In His ImageUzorak

Day 32: God's Covenant with Noah

Discover: Genesis 8-9:17 recounts that when the floodwaters recede, Noah, his family, and the animals leave the ark. He builds an altar and offers sacrifices to God. Pleased with Noah's offerings, God promises never to curse the ground again or to destroy all living creatures by a flood. God then blesses Noah and his sons, commands them to be fruitful and multiply, and draws us back to the instructions given in the Garden. He establishes dietary laws and allows the consumption of meat but forbids the consumption of blood and gives directions on punishment for murderers. God’s heart is to preserve, protect, and provide for those who are in His image, which is why He placed these instructions in the covenant. To mark His words, God sets a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His everlasting covenant to signify He will never again flood the entire earth.

Learn: The covenant with Noah is a profound demonstration of God's mercy and faithfulness. Despite humanity's sinfulness, God promises never to destroy all life by a flood again. This reveals His commitment to preserve and redeem His creation. The rainbow serves as a tangible reminder of this promise. This covenant foreshadows the ultimate covenant established through Jesus Christ. Just as God saves Noah and his family, he offers salvation to all humanity through Christ. Jesus’ death and resurrection ushered in a new covenant by providing eternal life and reconciliation with God. Charles Spurgeon adds beautifully, “It cheered my heart, when thinking this matter over, to remember that although I depend upon covenant faithfulness, I am not alone in that dependence, for every living thing upon the face of the earth lives by virtue of the immutable covenant of God. Covenant engagements preserve the world from flood; were it not for that covenant, the tops of the mountains might be covered tomorrow.” Being in covenant with God allows us to see His grace, mercy, and desire for a relationship with humanity.

Apply: Reflect on God's covenant with Noah and its fulfillment in Christ. It inspires us to trust in God's promises and faithfulness. Just as the rainbow reminds us of God's mercy, the Cross symbolizes His sacrificial love and our new covenant through Jesus. This covenant assures us that those whom God calls to Himself, He keeps and allows us to rest in the certainty of our salvation. If we truly believe in the promise of Christ's saving work on the Cross, it should transform every aspect of our lives. What does the Bible say about God’s promises? Do you completely trust and rely on these promises? What would your life look like if you did?