By Dr. Lawrence Butler, The Bridge Church, Pembroke.

There are seven covenants established by God that are presented in the Bible. These covenants are: 1) Adamic (Gen. 2:15-17), 3) Abrahamic (Gen. 15:18), 4) Mosaic (Ex. 24:7-8, 34:24), 5) Levitic (Num. 25:1213), 6) Davidic (II Sam. 23:5, II Chron. 13:5, Isa. 9:7), 7) Messianic (Isa. 42:1-6, Jer. 31:31-40). These are great and mighty covenants that will stand the test of time because God established them.

You will notice the second covenant is missing. That one is known as the Noahic Covenant and is under discussion tonight. The occasion of the covenant is thus: God spared Noah and his family from the flood, and the first thing Noah does is build an altar to God and worships.

This is the first time “God blessed man” since before Adam and Eve sinned. The blessing of God now rests upon the new progenitors of the human race. The covenant was based on a blood sacrifice (Gen. 8:20). Man had forfeited his position as lord over creation, but grace restores him and reinstates him. Notice also the source of the covenant: in verses 11, 12, and 15 of Genesis 9 God calls it “my covenant.” It was a covenant of God with Noah, not Noah with God. Genesis 9:9-10 establishes that the covenant was with Noah and all (including animals) that were on the ark with him, all living flesh. This typifies the example of substitution – others being blessed through the obedience of one.

Another aspect of this covenant is the faithfulness of God.

Promises were given that seasons would not fail (Gen. 8:29) and neither would another flood come that would destroy all flesh (Gen. 9:11).

For about 4,000 years God has remained true to His Word.

Man should recognize that behind Nature’s Laws is Nature’s Lord.

Without our Lord’s guarantee, there would be no safety in Nature’s Laws, for they could change or fail. A flood came once, why not again?

It can’t happen as long as God’s covenant is in effect. How blessed it is to hear God’s voice saying, “And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen. 9:11).

Why have a covenant? After such a traumatic event, man would be subject to horrible, debilitating fears. Faith in God’s Word brings peace, an important lesson for us today.