01-37 Noah's New World
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Genesis 9:1-7
Genesis 9:1-7
One can hardly begin to imagine all that Noah was thinking when he and his family stepped off the ark for that first time after the flood. For a year and 10 days he had encountered divine protection in the safety of the ark. God would later testify to that thru Peter:
20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
For that year, they knew the safety of the ark but now it was time to come out. And you can almost sense a hesitancy for Noah and his family to leave. I say that b/c (after sending out the raven and dove)
13 Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up.
The ground was dry—now that word means more like “to be in ruins/desolate” but Noah noticed that water was gone from the surface. It would be 56 days later that the “earth was dry” (vs 14). That is actually a different term referring to the absence of moisture. This is 1 of 2 OT miracles: the other being when God dried up of the Red Sea when Israel left Egypt.
But at this point—this shows a bit of the hesitancy of Noah—God commands him to leave the ark. And when he comes out—I’m sure a flood of emotion overwhelms him and he does the only proper thing: worship God thru sacrifice.
Everything about the earth at this point was new. There were no longer any other people. The earth wasn’t full of animals (yet). There weren’t any little children (yet). There weren’t the normal things going on that happened prior to the flood:
38 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
Everything was new: no buildings, no recognizable landmarks, nothing was familiar—for it was all new. This has never been experienced since—and can only be rivaled perhaps by the newness that every sinner experiences when they trust the LJC:
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
This is Noah’s new world. And it is in this setting/stage that God will begin to carry out the drama of redemption—having preserved the pure seed of the human race from which the line of Messiah would drawn. And it is here and specifically b/c of the newness of everything that God commits Himself to a course of action—binding Himself to His own eternal purpose, so that there would be nothing to interrupt his plan of redeeming sinners. Theologically, this is known as the “Noahic Covenant” not b/c it is dependent on anything that Noah would do, but that God expressed this covenant directly to Noah.
It is the first of the biblical covenants (specifically called a covenant 6:18; ch 9). God called it an “everlasting covenant” (9:16) in the sense that as long as the conditions for it continue (as long as earth remains…) the covenant cannot be rescinded/broken. It is also a universal covenant. God did not just establish the covenant with Noah, but...
9 “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you;
10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.
12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations;
In this sense, b/c the conditions remain in place in our own time, this covenant has been made with each one of us here today. So it is an everlasting covenant and a universal covenant—which it has to be if God is going to accomplish the redemption of mankind.
Because of its nature, in our vv today, there are 4 truths that emerge from the Noahic covenant (being universal).
I. A Universal Problem
I. A Universal Problem
8:20-22 back up for a moment.
The Noahic Covenant is necessary b/c “the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” This is the universal problem, which brings universal condemnation—upon every person who ever lives.
Job recognized that all were alienated from God:
4 “Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!
20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Very early in Romans Paul establishes this theological tenet—that every person stands rightly condemned.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 And the path of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Now, God knew that the flood would not rid the world of sinners. The flood was not intended for that purpose. It was not a purifying work for Noah and his children. God reveals to Noah that “the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”
Now, b/c the heart is evil, every individual is born with a bent (propensity inclined) to do those things which displeases God—those things contrary to God’s will.
19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.
9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
Because of the condition of his heart, man doesn’t need to have his heart rejuvenated he needs a heart transplant. This is the prominent feature of the “New covenant”
26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
It is because of this universal problem that God commits Himself to the course of action (determined by His eternal counsel—Eph 1:11 “works all things after the counsel of His own will”)—this course of action is “I will never again curse…destroy every living thing...”
God’s purpose for the flood has been perfectly carried out and He covenants with all creation that earth will be stable until the end.
II. A Universal Priority
II. A Universal Priority
9:1
God’s priority of enabling His creation to accomplish His purpose is repeated in the blessing that was given first to Adam. In fact, the blessing and its command is the same: “Be fruitful…fill” (1:28). Even though human sin brought devastation to mankind and the earth (and all creation), and the corruption that comes with God’s curse upon the ground, God renews His blessing upon Noah and his sons so the effect would be the rapid repopulating of the earth thru procreation. That is the impact the blessing had (9:19).
God does not command something that He does not also provide the divine enablement to accomplish it. If God’s priority is an earth full of creatures that bear the divine image, then His blessing Noah and his sons is the very enablement which causes that to come about. And we know that children are indeed a blessing.
3 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
And we know that God takes delight in obedience.
1 Praise the Lord! How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who greatly delights in His commandments.
1 How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. 2 When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you. 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table. 4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.
Later in Gen (ch 10) we see the obedience of Shem, Ham & Japheth to do just what God here is commanding. This is God’s priority and it is given to the entirety of the human race. Even in the midst of those who are concerned about population control, there remains a universal blessing upon humanity that will ultimately result in the redemption of those from every corner of the earth.
9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
III. A Universal Provision
III. A Universal Provision
vv 2-4
Life in the new world would be radically different from what it was pre-flood. As the human population grows and as the divine mandate to fill the earth and the result that their dominion over earth’s creatures would spread, God alters the relationship that humans had with the animals. While God does not repeat the issue of having dominion over the earth, He does not revoke it either, leaving it in place.
So the impact of that in a post-sin/post-flood world, along with a new provision for sources of food for mankind, God tells Noah, “the fear...”
The new world includes killing animals for food. This becomes a remarkable provision for all humanity but b/c of the condition of man’s heart, it also requires safeguards. One safeguard is the internal instinct of animals to fear humans.
The renowned scholar HC Leupold has this to say:
“The beasts, by their great numbers, as well as because of their more rapid propagation, and in many instances also because of their superior strength would soon have gotten the upper hand over man and exterminated him. God, therefore, makes a natural "fear;" even a "terror," to dwell in their hearts. Even the birds, at least the stronger among them, need such restraint. "Cattle" are not mentioned, for by nature the domesticated animals stand sufficiently under the control of man..."Cattle" are not to flee from man. The truth of the fulfilment of this word lies in the fact that wild beasts consistently shun the haunts of men, except when driven by hunger. No matter how strong they may be, they dread man’s presence, yes, are for the most part actually filled with "terror" at the approach of man.”
Now, we know this is not always guaranteed and God has given us wisdom to not: say go between a bear and her cubs. You do have responsibility to keep yourself from those animals with wild instincts. But b/c animals are now provisioned for food, and life in the new world includes killing, there is this safeguard.
This is different from life before the flood when God “gave the green plant.” Eating meat after the flood is not mandated but there is a new provision for the eating of meat specifically after the flood. There is however, 1 restriction placed on this (this is before additional restrictions come with Mosiac Law)—vs 4
Now, this prohibition is understood here and in more depth in later revelation as blood represents life. Blood is a life-sustaining substance. That is explained in the terms in vs 4: Life=nephesh; blood=dam. We use expressions today that show the significance: to take someone’s life (nephesh) and to shed blood are parallel ideas—and while shedding blood indicates murder, death because of a loss of blood also results in the loss of life.
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
That is a contrast to Christ who, for joy endured the cross...
This is why the prohibition against eating flesh with its blood was so important—and repeated in the Law:
17 ‘It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall not eat any fat or any blood.’ ”
26 ‘You are not to eat any blood, either of bird or animal, in any of your dwellings.
10 ‘And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. 11 ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’
23 “Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.
Later in Israel’s history Saul had put the nation under a foolish oath until he was avenged of his enemies. While the people pursued the Philistines some became so desperate for food that once they defeated them they began to devour the spoil.
32 The people rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have acted treacherously; roll a great stone to me today.” 34 Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’ ” So all the people that night brought each one his ox with him and slaughtered it there.
Blood atonement, sacrificial atonement, substitutionary atonement, would become God’s provision for the nation to have their sins covered thru the substitution of the animal’s life (blood) in place of the one who made the offering (Lev 17:11).
Kenneth Mathews explains:
Genesis 1–11:26 (1) Provisions for the New World (9:1–7)
Animal life, though given to humanity for sustenance, remained valuable in the eyes of God as a living creature and therefore merited proper care, not wanton abuse. This privilege of killing animals for food assumed the responsibility of caring for animal life as it was first formulated in Eden (cf. 2:15). Disregard for the gift of life was an affront to the Giver of that life, for life was deemed “good” as a creation edict. For benevolent reasons animal as well as human in later Israel enjoyed the sabbath rest for refreshment (Exod 20:10; 23:12; Deut 5:14). At the tabernacle the sacrificial animal was regarded by God and was costly to the offerer, testimony to the enormity of human sin.
The fact that it required the infinitely greater sacrifice of God’s Son to deal with the enormity of man’s sin expresses just how precious life is to God. And because of this; the final truth, b/c life is so precious demands...:
IV. A Universal Protection
IV. A Universal Protection
vv 5-6
We again see the connection b/t blood and life in vs 5: “lifeblood” is the word dam and life nephesh. Human life (explained why it is more valuable than animal life b/c humans are image-bearers), is universally protected from being killed by other humans and even by animals.
Even animals are accountable for their crimes.
28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. 29 “If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.
Human life demands an “accounting” (require—3x in vs 5). This term expresses the judgment and even divine vengeance on those who take a life. God requires justice and this is why capital punishment is part of Noah’s new world. It wasn’t before the flood (God didn’t take Cain’s life—even protected him). But it is now. There will be on-going debates over the ethics of the death penalty. But b/c of what human life is, God demands an accounting from those who would take the life of another human.
Now, it is specifically for this task, that God establishes human governments.
1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
Taking vengeance must never be a personal matter but it is a societal obligation—entrusted to human governments to protect life. There may be abuses and even wrongly administered death sentences but the society that neglects the protection of life disregards the Word of God—and that will not go well. God will hold those in authority accountable for protecting life and administering justice.
In Noah’s new world, these benefits have also become ours b/c this covenant is made not just with Noah and his sons but all who have descended from them—including us.
This covenant anticipates the conclusion (while earth remains—what about after this) when Christ says:
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
There will be a day when there will be no need for this universal protection b/c all things will be restored under Christ.
Even now, this puts before you the responsibly to believe on LJC and to obey Him b/c you love Him and to worship Him b/c He gave Himself for you.