# 40 2022 Dev. Genesis 9:11.God’s Covenant! Read chapter nine first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story. How will it affect yours? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Genesis 9:11 “I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the water of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
Gen. 9 God blesses Noah and family. God allows all animals for food but puts a restriction on eating meat with blood. God institutes the death penalty for shedding human blood. God gives a sign of His covenant with people and animals. Evil in the world continues.
Vs.1-3 Our God is a God of abundance, He blesses mankind to be fruitful and fill the earth. He also opens up the hunting of game and fish for food.
Vs.4-7 God puts down some rules about shedding blood. Don’t eat meat with blood in it, if someone sheds human blood “by humans shall their blood be shed:” Why? “for in the image of God has God made mankind.” Capital punishment is rarely practiced today. “be fruitful and increase in number…” God wants life, not death.
Vs.8-17 “Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you… Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood…” God gives a sign of the covenant He makes; “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the of the covenant between me and earth.”This sign is for those on the earth but, God said: ‘I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures…’ The rainbow raises the question if it had rained before the flood?
Vs.18-28 Ham had a son, Canaan. He is singled out here, we see why in the next chapter but also in this chapter. Noah, planted a vineyard, and drank the wine in excess. He lay naked in his tent, in some way Ham disrespected him, whether he mocked his father in some way, we don’t know but Noah knew and spoke a curse on Canaan. Noah blessed Japheth, he blessed Shem more in that Japheth would dwell with him, but be subservient to Shem. No blessing for Ham but Canaan would be the lowest of slaves. Why Canaan? God punishes those who hate Him to the third generation. (Ex. 20:5) it seems unfair, but God knows His people, History has revealed the opposition of Canaan’s offspring to God’s people. That still is going on today, not only to Jews, Shem’s dependents, Israel, but also to followers of Jesus, the church today. God is good, He will protect His people physically and spiritually. Praise be to God!
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