Islington Baptist Church April 1, 2001
Text: Genesis 8:20-9:17
Scriptures: Numbers 35:6-34, Exodus 21, Matthew 5:38-40, Romans 3, 13:1-8
In the last month we have been exploring Genesis 6-9 which details the account of Noah. At times we have focused on the climactic event of Noah’s time: the flood. We have also considered the person of Noah set before us.
In regards to Noah the man we have learned this: He was an exemplary man of faith, righteousness and purity. Noah was a man who walked with God and who hastened to be obedient to God in all things commanded of Him. Noah was a man who went against the flow-- it mattered not that all else did evil and no doubt wished him to join in with them—he went against the flow and did what was right in the sight of God. Noah also stands as an example of the blessings that come to the one who pleases God.
The last time we were together, Noah was at the altar. The first thing Noah did upon his leaving of the Ark was to build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice to the Lord. Noah’s building of the altar was all about his seeking of the face of God. Noah’s building of that altar reflects a heart that yearned and beat for God. Noah’s building of the altar reflects an orientation of his heart that said “In this world you have given to me, You God are #1 to me, I am in complete dependence upon you”
Noah’s offering and right heart really pleased God. In response to Noah’s offerings, Genesis 8:21 records a stunning resolution on God’s part: The resolution to never again curse the ground because of man and destroy all living creatures in the same manner as he had just done. Incredibly, and our text emphasizes this, God made this resolution even though every inclination of every persons heart is evil from childhood.
Today we are going to begin an in depth examination of 8:20-9:17. READ TEXT
I know that almost all of you own a camera. In using a camera there are a variety of different shots one can take (ranging from wide angle panoramic shots to close ups that zoom right in).
I. One of the things I would like to draw to your attention is this: the big picture of this passage:
Firstly: everything in today’s text happens at the altar and as a result of Noah seeking the face and favor of God.
Secondly: this passage is all about blessing: the blessing that comes first to Noah and his family and all the animals and then by extension to all of us.
The blessings detailed in this text come firstly according to the abundant and overflowing grace of God. One of the things we must note is how much out of whack the blessing of God is as compared to what Noah did: built an altar to the Lord. What’s the point: God’s grace is amazing, God’s blessings are huge.
The blessings come to us in response to Noah’s seeking of the face and favor of God, gloriously illustrating how God blesses those who find favor with Him.
The blessings:
1. Continuing ability to have children
2. Provision of food: the animals
3. Protection: a law with a penalty that protects the sanctity of life
4. An unconditional covenant instituted by God that guarantees to this day that God will not ever again destroy our world by means of a world wide flood.
II. That’s the big picture, now we need to zoom in a little bit and consider the details of our text.
1. One of the details of the text that must be noted is this: the texts structure.
As noted: 8:20-9:17 is a complete unit of thought. Within this portion there is a rather fascinating structure. For example 8:20-22 and 9:8-17 have a central thought that sandwiches the text as a whole. I say this because in 8:21 the text records God resolving to never again curse the ground as He has just done. It is not until we get to 9:8-17 that God’s declared resolution gets expressed in concrete terms –the covenant with the accompanying rainbow.
As 8:20-22 and 9:8-17 sandwich the text as a whole, 9:1-7 serves as the meat of the text. The fascinating thing about 9:1-7 is this and I want you to note it: the phrase “be fruitful and multiply”. This phrase in itself sandwiches 9:1-7 9 (as it is found at both ends). Within 9:1-7 is a “punch line” teaching with far reaching ramifications.
2. The resolution of God in v.21-22 was originally a private affair. In verses 21-22 we have become privy to the private thoughts of God-- for our text says “Then the LORD said in his heart”. It is not until we come to 9:8-17 that these thoughts of God become public knowledge—seen in God’s making a covenant with Noah.
What is the effect of this sort of thing—our being made aware of God’s thoughts? The effect is that God is more than “just a God who is a way up there”. God is one who can known and desires to be known. God is one who can be related to in a personal knowable way.
3. Man’s sin problem persisted. (8:21)
Here we have just been blessed in that the very mind and thought processes of God have been revealed to us, and yet note this: In God’s gracious blessing of us he is more than aware that us, the ones blessed are wicked. This makes God’s blessing of us all the more incredible. God knew that man’s rebellion against Him was not over and yet on the ground of his mercy and Noah’s seeking of Him, he graciously says to himself “Never again…”
The sinfulness of man. Yet again here we go on this subject. Yet note this, our text repeatedly notes this fact because of our bent to denial of our sinfulness.
How many times has it been in these first few chapters of the Bible that our sinfulness has been emphasized? Many. Oh how some hate to hear this point drilled over and over again. Yet sin is our basic problem.
Yes, countless people deny there sin, and in essence call God a liar. Yes many try to minimize their sin “mistakes, little white lies, bending of the rules”. Yet the Bible is clear “outside of Christ man is a wicked being”
Is every man and woman as wicked as they could be? No. Yet every person is born in sin, for as David says “I was sinful from the time of conception”. Oh how even Christians shudder as this and struggle with this: yet this is truth, it is the testimony of God who knows the human heart. (Note Romans 3, Psalm 51)
Until the Spirit of God begins to work in a person’s heart there is a blindness about them regarding their sin. Until the Spirit begins to work in a person’s heart the Bible’s talk of sin, it’s seriousness and the judgment of God sounds overblown. The Spirit’s work is to convince people of their sin and then to convict them of their sin—conviction that leads to repentance and then faith in Christ Jesus.
