Genesis 8-9: God's covenant
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“Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth... I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”
We live in an age where it feels as if the order of the world is falling apart. Climate change looms on the horizon and we hear that some are already feeling its effects. It's not the first time it has seemed like everything is falling apart. People have been predicting the end of the world of millennia, and before my time it was the threat of nuclear war that caused people to fear the end of life as we know it.
As we come to Genesis 8 and on into Genesis 9, we meet the first explicit covenant that God makes. A covenant is an agreement made by two parties, but whilst some are equal, such as marriage, and others made by kings and subjects, or differing ancient political powers (possibly not unlike the treaties that are made today), God's is one where he takes the initiative, and where he is the one who provides. Covenants set out stipulations for each party, and God's are no exception, except that whilst the people with whom he makes these covenants are constantly unfaithful, God keeps his promises.
So what was God's covenant and who was it with? God established his covenant with all life on earth, including Noah and his descendants, promising that:
“As long as the earth endures,seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”
There is nothing that is outside God's control and order. Despite the evil of humankind and the disorder that permeates everything (Genesis 8:21), we know two things. 1) God is still sovereign over all, and 2) God will not pronounce his judgement on the world until the very end.
Let's take the first point: we see God's loving sovereignty over creation as the Bible story unfolds: Psalm 104 says All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time (Psalm 104:27), and later Jesus remarks: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care (Matthew 10:29). Whilst we see death and destruction all around us, God promises that the order he established in Genesis 1 will remain, as long as earth endures.
And of the second point, we know that a second 'cleansing' will take place, where God will once more wipe away all violence and wrongdoing, but judgement is preserved for that time. Jesus himself expands on this in 'the parable of the weeds', where a farmer sows a field of wheat but at night an enemy comes along and sows weeds in and amongst the crop. When the crops start to grow and the servants ask if they should uproot the weeds, the farmer answers: No...because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. (Matthew 13:29-30). Peter summarises the situation also, in the overwhelming context of God's love: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God wants all to turn to him, and that is his motivation for his covenant with the Earth.
We should take a brief look at the instructions God gives to the objects of his covenant (Genesis 9:1-7). To humankind and the animal kingdom alike, he reinstates the mandate to be fruitful and multiply. Life is a wonderful thing, and on this theme comes further instructions to human beings - not only to not kill one another, but to enshrine wrongness of murder in law. Here is God placing humans in a place of authority, but not the authority of God: they execute justice in the case of severe crime, but are not the ones who decide what wrong (or right) is. We see a re-emphasis, despite falling from the wonderful relationship with God that they originally shared in Genesis 1 and 2, that human beings are still the image bearers of God (Genesis 9:6), and this is reflected in their value, as well as the cultivation mandate. The instruction to not eat animals with the blood still in them also speaks of a respect for life, and to merciful killing and ensuring the animal is really dead. Furthermore, with the role of blood in cleansing and sacrifice in the surrounding cultural context, it emphasises that food is food, simply God's blessing.
Finally, God gives a sign of his covenant, and it is one for all to see that remains here to this day - and indeed to the end of the earth - the rainbow. We all know what they mean meteorologically - the sun is breaking through the rain. Though we may find ourselves in the midst of the heaviest downpours of disorder and suffering, hope shines through like a rainbow, creating beauty. God will not destroy the earth until all have had a chance to come to him.
Next: Genesis 10: the God of many nations
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