Alpha and Omega, Part 14
God’s Second Covenant with Mankind
Genesis 9:1-17
Introduction
- 2023 has been led with “one purpose”: To know there is a God!
-- Continuing our series, “Alpha and Omega”; examining the beginning to the end
- Last week (Gen 7 & 8) we saw three straight-forward encouragements:
1. God has offered salvation to us all, society is just as in the days of Noah
2. We must follow Noah’s lead to worship God in our lives (worship first)
3. We must make a great sacrifice and be willing to follow God
- Following God today, through Jesus’ example, means that we emulate Him
-- It means that we choose to obey, emulate Him, over our desires
- Let’s dive in and read our passage for today … Read Genesis 9:1-17 / Pray
Point 1 – The blessing and charge of humanity
- God offers a blessing to Noah and his sons (v1)
-- Hebrew: barak; to bless (means: to bestow a gift on a person)
-- EX: To extend good will or good intentions towards another
- See this: God was pouring out upon Noah, and in turn future generations (us):
1. His mercy and grace through His good will and intentions
2. His pleasure and joy because of His great gifts
- Thought: Without humanity, God’s plan of redemption is unnecessary
-- Reword: He could not fulfill His plan to redeem us without us needing it
-- God gives the very same instruction to Noah that He gave to Adam
-- It is actually a command: Reproduce - be fruitful and multiply
- Reproduction establishes the closest bond between a man and woman
-- To create a life is a wonderful undertaking; it also establishes the family
-- KEY: It teaches that all people are of one source; common bloodline
- (truth) We were created to have a common frame of purpose: to serve God
-- This is why all of humanity can be traced so effortlessly to its beginning
-- Unique today is this: We (humanity) have been given another chance (Noah)
- (v2) Our mission is now to subdue the earth; but it is no longer perfect
-- When Adam sinned, it ruined God’s plan of a perfect society
-- RE: We chose to sin, even though we had an option not to (ref: 2 trees)
-- (Read Gen 2:9) One was knowledge of good and evil, other was tree of life
-- Humanity chose to disobey God, they wanted to be “god-like” (temptation)
- Post flood: animal life is given a spirit of “fear and terror” of us (v2)
-- See: God does not tell us to go forth and subdue; but rather to have power over
-- Why? Our rule (and sovereignty) over the Earth was forfeited by our sin
-- APP: Even our sin even changed the relationship with the animals (afraid of us)
- Sin also weakened man’s ability to manage the earth (due to corruption)
-- FACT: Our sin ruined our call / ability to have sovereignty over the Earth
-- We do have something though, but it is not how we were orig. created
-- We have life, but we must now live differently than God intended
-- Very imp that we understand this: Sin changed everything about life
- TR: Once they are told to go and live, God explains new way of life …
Point 2 – God establishes humanity’s survival and government
- Man was given the right to eat the flesh of animals (v4-5)
-- He was also given the right to continue eating any vegetation he wanted
-- But we were called to not eat an animal who still has blood in it
-- EX: Blood carries disease, but this also prevents savagery against animals
- FACT: Animals are savages; and they live in a world of violence
-- Consider: animals hunt one another for food and devour as they conquer
-- Man, however, is give a different command – to respect the blood
-- APP: It is a nod to the atonement of Jesus, the blood of His sacrifice
-- Hebrews 9:12, “With his own blood - not the blood of goats and calves - he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.”
- God also establishes law and order for mankind – to protect life (How?)
-- He lays the seeds for establishing a form of government (Re-read v5-6)
-- This is one of the first laws – why? Remember Cain and Abel?
-- God is being clear here – this is something we must NOT take part in!
- He creates a process (cause/effect) in which murder shall be responded to
-- APP: Murder is a serious offense to God, and taking part in it is punishable
-- Ref: The command in Exodus is “though shall not kill” (ref Ex 20:13)
-- Premise: Life is to be protected … if you kill – you too shall lose your life
- Therefore, in establishing ways of living – God declares a sanctity of life
-- There is a protection to be given to life – all human life – regardless
-- Another sermon here … but this means all life is sacred
-- Re: We are made in His image (v6) – we must be settled in this truth!
