The Covenant with Noah, Gen. 8-10 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
We are studying the major covenants of the Bible. This will help us to rightly divide the word of truth [2 Tim 2:15]. The covenant that we are studying in this lesson is God’s covenant with Noah. This covenant was established in Gen. 8:21 to Gen. 9:27. It covers the period from Noah’s flood through the millennial reign of Jesus, with part of it stopping at the second coming of Jesus Christ (Is. 11:6-9). The part that changes concerns carnivores. All animals will eat straw like the ox.
The token of this covenant is the rainbow, which has been perverted by men as the symbol of an inclusive society. You will see in this covenant that the rainbow symbolizes God’s commitment to not flood the entire earth again.
The terms of this covenant are as follows: Men and animals begin eating animals, capital punishment is instituted, men are forbidden to eat blood, and God promises to never again flood the entire earth. Furthermore, international bounds are established (Gen. 10; Acts 17:26-27) and notable characteristics of three major nationalities are prophesied (Gen. 9:25-27). The prophecies indicate that Europeans (descendants of Japheth) would enlarge into other countries; Asians (descendants of Shem) would become religious; and Africans (descendants of Ham through Canaan) would serve.
To get around this covenant, men have tried to abolish capital punishment, which was still being practiced in the New Testament (Acts 25:11 and Rom. 13:1-4). It will even continue in the millennial reign of Jesus (Zech. 13:2-3). Animal rights groups have tried to protect animals from men. The United Nations, following Nimrod’s example (Gen. 11:1-6), has facilitated the removal of international boundaries (Is. 10:5-4; Acts 17:24-28). The philosophy of “all men are created equal” has been promoted to erase all national and cultural distinctions among Europeans, Asians and Africans. Religious worship involves drinking blood (currently called “transubstantiation”). Men will literally drink blood in the tribulation (Rev. 17:6) as part of their worship.
Concerning “salvation,” Noah and his offspring had to do by faith what God said. Contrary to this covenant, there are men and women who think that they can “get to heaven” by adopting do-gooder policies to protect criminals, animals, and the environment, by approving global one-world policies to bring all men together for the common good, or by keeping the golden rule. They are mistaken. For one thing, God is going to destroy this earth and the nations in it again, (2 Pet. 3).