It’s not until a person comes to grip with their sinfulness that they understand why and how much they need Jesus as their Savior.** On the day you and became convinced and then convicted about our sins, Jesus and our need of him made sense. Through Jesus Christ alone can one have their sins forgiven. He is the only mediator between God and man.
4. Just because God here resolves and then promises to never destroy the world again by means of a flood does not mean that he is not going to destroy the world again.
Because of the sinfulness and wickedness of mankind He most certainly is again going to destroy the world—not by a flood but by fire. (II Peter 3). God never excuses a person of their sins: A fearful day of judgment awaits every person who refuses to come to Jesus Christ for the cleansing and forgiveness of their sins.
5. At the beginning of today’s message I mentioned that when you consider our text with the big picture in mind that it is all about blessing.
a. The first of God’s blessings was this: The continuing ability to have children.
Note this: This is here worded as a command. The creation commands of Genesis 1 are here repeated..
In introducing Adam and Eve to the world, God gave 2 commands
1. Be fruitful and multiply
2. Have dominion over the world
Here in the post flood world these 2 commands, which are really marks of God’s blessings toward us, still stand today
Also note this: God’s command to try for children, which is aimed at all married couples, brackets the section of 9:1-7
I know that what I say is painful to many but it is true “children are never guaranteed to anyone, but if and when they do come, they are a blessing from God” While the not being able to have a child looms as a possibility for every couple, the trying to have children is every married couples responsibility, it is the command of God.
Too many married couples in our age are selfish and disobedient to God when it comes to the subject of having children.
b. The second of God’s blessings expressed to Noah and his sons is this: their being able to eat animals.
Before the flood, people were vegetarians, or at least they were supposed to be (Note Genesis 1:30). Animals were off limits for food. When Noah and his family came out of the Ark one can imagine the immense shortage of plants for food. In response to this, God widens Noah’s diet.
There is a couple of catches though
1. God has made the animals afraid of Noah and his sons: so surviving is still going to be a challenge—again a consequence of sin
2. Meat that has blood in it cannot be consumed—on account that the life of any creature is in the blood. v.4
That a creatures life is in the blood is an known fact. If your blood runs out the oxygen your body needs doesn’t get to where it needs to go: hence you die.
Draining the blood out of a killed animal that you want to eat is also a very practical thing. If you shoot a deer and don’t drain the blood out soon, the meat spoils. With the blood drained out and some salt rubbed over the deer’s body, the meat is preserved and good to eat.
In the Bible, blood is representative of life and death. In fact, blood is a central feature in the scriptures: countless animals were killed, their blood being shed at the altar of God, in anticipation of the coming work of Jesus Christ who would shed his blood once for all for the forgiveness of the sins of all who turn to Him. If Jesus didn’t shed his blood and die on the cross their could be no forgiveness of sins- for as the scriptures say “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” Hebrews 9:22
3. God’s prohibition against eating of meat that has blood on the grounds that the life is in the blood segues into a much bigger subject: Our being made in the image of God
In Genesis 1:26-27 God says this “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness….”. You and I were created in the image of God—not physically looking like God, but in certain ways like God.
How is that we are like God?
-in that we are vice regents over this world, in that we can and ought to reflect his character, every time we create, build, invent something, etc
Being made in God’s image is what distinguishes us from the animals.
Being made in God’s image means that we belong to God and ought to subject ourselves to his will
In spite of our sinfulness we still bear God’s image –not perfectly, yet we still do
Since we are made in God’s image our lives are of incredible value. Human life is of incredible value and must be respected at it’s every stage.
We live in a day and age where human life is not highly regarded. Women have their unborn babies killed. Scientists are now experimenting on human embryos. The aged and disabled live in fear that one day they will be euthanized. In every environment people commit horrendous acts of violence against each other.
The third blessing of our text is this: a law given by God designed to protect human life. A law, that while on one hand results in the destruction of certain lives, in fact reinforces this truth: human life is of incredible value and is to be protected --because people are made in the image of God. To violate this law demands the ultimate penalty: death.***
Note God’s law v.4-6
Now I suppose that some find this law of God which God instituted to serve as a protector over human life, somewhat disturbing. At this point though I am going to “bail out”. We don’t have adequate time to discuss the whole subject of capital punishment today. In case you are interested in doing further biblical study on this subject, note the following passages : Exodus 21-22, Numbers 35, Matthew 5:38-42, Romans 13:1-8.
CONCLUSION
I. Big picture
1. God’s grace
2. God’s blessings
II. Details
1. The texts structure which is vital to understand in order to properly interpret the text
2. Our being made privy to the mind of God which leads us to understand that God is personable and knowable
3. The emphasis upon mankinds sinfulness
4. The understanding that even though world never to be destroyed by a flood again that it will be destroyed in the last day
5. God’s command to married couples to have children
6. God’s provision of food: the animals, our diet widened
7. Our being made in the image of God: speaks of our great value. A law with a stiff penalty instituted that designed to safeguard human life and hold forth its great worth.
Next week we are going to consider the fourth blessing given in this text: The unconditional covenant instituted by God that guarantees to this day that God will not ever again destroy our world by means of a world wide flood
In closing let me draw your attention to 9:1, 7. Note how God’s command to be fruitful and multiply brackets this section—this section which emphasizes our being made in the image of God and the protection that God has afforded us because of this.
I believe that God’s command to be fruitful and multiply brackets this section for this reason: God would much rather have us making babies and life than taking life and murdering one another.
