
destroy the world by a Flood.
Summary
The covenant GOD made with Noah include the following:
1.] Like Adam, Noah & his family were commanded to fill the earth.
2.] The animal kingdom would now be in fear of humankind.
3.] Capital punishment would now be in affect.
4.] There would be no more floods like the one GOD sent.
5.] The rainbow would be the sign that GOD would not send another Flood.
