How Did We Get In This Mess In Our Lives – Part 6C
GENESIS 6 AND 7 – SIN HAD CORRUPTED THE EARTH – GOD PRONOUNCES JUDGMENT BY FLOOD ON MANKIND – CALLS NOAH TO BUILD AN “ARK” TO SAVE THOSE “RIGHTEOUS AND PRESERVE ALL LIVING CREATURES
GENESIS 8 AND 9 – GOD’S COVENANT WITH NOAH – A NEW BEGINNING FOR MANKIND
MANKIND GETS A “SECOND CHANCE” – A NEW BEGINNING AND THE BEGINNING OF “HUMAN GOVERNMENT” (GENESIS 9:1-7)
GENESIS 9:5 – “And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man”.
GENESIS 9:6 – “WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN’S BLOOD, BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED: FOR IN THE IMAGE OF GOD MADE HE MAN.”
*The very basis for God to call mankind to establish “Human Government; was for man to establish the standard for the “Sanctity of Life” because mankind was created in the “Image of God”.
* The institution of “Capital Punishment” presupposes the establishment of “Human governmental authority”. It would be chaos if anyone and everyone were to avenge a murder. Only duly appointed governments and their agents may do so. The New Testament perpetuates “Capital Punishment”, when it says concerning “Human Government”: “… he does not bear the sword in vain” (ROMANS 13:4).
GOD ESTABLISHES “THE NOAHIC COVENANT” WITH MANKIND (GENESIS 9:8-17)
* The “COVENANTS”, referred to in the Bible, constitute one of the PRINCIPLE KEYS to interpretation of the Old and New Testament Bible, denoting as they do, the “DIVIDING LINES” between the different dispensations, and indicating with several changes of procedure, in God’s dealing with the earth and mankind.
At various times, God condescends to enter into a “Covenants” with man, and FAILURE TO KEEP THE PRESCRIBED TERMS AND “SCOPE”, OF THESE “COVENANTS”, BY THE PEOPLE THEY ARE PRESCRIBE FOR – leads THE PRESCRIBED PEOPLE THEY ARE WRITTEN FOR into confusion, misery, failure, and death – for the people in which the “Covenant” is prescribed for.
The “Word of God” can be “Rightly Divided”, as we pay attention to the different “Covenants” recorded within the Bible. The “Covenants” are varied in their requirements, in their scope, in their promises, and in the “Seals or Signs” connected with them. Inspired history growing out of the “Covenants” furnishes a clear demonstration of God’s faithfulness and of mankind’s unfaithfulness and failure.
THE SEVEN “COVENANTS” THAT GOD MADE FOR MANKIND IN THE BIBLE:
(1). THE “ADAMIC COVENANT.”
The “Adamic Covenant” was given to mankind for the continued enjoyment of “The Garden of Eden” and for mankind to have everlasting life, with that the only condition being that they were not to eat from the forbidden tree – “The tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. But Adam (and Eve) failed to keep their part of the agreement with God and the result was: SIN ENTERED INTO MANKIND, they gave their authority over the Earth to Satan, the consequences of their sin and rebellion against God, it brought both Adam and Eve and all of their descendants, their separate consequences to their sins, the “Fallen Nature”, entered into all of creation, they were removed from “The Garden of Eden”, and were forced to live and toil, on ground that was “Cursed”.
(2). THE “NOAHIC COVENANT.”
The “Noahic Covenant” was given to mankind because God desired to continue his relationship with humanity despite judgment for sin. God gives mankind a fresh start in his relationship with mankind. God’s promise of a “Rainbow”, after the flood, symbolized that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. To see the rainbow stretched across the heavens, believers are reminded of how God preserves His creation now. It also establishes a human government to restrain evil after “The Flood”.
(3). THE “ABRAHAMIC COVENANT.”
The “Abrahamic covenant” was given to Abraham, as God promised him a great nation and all the nations would be blessed by him.
(4). THE “MOSAIC COVENANT.”
The “Mosaic Covenant” was given to Moses at Mount Sinai, which includes the ten commandments and laws for Israel
(5). THE “DAVIDIC COVENANT.”
The “Davidic Covenant was God’s promise to David that his descendants would rule forever.
(6). THE “NEW COVENANT.”
The “New Covenant”, established through Christ Jesus, offering salvation and a personal relationship with God.
(7). THE “EVERLASTING COVENANT.”
* THESE SEVEN “COVENANTS” REVEAL GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN AND COMMITMENT TO HUMANITY THROUGHOUT HISTORY
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE NOAHIC COVENANT?
The “Noahic Covenant” is an unconditional or unilateral covenant between God and man. In the promise made by God to the human race, He would never again destroy the world with a flood. The promise was made to every living creature on the earth. Because of covenant is unilateral, the responsibility to fulfill the “Covenant” lies entirely upon one party, rather than both parties in the agreement. In the case of this “Covenant”, the only responsible party is God.
God promises to the “Noahic covenant”, to never again destroy the world with a flood, is filled with the sign of a rainbow (GENESIS 9:8 – 17).