- Why? Because we get redeemed by the covenant God establishes!
-- (BIG) If this is not settled in your heart, then Jesus cannot be your Messiah
-- If you are not looking to God to fulfill His promise, you’re not following Him
- TR: Fav part of Ch9 … the incredible agreement of God with man …
Point 3 – What is the Covenant made by God?
- Three critical things to note here as we examine his Covenant today
1. Understand the covenant was personal to God (v8)
- Hebrew: berith (be-reeth), a covenant.
-- Don’t miss this: He called it “my covenant” (v9)
-- Hebrew: qum (koom), to establish
- There was only one covenant of God: the promised seed of a redeemer
-- Noah was now the only living father left on earth; meant only one thing
-- And the way to fulfill this covenant was going to be through him
2. God promised to never destroy the earth with a universal flood (v11)
- See how specific God is here … this one action will never happen again
-- There would be other floods (locally for example); see this often
-- But for the whole world, it would never be destroyed by flood again
- Consider: What safety and security this verbiage must’ve provided
-- What Noah (and all life) has just gone through had to be a nightmare
-- And in order to go on living, Noah would have to know that he was protected
-- APP: To live well, we must have assurance that we will be safe
- God says He will establish His covenant with all of creation
-- If He has made the covenant with us, then it is His to fulfill (ult. authority)
3. God’s covenant is exactly what He says: it’s a promise
- Throughout scripture, we see other covenants made between God and man
-- However, this one is what allows all the others to be lived by: We’ll have life!
- Get this: If we have life here in Gen 9, then we have a future of protection
-- Matthew 11:28, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
-- John 3:16-18, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”
-- God’s covenant with Noah is our covenant as well … we will be provided for!
- TR: Being a faithful God, He even allows to have a visual sign to point to …
Point 4 – We are given a clear sign for assurance
- A rainbow is set in the clouds by God Himself (v12-16)
-- Hebrew: qesheth (key – sheth); a bow (feminine noun; something pretty)
-- The rainbow is a sign – a promise – of God visually caring about His creation
-- No real clarity in scripture if the rainbow was around before Noah
-- But now, God points to it and says, “this is my sign” for you to have faith in
- Consider: Standing alone, trying to grasp the enormity, would’ve been tough
-- God would’ve known this, because He knew the mind of Noah (as creator)
-- And what God does is provide him (us) with hope – with a tangible promise
- Today: Sometimes the cross can bring about many emotions for us
-- But a rainbow could bring about the same kinds of emotions today
-- APP: It is a sign of remembrance that His covenant is never-ending
- Rainbow has no real beginning or end, there is no pot of gold, but there it is
-- APP: It is a visual reminder of God’s judgement AND His redemption
- So what is the assurance we have of this covenant? (v17 – says it twice: v13)
-- God is very clear about this: covenant is insured by God and His Word
-- Truly, there’s no greater assurance could stand behind today
- So how do we tie this into 2023 for our own encouragement?
-- FACT: God has not destroyed the Earth by flood since the time of Noah
-- And, in keeping His orig. promise, God has already sent His redeemer, Jesus
- But many will ask: How can I know? How can I be sure of this? Faith!
-- APP: If we trust this word, then we have to trust the words of Jesus as well!
-- Matthew 5:18, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.”
-- Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
Conclusion
- We’ve been given a promise of eternal life through Jesus, God’s redeemer
-- But know this, humanity has been redeemed for God’s glory / His pleasure
-- We are simply offered the opportunity to be a part of it (have to repent)
- RE: Jesus said, “Not my will”, even as the crowds chanted “Hosannah”
-- Why? Because He knew that He would give His life for them as well
-- It is why we can celebrate this original covenant of redemption
-- And exactly what Noah leads us into with his life: salvation
-- Come back next week, and let’s celebrate God’s redeemer through Easter!
- Pray (strengthen faith, acceptance of covenant, need for mercy)
