The First Covenant of Promise (Genesis 8:1-9:17)

One year on a boat with hundreds of animals, cramped space, pungent odors, stale air, and no idea how long until the water subsided made for a marathon experience.  Noah sent out birds to try and find dry land to no avail until exactly one year after the rains began.  Noah could have lost his mind, but instead he kept his head about him and persevered until the very end, carrying his family and the animal life of the earth to safety.

After this experience ended, God instructed Noah to leave the ark with his family and the animals, which he did.  The first thing he did was to build and altar and make a sacrifice to God.  This was a strong indicator of his character and dedication to God.  It seems clear why God chose him to be the progenitor of the earth after the flood.  “Be fruitful and multiply (9:1,7)” was God’s command to Noah.

In verse 8 of chapter 9 we see the first covenant with promise.  The covenant was a promise from God to never again destroy the Earth by flood.  Although there have been localized floods in many places on the Earth, there has never been another flood that destroyed all humanity.  God is true to His word in all cases!

The sign of the covenant was unique, and is still present in today’s world:  the rainbow.  Up until the time of Noah, there had never been a rainbow.  How do we know this?  Genesis speaks of their being a firmament between the earth and the heavens, and that there was no rain on the earth until the time of Noah.  According to Genesis, there was a mist that came up from the Earth to water the plants, and there was water on the Earth for drinking.  At the flood, the springs of the Earth and the firmament of the heavens were both opened up to provide the water that covered the earth.  Therefore, there had been no rain, and therefore no rainbow!

But then here we have an environment where there was rain, clouds, and possibly a shower happening when Noah exited the ark, and God showed him the first rainbow.  Verses 12 through 17 all talk about the covenant and the sign: the rainbow.  Today, when I see a rainbow, I remember the grace, protection, and provision of God to humanity.  We are able to trust God for safety and salvation today because of God’s grace upon Noah.  Even in the midst of judgment, God’s grace is available to those who will hear His voice like Noah.