Genesis
Summer 2021
Chapter 9:8-17
Key verse: “And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:11)
The 7 colors of the Rainbow
In a primary rainbow, the colors will be in the order of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Red has the longest wavelength, with each color decreasing away from it.
Summary
Genesis 9:8-17 focuses on the covenant of the rainbow. It holds forth God’s promise to Noah and his sons that He would never again judge the world by a flood. It is far reaching and stands until the end of the world. It is one of the most dramatic, visible, and universal decrees regarding God’s dealings with men. Unbelievers, however, dismiss it as a natural phenomenon to be stared at, for they will not believe in God’s covenant of mercy to men.
Observations
God made a covenant of preservation with Noah.
It was a gracious covenant.
It was initiated by God Himself to promise mercy, not because man was good, but despite him being evil. The rainbow-covenant was God’s lovingkindness freely granted to undeserving sinners. God determined to turn from judging man to showing mercy “for man’s sake” (Genesis 8:21) to spare him. Man was hopeless and incorrigible. His nature was so polluted by sin that God recognized that man would not be reformed through judgments. He needed grace. The seeming explanation, “for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21) make no sense. That was not a reason for mercy, but for judgment. This is, therefore, a non sequitur; it makes no sense to human logic. We must go back to ch.8:20 to discover the channel for God’s mercy. It was through the sweet savor of the blood sacrifices which Noah had offered on the altar that God ceased from His judgment of man. These blood sacrifices were a type of Christ and of His atonement through which God administers grace to sinners. As covenants are ratified by blood, sinners must look by faith to the blood of Christ to enjoy all the blessings of the covenant of grace.
It was a family covenant.
God made this covenant with Noah and his seed. God said, “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you” (verse 9). Noah was a representative head. By this method of dealing with Noah and his offspring God set a precedent to deal with families under the headship of fathers (Genesis 6:18; 7:1). This is a special characteristic of God’s covenants. He chooses one representative head to bless all who come under His headship. The covenant-head of redemption is Christ. God bestows grace to sinners who believe in the redeeming work of His Son and who call upon Him for mercy.
It was a universal covenant as it involved the preservation of all Creation.
It included every living thing in the earth (Genesis 9:10 -16).
“The whole of the created universe, including the totality of humanity, benefits from this covenant. Not only Noah and his seed, but ‘every living creature’ lives under the sign of the rainbow (Gen. 9:10). This inclusion of the totality of the universe in God’s redemptive covenant finds vivid recognition in Paul’s expression [in Romans 8:22], concerning the final expectation of the redeemed” (O. Palmer Robertson, Christ of the Covenants, pp. 122-123).
God is holding back His wrath from the earth until all of God’s elect people are personally redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Then the earth itself shall be renewed. Then the curse shall give way to earth’s redemption. Then all things shall be made new with new heavens and a new earth. Until then, the church is commissioned to preach the gospel of Christ’s atoning work to all people of every tribe and nation.
It was made as a perpetual covenant as exhibited in the rainbow.
The visible nature of the rainbow and its attachment to the rain falling on the earth would remind men of God’s promise to spare the earth from judgment by water (Genesis 9:15-16). God called it “the everlasting covenant.” John the apostle saw the rainbow that exists around the throne of the Lord in heaven (Revelation 4:3). It teaches us that God’s covenant of mercy is eternal. God will always deal with His people based on mercy. All saints and all creatures in heaven will tirelessly praise God for His grace and mercy to sinners. The sight of the rainbow in the cloud was intended to bring comfort to men’s hearts. Henry Morris emphasized this point:
“In these verses the Lord seems to be repeating, over and over in various ways His great promise and covenant with all flesh. Such repetition was no doubt of great comfort and assurance to those who had been through such traumatic experiences during the awful year of the Flood and who apart from God’s promise, would have had little hope for the future” (The Genesis Record).
Application
God deals with men based on His covenant of grace made with Christ our covenant head. God reveals
Himself as a covenant making and covenant keeping God. Every covenant teaches about God’s grace to our
souls. Each covenant in the Bible is like a telescope. The further it is extended the stronger the focus on the
object, who is Christ our Redeemer. The covenants of Scripture progressively lead us to focus on Christ, our
covenant-head and covenant-keeper.
God is the initiator of our salvation. It begins with Him and ends with Him. Apart from grace, we would be
left in the hopeless estate of sin and eternal condemnation. For this we must praise Him. This must be the focus
of our worship by prayer, praise, and preaching.
Our assurances and comfort come from God’s covenants to us. God’s eternal purposes in our salvation are
sure and certain. We can rest in the purposes of God to do us good. The sight of a rainbow in the sky, therefore,
should fill us with assurance that God is in control of the earth and abides faithful to His promises.
God’s control over the earth means that we are to “subdue” the earth and use it for His glory. Research
into natural laws of science and the various disciplines of study of the universe, which God has created, is God’s
will for man. The laws of God’s Creation are to be discovered, harnessed, and used for His glory.
The recognition of design in Creation leading to acknowledge and worship the Designer is the proper
Christian perspective. When God is both Creator and Preserver of all things, then nothing happens by chance.
We are predestinated by God’s purpose to show forth His praises (Ephesians 1:11-12).
To Do
Turn your prayers into covenant prayers.
Base them on what God has decreed and promised to do for His people.
With both believers and sinners, use the rainbow as a discussion point on God’s infinite mercies.
Rev. Ian Goligher