What Happened After the Flood? -- 1/11/09

Sunday, January 11, 2009

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE FLOOD?

This morning we are coming back to Genesis. Genesis is rich. It is often called “the book of beginnings.” When you read it, you quickly realize why it is so called. We find the beginning of so many things in Genesis. Just think of where we have been so far. We have seen the beginning of the universe, of mankind, of sin, of sacrifice, and so many more.

Most recently we have looked at Noah and the great flood that God sent upon the earth. While many people scoff at the idea that a flood could cover the entire world, Genesis tells us repeatedly that this is exactly what happened. Not only does God tell us in Gen. 6:17 that He will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, but He also says repeatedly that He will destroy
everything living upon the earth (6:7,13,17; 7:4), which reinforces the necessity for a worldwide flood.

When we come to Genesis 8:14 we find that the earth has dried and it is time for the eight living human beings to leave the ark and resume life. So the big question becomes: “So what happened after the flood?” Don’t take the flood lightly. We must understand that this is in reality a new start for the human race. Every person alive is descended from Noah. From that little band of eight comes the current population of the earth today.

What we must also understand is that when Noah and his family left the ark, they encountered a very different world from what they had known. Can you imagine what the earth looked like after being covered with water for roughly a year? Have you ever seen a river bed after a big flood? What destruction. But that was nothing compared to that time when the whole earth was completely covered with water for months and months. Things had to be very difficult for those survivors. Imagine the simple task of building a fire. Maybe they had to tear some pieces off the ark to even get a fire going. I suspect there was a certain feeling of loneliness. They had been surrounded by a thriving population, but now it was only the eight of them. The only animals were the ones that had been preserved on the ark. We aren’t told because it isn’t of vital importance, but don’t you imagine they encountered more than few dead bodies of both people and animals? I’m simply saying that life would not be easy for Noah and his family.

Rather than reading this entire passage (Gen. 8:14-9:17), we will read portions of it as we go along. We are going to try to get hold of this passage by summarizing it under four terms…

I. Sacrifice – Sacrifices unto God (8:14-20)

Read Gen. 8:14-20...
And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. 15. And God spake unto Noah, saying, 16. Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. 17. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. 18. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: 19. Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. 20. And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Gen. 8:14-19 gives us the account of the emptying of the ark. God told Noah to be sure and bring all of the animals out of the ark, so that they could “breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth” (8:17). Noah did exactly what God had told him – he took his family and all the creatures and left the ark. But what would Noah do then? Would he immediately start making preparations to build a house? Surely they were all tired of living in the ark? Would he start plowing a field to start a garden? What would be the first act of this man who had faithfully walked with God and obeyed Him in building the ark?
Verse 20, “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took o
f every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burn offerings on the altar.” First of all, notice the reference to clean animals and birds. This takes us back to the beginning of chapter 7, where we read in 7:2-3, "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. 3. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth." Here in chapter 7 we have the first reference to clean animals and unclean animals. That does not mean that some animals are literally dirty, while others are not. Nevertheless, there is a distinction between clean and unclean.

This raises some questions. First of all, we generally don’t think of clean and unclean animals until we get into the law of Moses, particularly in the book of Leviticus. In chapters 11-15 there are very detailed instructions which help a person distinguish between a clean and an unclean animal. But Noah obviously lived hundreds of years before Moses and the law. How did he know which animals were clean and unclean? Well, consider this. Where do we go to find out about sacrifices? We go to the law of Moses, particularly the book of Leviticus. Nevertheless, we have already encountered sacrifices. Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. It was God Himself who offered the first sacrifice, when He killed an animal and used the skin to clothe Adam and Eve. How did Noah know which animals were clean and unclean? The same way that Abel knew to offer sacrifices to God? Surely God told them. Remember that Noah walked with God. God was fully capable of communicating this distinction to Noah.

It is impossible to talk about the clean and unclean animals without asking this question: “What was the purpose of God making this distinction? Was it for health reasons?” We won’t spend a lot of time with this, but let me just come straight to the point. God’s basic purpose was in teaching man to distinguish between God’s ways and all other ways. Later, in Leviticus, He would tell them to make a distinction in the kind of clothes they wore, in the kind of seed they planted in the fields. It is the principle of separation. The whole theme of Leviticus is “holiness,” and what does the term “holy” mean? It means “set apart.” There have always been two ways – God’s way and every other way. This is true from the Garden of Eden, where there were two special trees, to the end where people will be in one of two places, either heaven or hell. There are two ways – the narrow way and the broad way. We could go on and on. God’s basic purpose in making this distinction between clean and unclean animals was to teach them (and us) that there was, is, and will be in this life two ways and that we must heed what God says about those two ways. It did not mean that some animals were better than others. A hog was not inferior to a cow. People were to eat the cow and not the hog to be reminded that God makes vital distinctions in life.

I am well aware that there is a great movement today to return to the dietary laws of the Old Testament. Some very well meaning Christians would tell us that we should follow the dietary laws so that we will be healthier. To do so is to emphasize the physical over the spiritual. Paul wrote to Timothy about those in the latter times who would “depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons… forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats” (I Tim. 4:1,3). But Paul tells Timothy and us that these animals were created by God “to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (4:3-5). But is there no longer any need to reinforce these distinctions? Today that role is fulfilled primarily by the Holy Spirit, the “setting apart” Spirit. The Christian is not separate from the world because he eats clean animals or because he wears certain fabrics, but because the Holy Spirit lives within him.

Now come back to 8:20. Noah took of the clean animals and birds and offered burnt offerings to the Lord. Now we see why the Lord told him to take seven pairs of the clean animals. It wasn’t so they could eat meat while they were on the ark; it was so Noah would have animals for sacrifices. If he hadn’t taken the extra clean animals and had offered sacrifices, entire species of animals would have become extinct. When God told Noah to take seven pairs of the clean animals and birds, He was making adequate preparations for what we find here in 8:20.