WHAT THE OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE NOAHIC COVENANTS
Genesis chapter 6 records God’s determination to destroy the earth and all living creatures upon the earth, with a worldwide flood. In that time, God saw that men were evil; mankind was so evil that “Every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (GENESIS 6:5). God was grieved in His heart when He looked down and saw the level of rebellion of sin, coming from mankind as a whole. God is so grieved in his heart – that He “REPENTED”. Not that he had done anything wrong, but the word here for “REPENTED” here means “To comfort yourself, by changing directions (the flood)”.
God saved Noah and his family, and two of each species of animals, that existed during that time. Even though God “Repented” for creating mankind, it meant that He would have to destroy almost all of mankind, but He preserved mankind through Noah and his family.
After the flood was over, Noah came off the “Ark” and immediately build an altar unto the Lord and offered up a burnt offering on the altar, to the Lord (GENESIS 8:20). As a “TOKEN (SIGN OR MARK) of His promise, He set the rainbow in the clouds (GENESIS 9:12, 13).
The Hebrew word used here for “TOKEN (SIGN), is the same Hebrew word used for the “MARK”, placed on Cain, after he murdered his brother Abel, in GENESIS 4:15 . In both cases, the “TOKEN OR MARK” was not for God’s BENEFIT but for man’s ASSURANCE. For Cain, it was a sign of protection from Vengeance. But Noah and all the generations that have followed him, the “BOW (RAINBOW)”, is a “SIGN” of God’s mercy and of His restraining judgment. The “MARK” of Cain declared, You will not be destroyed and the “BOW (RAINBOW) in the clouds declares, the earth will not again be destroyed by a flood.
This shows us something profound: that the “SIGNS” that God gives are always “PHYSICAL TOKENS” of His covenant promises. This reminds humanity of God’s divine mercy amid judgment. The rainbow arches across the sky after the storm, like a weapon hung up, with the “BOW” pointed away from the earth, signaling PEACE INSTEAD OF WRATH. It is a “SIGN” OF GRACE, against the backdrop of JUDGMENT, a testimony that God’s promises are sure and unchanging.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF “THE NOAHIC COVENANT” IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?
God will once again destroy the earth, as a judgment on sin, but this time it will be with fire (2 PETER 3:10, 11; REVELATION 21:1), in “The Day of the Lord”. But there is a way out for those who believe in Christ Jesus, as a shelter for anyone who will trust in Him. Just as the animals came into the “Ark”, for salvation from the rising waters – so we can come into Christ Jesus for salvation, from the spiritual death and destruction (ROMANS 8:1), and from the eventual judgment which will come to the earth (1 THESSALONIANS 1:10).
THE TWO “JUDGMENTS” AND THE TWO MEN WHO “WALKED WITH GOD” AND WHAT THEY SYMBOLIZE. THE “PATTERN” FOR DIVINE DELIVERANCE WILL BE THE SAME TIME AGAIN WHEN GOD “POURS” OUT HIS WRATH ON THE EARTH FOR MANKIND’S SIN AND REBELLION AGAIN!
GENESIS 5:24 – “ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD: AND HE WAS NOT, FOR GOD TOOK HIM”.
“ENOCH” – IS A SYMBOL OF “THE BODY OF CHRIST” THAT IS “RAPTURED” (JUDGED – “JUDGMENT FALLS ON THE HOUSE OF GOD FIRST”) BEFORE THE WRATH OF GOD IS POURED OUT ON MANKIND, ON THE EARTH, IN THE “LAST DAYS”.
GENESIS 6:9 – “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and NOAH WALKED WITH GOD”.
GENESIS 9:29 – “And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: AND HE DIED”.
* “NOAH” – IS A SYMBOL OF “THE BODY OF CHRIST” (“THE CHURCH”) THAT IS “SAVED” AFTER THE “RAPTURE” AND BEFORE THE TIME CHRIST JESUS POURS OUT HIS WRATH AND RETURNS BACK TO EARTH, TO REIGN IN HIS THOUSAND-YEAR MILLENNIAL REIGN. “NOAH”, IS A TYPE OF CHRIST JESUS, AND WHAT NOAH BUILT WAS AN “ARK OF SAFETY”, FROM THE JUDGMENT AND WRATH OF GOD. CHRIST JESUS ALSO “BUILT AN ARK”, WITH HIS “BLOOD” – SO THAT THE CHURCH WILL AGAIN HAVE AN “ARK” – NOT A PHYSICAL ONE BUT A SPIRITUAL ONE THAT WILL WORK JUST AS GOOD – DELIVERING THEM FROM THE EVERLASTING WRATH OF GOD; TO AN EVERLASTING PLACE WITH GOD
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF “THE NOAHIC COVENANT” TO US TODAY?
The “Noahic Covenant” serves as a powerful reminder of God’s grace and faithfulness. Despite humanity’s sin and rebellion, God chose to preserve life through Noah and his family. “The Noahic Covenant” is a call for us today, to trust in God’s sovereign plan for us – even when we face challenges or when it seems the world is in chaos. This is God’s promise, never to destroy the world again with a flood. We can trust his promises of salvation and restoration through Christ Jesus. We can see the rainbow and remember that God keeps His promises. Hope and faith in God’s ultimate plan, knowing that He is always working for the good of those who love Him:
ROMANS 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose”.
