Today's Reading:

Genesis 8
Genesis 9
Psalm 12

 

While Genesis 8-9 and Psalm 12 are separated by centuries, they powerfully echo one another with corrupt humanity after the flood. Genesis diagnoses the root issue in 8:21- the heart of man is evil from his youth, yet God graciously retrains total judgement by establishing His unbreakable covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy all and sealing it with a rainbow. God knows humans will keep sinning, but He still chooses to be patient and protect life. In Psalm 12, David surveyed the post-Flood world and lamented how people still speak with vanity, flattery, and proudly boast “With our tongue we will prevail; who is lord over us?”- honest people seem to have disappeared and the little guy kept getting crushed by the big mouths and big egos. The flood did not fix bad hearts or loose tongues; we still have this issue today. But God’s words are different, He will stand up for the weak person and keep them safe, because He promised to protect the world and to protect every humble person who trusts Him.

 

 

After Noah left the Ark, he built an altar to God, and offered burnt offerings (for atonement), which pleased God. God promised to never again flood the earth and established the natural cycles of seeding and harvesting. God blessed Noah and his family, telling them to “be fruitful and multiply” and fill the earth. He gave humans dominion over the animals and permitted them to eat meat so long as they did not eat the blood. Could this mean they were vegetarians prior? Blood equals life, and life belongs to God alone. He said that the life of the animals was His and He was the one who gives it and takes it. God then strictly forbid murder, making new rules on bloodshed. A reminder of the sanctity of human life as well. If you need to show respect for the animal, how much more respect should there be for human life, with blood as the symbol of life.

At the end of the chapter, time elapsed and Noah had planted a garden and vineyard. As a descendant of Adam and Eve, Noah was affected by sin as a human (Genesis 8:21). Adam’s sin broke the whole human race, as head of all humanity Adam’s disobedience in the garden spread to all his descendants like a spiritual genetic defect. Back in verse 5:32 the birth order of Noah’s sons was listed as Shem, Ham and Japheth. This was a reverse order which can be common in the Bible to list the youngest or most important person mentioned first. Shem, being the one through which the Messianic line runs- Abraham, David, Jesus- gets the most focus, even though he is not the first born. Getting drunk led Noah to modesty issues as he laid in his tent naked. Ham, the youngest son, walked into the tent and saw his father and instead of quietly covering him, Ham went outside and told his brothers about it. This gossip or mocking manner was disrespectful and seeing a parent naked was considered deeply shameful during this cultural time. This action by Ham was what prompted Noah to be angry when he woke up and found out what had been done. The consequences fell on Ham’s son Canaan (more on that in the future). Hams sinful heart is what God had just declared was still evil in every person from childhood onward. Humans are a nation marked by pride, immorality and idolatry, eventually leading to their judgement. Scripture does not hide the truth- even godly Noah, allowed wine to master him reminding us that no one is immune to sin’s destructive ripple effects when it is indulged. Sin, left unchecked, always grows and has consequences.

Today's discussion question: 
God’s covenant with Noah is unilateral—He promises never again to destroy the earth with a flood and gives the rainbow as the sign, without requiring anything from humanity. How is this different from later biblical covenants (like the Abrahamic or Mosaic covenants), and what does it reveal about God’s character? Did anything else stick out to you today?

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