Covenant From God (MP 17)

The first covenant God made with mankind
Came after the flood, when there were but eight;
His rainbow would be to all men a sign—
God would ne’er cause flood to bring earth such fate!
He gave beasts, birds, and fish as food to Man,
Along with plants. grain, and fruit from the tree;
Then God gave to men another command:
“Don’t eat meat if still in it blood can be!”
He told them, “Be fruitful, and multiply;
Increase the number of people on earth;
Who spills the blood of man, by Man must die;
For Man in God’s own image has great worth!”
Where’er you go, God’s image goes as well;
You should not take it where evil does dwell!

Scripture Quoted: Genesis 9:12-15 (NIV)
“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”

Commentary
Several times in God’s pre-made Plan for the world, He included a “covenant”, which is a promise made by Him to one man, a tribe of men, or all men. A covenant may have conditions requiring men to fulfill responsibility. In this case the covenant was unconditional, meaning that God would keep His promise without any requirement for men. To Noah after the flood God gave His promise that never again would He cause flood waters to destroy all life on earth, and He placed the rainbow in the clouds as a sign to all men and all creatures they would not have total destruction ever again. This does not preclude destruction by any other method; 2 Peter 3:10 prophesies that the “elements will be destroyed by fire and the earth laid bare”. This will occur at the end of time, before the Last Judgment.

He also issued a second commandment (the first was to Adam “not to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil) to all men. God commanded Noah and the following generations not to eat meat that still had blood in it. Since the life of any creature, men or animals, comes from the blood in its veins, the life of Jesus, who was God Himself come to earth in the form of a man, was taken by His crucifixion and the spilling of His blood. He was resurrected on the third day and lives now and forever; but the same God giving Noah this command was God in the form of Jesus. Therefore, He wants mankind to have a very high regard for blood of all kinds, especially since it is the blood of Jesus by which Man is redeemed from condemnation. This is also why salvation is given ONLY to those who believe in Jesus as Lord. Simon Peter, chief of the apostles, told the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” He was referring to Jesus of Nazareth whom he had named in preceding verses.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)