Genesis 9 covenant bible study

1. What does covenant mean?
2. 8:20-22 is a promise God made to Himself in His heart.  It is not a covenant
3. God’s resolve to spare the earth is based on the depravity of man –
1. Destroying it again will make no difference (8:21)
2. In Chapter 9 we will deal with Righteous Noah in a drunken naked stupor.
3. The problem is within man – there is sin in his heart
4. The real restoration must begin in a “new”man
4. A new beginning to parallel Genesis 1-3 – See Genesis Commentary (Walton)
1. God blessed His creatures and told them to be fruitful and multiply (9:1; 1:28)
2. God prescribed the food man could eat (9:3; 1:29-30)
3. Differences

                                                               i.      Original was pronounced Good, but not after the flood

                                                              ii.      Animals were originally to be subdued by Adam, now they will fear man – Possibly as they will now be used for food. (1:28)

                                                            iii.      They went from vegetarians to carnivores with the stipulation that they could not eat the blood.

1.       Lifeblood

2.       Draining the blood shows that the life of the animal was returned to God – it was showing that this was granted by God, much as a blessing before a meal

3.       Man lives by the death of animals, not each other

1. The life of man is made precious
1. Murder

                                                               i.      Divine image

                                                              ii.      Life is to be given and taken by God alone

1. Suicide
2. Abortion – Life begins when there is blood

1. Penalty is capitol punishment
1. the way is  cleared by God’s own capitol punishment of all men.  By now taking the life of a murderer it is not a second murder, but an action on behalf or God #. Any people who do not have reverence for life will not last long.  God gave capitol punishment to prevent the sins associated with a culture of death
2. It shows the seriousness of all sin
3. It shows the seriousness of the sanctity of human life
2. The Noahic Covenant
1. Initiated and dictated by God
2. Wade with Noah and all successive generations
3. Universal covenant – All people and animals
4. Unconditional covenant – Not contingent on the participation of man
5. God’s promise to never again destroy the earth by flood
6. The sign of the covenant is the rainbow