Genesis 9 1 17 Restoration Promise Life 1

Genesis 9: 1 -17 Restoration, Promise, Life

1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (Genesis 9: 1)

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 all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving 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. (Genesis 9: 2 -4)

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. ” (Genesis 9: 5 -7)

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 flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. ” (Genesis 9: 8 -11)

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. ” (Genesis 9: 12 -16)

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. ” (Genesis 9: 17)

Main Point • These verses reestablish the human race • The blessings are given from Genesis 1 -2 • There also laws concerning eating meat and judgment against murder • The covenant is made between God and all flesh

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life • Despite the flood…the earth was brought back to its normal state • Times and seasons would persist as long as the earth remained • What is God’s plan now? • Will God inhibit humanity? • Will He allow them to have dominion? • In each speech God makes His plan and purpose known • Humanity will continue as God’s image bearers • They will have dominion, and spread, and be blessed

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life (2) • God brings restoration after the destruction • God allows this knowing humanity from early on is still evil • God knows humanity will still fall into sin • Despite the fall, we are still created in the image of God • God, in these verses, blesses us with life • Even with the animals we are to respect life by not eating their lifeblood • We are reminded to respect the life of others, and the life given to us

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life (3) • God promised to do the same thing, as He will not destroy the earth as He once did • He will continue to preserve life • We learn something rather interesting about God Himself • He is the God of death (via the flood) but also of life (via the restoration) • He teaches us that life is sacred, and that especially human life is worth something • We are given a moral command about murder, a grounding for morality itself • Morality is grounded in the very person of God

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life (4) • When He gives us a moral command it reflects His own morality • Murder is immoral • Why? Because God has given us the moral command to not murder • Why the heavy price? • How come there is no repercussions for animal slaying? • While animals are loved by God, they are not created in His image • We have a special place in creation because of our status as image bearers

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life (5) • This is in stark contrast with what we hear today • We are descendants of an amoeba, unguided, here by accident • If this is true, then there is no worth to human life • If this is the case, then murder…etc. mean nothing • Because then there would be no moral code or standard • Regardless of how we act we are merely acting according to our genetic makeup • Thus as one philosopher put it, the only responsibility of the human is to act at all, to not act would be the real atrocity

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life (6) • As it is we know this isn’t the case • We know because when we hear about school shootings, murder, evil committed, we know that it is not right • When the world tells us we’re nothing more than animals, then animals we shall become • There is nothing moral about a cat acting like a catching a mouse • Neither would there be anything moral about the atrocities against humans we see if we are merely products of a blind evolutionary chain

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life (7) • But as it is, we know that this is not the case • As it is, we know that morality exists because God exists • To simply murder is evil, it goes against what God has decreed concerning life, and it deserves retribution • Every human has the image of God on them • This command is on every human individual because every human has the image • It reminds us too that every human is part of the human race • To murder another is to murder one of your family, because we are all connected by this divine image and our heritage

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life (8) • It is our responsibility as believers in God, as image bearers, to stand firm against the teachings of lesser philosophies • It is our responsibility to remind each other, and the world, that we are image bearers of God • Morality exists, and each human life has worth in and of itself because it bears His image • We learn many things about God and ourselves • We are reminded of the restoration that God brings, and that this is a prelude to an even greater restoration • It also reminds us of our moral duties • Finally, there is life • The gift of life is given by God Himself, and we are treat others as such

Application Points • Restoration, Promise, Life (9) • All of these hinge on the promise of God • God will repay the unrepentant murderer, and He will bless us with life • His promise gives us our foundation • His restoration of the world which allows life to exist at all • His restoration He provides • The promise He bestows • The life He gives • Praise God, and praise God that these are a prelude to the restoration, the promise, and the life which He gives through Jesus

Application Points • The Gospel of Christ • Origins • Fall • Redemption • Glorification