Restoration and Responsibility--October 15, 2023

Introduction

Genesis Genesis 8:1–9:29—Rainbow and Peace

“Majorities mean nothing; during the Flood, only one man knew enough to get out of the rain.”

Unknown

Genesis I. Introduction: All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Noah’s Ark

All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Noah’s Ark

On my office door I recently placed a cartoon drawing of Noah’s ark with the following statements printed underneath:

• Don’t miss the boat.

• Don’t forget that we’re all in the same boat.

• Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

• Stay fit. When you’re six hundred years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.

• Don’t listen to critics; just get on with what has to be done.

• Build your future on high ground.

• For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.

• Two heads are better than one.

• Speed isn’t always an advantage; the snails were on board with the cheetahs.

• When you’re stressed, float a while.

• Remember that the ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic was built by professionals.

• Remember that woodpeckers inside are a larger threat than the storm outside.

• No matter the storm, when God is with you, there’s a rainbow waiting.

We will see today how God provides a new covenant with mankind and just as quickly sin strikes again.

Introduce the significance of covenants and God's commitment to humanity.

I. God Remembers (Genesis 8:1)

Genesis 8:1 ESV

1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.

a. The assurance that God never forgets His own.

When God “remember” it means that God is taking action…not that He ever forgets. It means to express care.

Nehemiah 5:19 ESV

19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

Genesis 19:29 ESV

29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

Genesis 30:22 ESV

22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

God cares for you and me just as He remembered Noah and His family.

b. The significance of the ark resting on the mountains, representing security and safety.

Gen 8:1-5

Genesis 8:1–5 ESV

1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

It’s likely what happened here is that the wind might have caused some evaporation but the majority of water removal came from buckling of the crust of the earth.

By the end of 150 days the water had gone down and the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

II. The Earth Is Renewed (Genesis 8:6-14)

Genesis 8:6–14 ESV

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore. 13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out.

I. The Patience in Waiting: Noah’s Sending of the Raven and the Dove.

a. Setting the Scene: After the floods, an ark adrift in an endless sea, waiting for a sign.

b. The Raven's Role: A bird of resilience and endurance. - Understanding the raven's nature: Why did Noah choose it first? - The raven's journey: A constant search, not returning, indicating continuous waters.

c. The Dove's Mission: A symbol of hope and peace. - The dove's first return: Indicative of the earth still being uninhabitable. - The olive leaf: An emblem of new beginnings and God's promise of restoration. - The final flight: The dove not returning, signaling the readiness of the world outside.

d. Noah's Wisdom: Demonstrating patience in repeated attempts. - Recognizing that patience is an active waiting, not a passive resignation. - The importance of persistent faith in God's timing, even when immediate clarity is absent.

II. The Importance of Discerning God's Timing in Life.

a. Life's Seasons: Understanding that there's a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

b. Learning from Noah: - Not rushing out of the ark just because the rain stopped. Waiting for God's perfect timing. - Using resources (raven and dove) to discern the state of the world outside.

c. God's Silence is not Absence: - Noah didn't get immediate answers, yet he held on. - Lessons for us: In times of waiting, trusting that God is still working behind the scenes.

Genesis 8:15–19 ESV

15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

III. Covenant of Restoration (Genesis 8:20-22)

Genesis 8:20–22 ESV

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

I. The Significance of Noah's First Act – Building an Altar

a. The Atmosphere Post-Flood: - The world reset: A landscape cleansed of prior corruption. - Noah and his family: Survivors amidst destruction, chosen witnesses of God's wrath and mercy.

b. The Altar as a Priority: - Among first actions, before rebuilding or planting, was worship. - The importance of giving God precedence in our life transitions.

c. The Nature of Sacrifice: - The choice of clean animals: Understanding the precepts of a holy offering. - The burning offering: An aroma pleasing to God, signaling submission and gratitude.

d. Personal Reflection: - In moments of deliverance and new beginnings, do we prioritize God? - The altar in our lives: Establishing personal spaces and moments of devotion and thanksgiving.

II. God's Promise to Never Curse the Ground Again: Grace Amidst Human Shortcomings

Genesis 8:21 ESV

21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

a. The Cycle of Human Nature: - Recognizing man's inherent inclination towards evil. - Despite a fresh start, God's understanding of mankind's weaknesses.

b. God's Unwavering Grace: - A promise not based on human merit but on God's unwavering love and mercy. - The symbolism of the rainbow: A visual covenant of God's commitment to humanity.

c. Contrasting God’s Judgement and Mercy: - The flood as an act of justice against overwhelming corruption. - The promise post-flood: An act of mercy, indicating a shift from sheer justice to grace.

d. Implications for Our Lives: - The assurance of God's grace in our moments of weakness. - Responding to God's grace: Living lives of gratitude, repentance, and purpose. - The challenge: Trusting in God's promises, especially when we falter.

IV. A New Beginning with Responsibilities (Genesis 9:1-7)

Genesis 9:1–7 ESV

1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. 7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

I. Blessing and Command to Be Fruitful and Multiply

A. The Purpose of Multiplication

1. God's mandate for replenishing the Earth post-flood.

2. Reflecting God's creative nature and the abundance He desires for humanity.

B. Continuity of God's Original Purpose

1. Drawing parallels to the initial command in Genesis 1:28.

2. Humanity's role in co-creating with God, a partnership of stewardship.

C. Implications for Society

1. The importance of family structures and community building.

2. The balance between multiplying and stewarding Earth's resources.

II. The Importance of Valuing Life and the Gravity of Taking It

A. The Sacredness of Life

1. Understanding life as a divine gift.

2. The image of God in every human: a call to honor and respect all individuals.

B. Implications of Murder: Spiritual and Societal

1. The deep spiritual consequences of taking life.

2. The ripple effects of violence on communities and societies.

C. God's Response to the Value of Life

1. The introduction of capital punishment as a means of upholding life's sanctity.

2. Distinguishing between divine justice and human vengeance.

III. Human Dominion Over Animals and New Dietary Allowance

A. The Stewardship Paradigm

1. Exploring the God-given authority over creation.

2. Understanding dominion as responsibility, not exploitation.

B. Navigating the Dietary Shift

1. The introduction of meat into the human diet: a sign of changed times.

2. The spiritual and health implications of consuming life.

C. The Balance of Dominion

1. Recognizing the fine line between utilizing resources and overexploitation.

2. The call for sustainable living and ethical consumption in today's world.

V. The Everlasting Covenant (Genesis 9:8-17)

Genesis 9:8–17 ESV

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

I. Introduction to God's Universal Covenants, Transcending Generations

A. The Nature of God's Covenants

1. Definition and biblical examples of covenants.

Noah--

Abraham--

David--

Jesus--

2. The difference between conditional and unconditional covenants.

B. Universality of God's Promises

1. How God's covenants are meant for all of humanity, not just a select few.

2. The lasting implications of these covenants, reaching far beyond their initial establishment.

C. God's Faithfulness in Every Covenant

1. Historical instances showcasing God's unwavering commitment to His promises.

2. The significance of God's covenants in understanding His unchanging character.

II. The Rainbow as the Eternal Sign of God's Promise

A. Biblical Context of the Rainbow Covenant

1. The events leading up to God's promise after the flood.

2. The specifics of the Noahic covenant and its relevance for future generations.

Genesis 8:21 ESV

21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

Genesis 8:22 ESV

22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

B. Symbolism and Meaning of the Rainbow

1. Rainbows in cultural and historical contexts.

2. The spiritual depth of a rainbow – bridging Heaven and Earth, and representing hope and restoration.

C. Modern-Day Relevance and Reflection

1. Recognizing God's promises in everyday life and nature's manifestations.

2. The call for believers to remember, uphold, and share the story of God's unwavering promise with others.

VI. Failings of Humanity, Yet God's Grace Remains (Genesis 9:18-29)

Genesis 9:18–29 ESV

18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. 20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” 26 He also said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.” 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

A. Noah’s Imperfections and the Incident of Drunkenness

1. The Biblical Context - The events leading up to Noah’s drunkenness as narrated in Genesis 9:20-21. 2.

Genesis 9:20–21 ESV

20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.

2. The Human Aspect: Noah's Vulnerability - Discussion on how even biblical heroes have their moments of weakness.

3. Theological Implications - What this incident tells us about human nature, sin, and God’s enduring covenant despite human flaws.

4. Practical Lessons - The dangers of substance abuse and the importance of accountability.

B. Ham’s Disrespect and the Subsequent Curse on Canaan

1. The Act of Disrespect - The details of Ham's disrespectful act as described in Genesis 9:22-23. 2.

2. Cultural Context - The gravity of disrespecting a parent in the cultural and biblical setting.

3. The Curse on Canaan: Genesis 9:25 - Examination of why Canaan was cursed instead of Ham, and the long-term implications.

4. Ethical Considerations - The question of collective punishment and its moral complexities.

C. The Grace and Blessings upon Shem and Japheth

1. The Act of Honor - How Shem and Japheth respectfully covered their father's nakedness (Genesis 9:23).

2. Blessings Bestowed - The blessings Noah gave to Shem and Japheth as narrated in Genesis 9:26-27. 3.

Theological Reflections - What these blessings reveal about God’s grace, favor, and the principle of sowing and reaping.

4. Contemporary Application - How to honor and respect authority figures in our lives today, and the potential blessings tied to these acts.

D. Summary and Conclusion

1. The Complexity of Human Nature - Summarizing the imperfect but redemptive qualities of Noah and his sons.

2. Lessons for Today - Practical and spiritual takeaways from this episode for modern living.

VII. Applications for the Modern Believer

a. Embracing God’s promises even in the storms of life.

b. Recognizing human sin, yet understanding God’s immense grace.

c. The call to value and protect all life, recognizing its sacredness.

d. Emphasizing personal responsibility in our walk with God and toward our fellow humans.

Conclusion:

Reflecting on the dual themes of restoration and responsibility.A call to trust in God’s promises while fulfilling our God-given responsibilities.

Prayer: