Sermon Tone Analysis

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:

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)

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 of 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:

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:

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(9:16) in the sense that as long as the conditions for it continue (as long as earth remains…) the covenant cannot be rescinded/broken.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...

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

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:

Very early in Romans Paul establishes this theological tenet—that every person stands rightly condemned.

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.

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”

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

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 enable 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.

And we know that God takes delight in obedience.

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.

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 with 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 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 food after the flood is not mandated but there is a new provision for the eating of meat.

There is however, 1 restriction placed on this (this is before additional restrictions come with Mosiac Law)—vs 4

Now, this prohibition is understood in 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.

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:

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.

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:

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 to an even greater degree; the final truth, b/c life is so precious demands...: