God’s Covenant with Noah

Background Scripture: Genesis 8–9
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 8:20–22; 9:8–17

Introduction

The story of the flood and Noah’s ark is one of the best-known Bible stories. It tells us of God’s wrath toward sin and also of His mercy, love, and grace. Before God poured out His terrible judgment, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8).

Throughout the Bible, God was ready to make a covenant with those who were willing to follow Him. He is still looking for those who are willing to surrender all and a make a covenant with Him.

God is unchangeable and His Word is immutable; He cannot change the terms of His covenant or go back on His word. We, however, are not so. Let us search our hearts to see if we are keeping the terms of the covenant that we have made with our heavenly Father.

Key Verse

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David (Isa. 55:3).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

The Bible tells us that “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Many think that the world at that time was more evil than it is today. Imagine if every thought was evil: no love, no morals, no churches, no charities, and no helping one’s neighbor. It would be a society most dark and dismal.

Humanity’s condition before the flood was so bleak that when God looked down upon the earth, He found only righteous Noah and his family still in His grace. “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord . . . Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Gen. 6:8–9). Noah was, and forever will be, a shining example for us.

How would God accomplish His decree, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth” (Gen. 6:7), and yet spare Noah? In His great wisdom, He could have used various means, but He decided to send a worldwide flood. Not only would all flesh be destroyed, but the world would be washed—cleansed of all its wickedness and given a new start.

No one knows how many people perished in the flood. Some have projected that hundreds of millions or even billions died. Obviously, the doomed included innocent children as well as the wickedest of men. Mothers and fathers screamed in terror as the torrents of waters swept away and drowned their little ones, forever separating their families. What a tremendous cry must have arisen from the earth.

These cries reached the heavenly Father as He watched the countless souls pass into eternity in a moment of time. His eyes, too, fell upon Noah, the preacher of righteousness, who was secure in the ark and protected from the same waters that had just accomplished His dreadful words.

According to our lesson text, God remembers that man is born into sin and that he is evil from his childhood. “God saw that the . . . imagination of the thoughts of his [man’s] heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Psalm 103:14 states, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” God moves toward us in His mercy; He longs to make a covenant with us for our good. He promised Noah that He would never again destroy the whole earth with a flood. As a reminder of this covenant, God pointed out a beautiful rainbow in the rays of fresh sunshine falling upon a distant cloud. The Lord promised Noah that whenever man would see a rainbow, he could rest assured that never again would the earth be destroyed by a flood. The story of the great flood carries a lot of symbolism for our spiritual lives.

Practical Truths for Today

This lesson reminds us that God’s spirit will not always strive with man. Sooner or later, the trumpet of God will blow, time will be no more, and this world will end. Will I be found in the ark of God, obedient, and in the center of His will? Or will I be among those on the outside who will cry for the mountains and rocks to “fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:16)?

A way has been made for us to escape God’s terrible wrath. He, in love, invites everyone to covenant with Him. Just as He made a covenant with Noah, He desires to make one with us. “But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isa. 66:2). God continues to search for those who are willing to humble themselves and make a covenant with Him by sacrifice.

In the Old Testament the covenants God made with the patriarchs of faith were often sealed by sacrificing an animal. So too the everlasting covenant of grace was made and sealed by the shed blood of the Lamb of God. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:20–21). The conditions for man to enter this covenant are that he must truly repent and accept the blood of Jesus as the sacrifice for his sins. God’s forgiveness and grace are available to anyone who will meet the conditions. May we by faith grasp that promise and covenant with God.

What are the reasons that we enter into and keep a covenant with God? Granted, we fear the judgments of God and hope to be saved someday; however, may we keep our covenant out of deep gratitude and thankfulness for our Savior’s love. Living a sacrificial life for the One who provides salvation and gives us eternal life should be a joyful service.

Today is the day of grace; God’s grace flows to us, and we are His channels of grace pouring out to bless our fellow men. This lesson reminds us of the gift of time and opportunity that we are given each day to be “wellpleasing in his sight.”

Let us continue to remind our children of the significance of the rainbow. What better time than after a storm has passed, and we see a beautiful rainbow, to say, “Look at the sign of God’s promise He sent just for us today!” We need to remind them of the truth that God loves them and that He is ready to make a covenant with them when they are old enough.

Questions

1. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt. 24:37). What are the similarities?
2. My baptismal vows are part of my personal covenant with God. How necessary for salvation is my faithfulness in keeping them?
3. We know it is important to uphold earthly contracts such as we make with bankers. What would cause us to consider the covenant that we have made with God as negotiable or not binding?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).