Year 1, Week 1, Day 4

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Genesis 8-10.

Today’s reading records the receding waters of the flood and the new start of humanity through the lineage of Noah and his sons. From today’s reading, I was struck by the patience, yet persistence of God. God starts over again, sort of speak, with the making of a covenant with Noah: “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 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…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.” 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 9:9, 16-17). This covenant with Noah, which God alluded to prior to the actual flood (see Genesis 6:18ff), has parallels with the instructions that God gave to Adam and Eve. In fact, it is possible that this covenant with Noah is more like a revision and renewal of a covenant that God made with Adam (although the term covenant is not explicitly stated in Genesis 1-2). Whether it is a brand new covenant or a renewed and revised covenant, there are important commonalities. A main charge to Adam is now given to Noah: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” (Genesis 9:2, see also Genesis 1:28).

God’s patience and persistence is shown through His faithfulness and commitment to accomplish His purpose for mankind. God has a goal for all that He has made. The goal entails humanity—the blessing of humanity. But humanity has yet to show much cooperation in this matter. However, the plans and purposes of God stand: “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” (Psalm 33:11). The means by which God works out His plans and purposes is through covenant. A covenant is the way God does relationships. God doesn’t do casual relationships; He does covenant relationships. In a covenant relationship, the two parties define obligations, clarify exceptions, and detail promises. God does relationships covenantally and it is through covenants that God works to achieve His goals for His creation.

God’s covenant with Noah, built upon His commands to Adam, include His desire to see humanity spread out over all the earth as they obediently carry out His instructions to rule this world as a steward or trustee of God: “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:5-8). With the obligations of this covenant, God promises what is needed for mankind to carry out their obligations: “You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams. Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.” (Psalm 74:15-17; see also Genesis 8:22).

And yet, God will show, yet again, the patience He has toward His disobedient creatures; but also the persistence He shows to continue working out His purposes for humanity, with humanity. This patience and persistence will be called upon again, shortly after the waters of judgment recede. Similar to the fruit of the tree that landed Adam and Eve in trouble, Noah makes a shipwreck of God’s instructions in conjunction with the fruit of the vine: “Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.” (Genesis 9:20-22). While I am not sure I can definitively sort out exactly what Ham did in regards to his father (was it mere disrespect or something more despicable than that), it is clear that judgment follows. That didn’t take long, did it?

But if we keep our eye on the genealogies that follow, particularly tracing the line from Noah’s son, Shem, we will track God’s continued patience and persistence: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe

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