Today we are ready for the Second Part of Chapter Nine, The Laws of the Covenant . Here are the three major points we will be discussing:

1. God promised to never destroy the earth by a flood (Genesis 9:11). That is, not to destroy all mankind and animals; God did not destroy the plants in the flood; the dove finding the olive leaf is proof of this (Genesis 8:11).
2. God gave a token to give a visible sign of His Promise, “the token of the covenant” (Genesis 9:12-13); God set a “bow” in the cloud (Genesis 9:13-17).
3. God remembers His Covenant (Genesis 9:15-16).

Special Selected Thoughts for
The Laws of the Covenant

1) First, God’s Covenant, or Promise (Genesis 9:9, 11); God says in these verses:

“And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.” (Genesis 9:9)

“And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood…” (Genesis 9:11)

Looking to the Spiritual Application, we see God’s Promise that God’s Judgment on sin was Atoned by Christ – forever (Hebrews 10:14). There will never need to be a Cross again; for Christ satisfied God (Isaiah 53:10-11).

When Noah and his family and the animals were in the ark, they were preserved through the flood; and they came out of the ark (Genesis 8:18). God had established His Covenant, the Resurrection of Christ proves it – and so His Elect were resurrected in Christ (typed out by Noah). (See Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 3:18-21.)

So now, God’s words change from “I will establish” (Genesis 9:11) to “I have established” (Genesis 9:17).

2) Second, the Proof of God’s Covenant, His Promise (Genesis 9:12-17); in verses 12, 13, and 17 God says:

“This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations.” (Genesis 9:12)

“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it (the bow) shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth…” (Genesis 9:13)

“This is the token of the covenant…” (Genesis 9:17)

3) Third, God Remembers His Covenant; seeing His Bow (Genesis 9:15-16); God says:

“And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you…” (Genesis 9:15)

“And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:16)

The Application of These Thoughts for
The Laws of the Covenant

Now, let’s look at the Application:

As the Child of God studies through the Book of Genesis, we must keep as our primary focus that God is revealing Himself as Creator, Controller, and Consummator. As such, God is Sovereign (Absolute Ruler, etc.); and God had, and has, a plan to reveal His Attributes to His Sheep. In God’s Grand Design to reveal Himself, He created man in His own image. The reason being, God would use a human body, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He would use a human body to house Himself (Colossians 2:9), to reveal His Glory (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Therefore is the story of the Virgin Birth of Jesus from one named Mary, a virgin Jewish woman. (See Matthew 1; Luke 1 – 2.) The Apostle John declared that the Eternal Logos (the Eternal Word) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-3, 14; read all the verses, John 1:1-18.)

However, in the Book of Genesis, God uses the method of Progressive Revelation through the use of physical types and shadows of spiritual truths.

In 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, Paul states that only spiritual people (or people who have been regenerated) can discern spiritual things (spiritual truths).

God’s main Attribute, from which all of His other Attributes flow, is Love. God is Love. But God’s Love is not first a love of emotion, but of purpose. His Love is seen in Jesus Christ and in Him on the Cross making Atonement for sin.

This Atonement through Christ is introduced very early in Genesis. First is the Creation of man. Second comes man’s Fall; revealing man’s need of grace, redemption, reconciliation, and justification. Third is the Flood, God’s Judgment on sin; and His Plan of Salvation in the Ark (even Christ Jesus).

The Ark (the means of Salvation) was first noted in Genesis 3:15, where the Seed (Christ) of the woman would bruise the serpent (the devil, the adversary). Second, see Genesis 3:9-10, God revealing Himself, seeking out the sinner Adam. And third, God revealing to Adam that the Covering of God (for man’s sin) would be the bloody skin of an animal slain (the innocent dying for the guilty) (Genesis 3:21).

Genesis 3:21 is a very important revelation; for here begins the bloody trail of the innocent dying for the guilty. And this trail runs all the way to the Cross, where Jesus Christ made The Atonement for sin.

The shedding of blood is proof positive that a life is given. But this is physical (Leviticus 17:11). In Hebrews 9:1-26, the shift is made to the spiritual truth. The Atonement was finished before Christ gave up His physical life. When He said “It is finished” (from 12 noon to 3 pm), Christ became the Offering for our sin debt (which is spiritual death, or separation from God). Then He gave up the Ghost; the soldier pierced His side; and out came blood and water. Here again, Christ’s physical death and shedding of blood was a physical picture of the Spiritual Death that actually atoned for our sins.

The next steps in Genesis show man’s Fall and the Flood, which was God’s Judgment on sin. However, God’s Eternal Purpose of Redemption in Christ Jesus, was pictured physically again, using God’s selection of Noah, his wife and sons and their wives, and the animals and fowls to be spared (or preserved, or saved) in God’s Judgment on sin; in and through and by the Ark. The Ark was and is a type of Christ, in whom the Sovereign Selection of God were saved, or preserved, pointing to the Atonement of Christ.

The next step was the coming out of the ark by Noah and those spared the Judgment of God; which is a type of the Resurrection and a new start, a new life. When a person comes to the knowledge of their death, burial, and resurrection in Christ (Romans 6:4); then he is on new ground, resurrection ground; to walk in the newness of life (Genesis 8:18).

After Noah went out of the ark, having been spared God’s Judgment, he built an altar and offered sacrifices unto God (Genesis 8:20-21). This points to the regenerated sinner (raised from the deadness of sin) with knowledge of Christ’s Atonement, based on Sacrifice. It also speaks of worship and praise to God on the Basis of the Atonement.

This also places God’s Children in a position to hear God’s Promise (or Covenant, His Everlasting Covenant) to never judge again in this manner. Christ’s Atonement was once and forever; no need of any more Judgment on the Cross; for Christ did the job and completed the Atonement, proven by His Resurrection (Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-58).

The next step is in our text (Genesis 9:8-17), wherein God gave a physical “token” of proof (the “bow in the cloud”) – there would be no more floods to destroy man and all living things.

The token that all of God’s regenerated Children have is the Gift of the Holy Spirit. (See Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:1-7; 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Timothy 1:7-10.) It is an internal witness that you are a son or daughter of God; that He is your Father. It is a witness that you are free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2); that you are now a servant of righteousness; that you bear fruit of the Spirit and not of the flesh (Galatians 5:22-23); and that now you are His Friend:

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14)

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15)

His friends are those unto whom He reveals His Will. Amen and Amen!

Yes, as the Regenerated Children of God, we have an internal witness that we are God’s People. This is our Token of Security from the Judgment of God forever and ever, for all eternity.

God said to Noah:

“And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:17)

Notice that here the words are “I have established” – not will establish, but “have established.” This is past tense; it has been done, not maybe, but it has been completed. This Security is based on God’s Word of Covenant; not on any power of man to keep himself. (See Romans 8:29-39.)

The Hope is in Christ, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).