So why did Noah offer these burnt offerings? On the surface, we might get the idea that Noah was simply saying “Thank you” to God for saving him and his family. While we can’t rule out that factor, there is more to it than that. Notice what is stated here: “Noah… offered burnt offerings on the altar.” Speaking of firsts, this is the first time the word “altar” is used in the Bible. Though Abel offered an animal sacrifice, there is no specific mention of an altar (though he may have built one). But what I want us to see is that this was a burnt offering. Later, in the specifications of the law, burnt offerings signified much more than gratitude. The burnt offering, as seen in Leviticus 1, was completely burned on the altar. When some offerings were presented, the worshipper could eat a portion of it. Of others, the priest could eat a portion of it. But the burnt offering was completely consumed. The Hebrew word for “burnt offering” literally means “ascending,” speaking of the smoke that ascended from the burning of the offering. This offering was symbolic of total and complete devotion. As no part of the animal was held back, so the worshipper was declaring that he was holding nothing back from the Lord.

But surely this was also a sin offering, in which the animal was also sacrificed on the altar. Try to get this picture in your mind. Noah and his family stepped off the boat to view a world of destruction and death. Typical pictures of the scene often portray it as a bright sunny day with a beautiful landscape. You’ve seen pictures of the aftermath of floods, and those floods were nothing in comparison to what happened in this case. Noah was keenly aware that all men and animals who weren’t on that ark died. Don’t you know he also realized that he and his family deserved the same death. The handiwork of the God of wrath was all around him. Can you hear Noah offering the sacrifices, bowing before God, and saying, “Lord, we know what we deserve. You could crush us in an instant, and there is no reason that you shouldn’t, because we are sinners in your sight. We offer these sacrifices as a substitute. Please accept them in our place.”

There was repentance as they offered those sacrifices. Out of their firm confidence that God accepted their repentance, they devoted themselves totally to the Lord. In the midst of all of it was the note of thanksgiving, gratitude to the God who had preserved their lives. This wasn’t about some great deed they had done; it was about their humble response to the salvation God had provided.

We’ve taken a lot of time on this verse, but it is very important. The first thing Noah did when he got off the ark was to offer these burnt offerings to God. Yes, he had many needs, but his greatest need was to look to his God and Creator. Now let’s look at the other side of the coin. We have looked at Noah’s response to God; now let’s look at what God did for Noah and for mankind.

II. Blessing – God Blessed Noah Richly (8:21-9:3; + 8:17 & 9:7)

Read Gen. 8:21-22…
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 22. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

The Lord smelled a sweet savor. No, that does not mean that God has a nose. This is anthropomorphic language, indicating that God was pleased with Noah’s offering. To express His pleasure, He made a promise, stating that He would never again curse the ground for man’s sake or kill every living thing as He had done on this occasion. Don’t you know that was comforting for Noah and his family.

Notice the words between the two provisions of that promise – “for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Literally, “because” the imagination of man’s heart is evil. It seems to be upside down. We would expect God to say, “Because man is so evil, I am ready to again destroy the earth with a flood,” but we find the opposite. “Because man is so evil, I will not destroy the earth with a flood.” Because this is so unexpected, some translations change the “for” to “though” or “although.” “Though man is so wicked, I will not destroy him again in this manner.” But there is no reason to change the text. I understand him to be saying something like this: “If I destroyed the earth every time man’s wickedness increased, I would have to do it again and again. For that reason, I am telling you now that I will not destroy the earth like this again.”

Now let’s read Gen 9:1-2, "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 2. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered." What does this sound like? It sounds very similar to what God told Adam in chapter 1. Again, God tells man to be fruitful and multiply and that he will have dominion over all every living thing on the earth.

In verse 3 we find something new: “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you…” In chapter one, God told Adam that He would give him all the plants for food, but now God gives him every moving thing for food. He is obviously talking about the animals. God has given to mankind all sorts of plants and animals to enjoy for food.

I don’t think it is necessary to make a huge point of this truth here in La Luz, New Mexico, but neither should we ignore it. Man is the pinnacle of all God’s creation. Yes, we should have an appreciation for animal life, but we must realize that we are living in a world where everything is out of balance. A man who drives drunk and endangers the lives of hundreds of people will sometimes receive a lighter sentence that a man who demonstrates cruelty to animals. That is wrong. No matter what animal we consider, it is only a beast and cannot compare with a human beings, into whose nostrils the Lord breathed the breath of life. The life of one unburned human baby is worth more than the lives of all the animals on this planet. That doesn’t give us the license to abuse our stewardship of the earth’s resources, but we must understand that difference between human life and all other life. That is God’s design.

God has blessed man.

III. Protection – God Provides Protection for All Mankind (9:4-6)

Now let’s read verse 4, “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” While it is true that God gave the meat of animals to man for food, He specifically forbids him from eating the blood of an animal. Why is that? Though we are not told explicitly, it seems that there are two very good reasons. First of all, this may have something to do with health. God warned them to stay away from the blood. All kinds of diseases are carried in the blood. When we kill a deer or an elk, we slit the throat and drain the blood. While it is a blessing to have meat to eat, there are certain precautions that must be taken. That is why people are rightly concerned about meat that hasn’t been cooked thoroughly. There are many health hazards that go along with the eating of meat, if it is not properly prepared.

But there is another reason God commands them not to eat meat with the blood, that He warns them to stay away from the blood. He tells us that the blood is the life. Blood symbolizes the life of man. That is tied up with the fact that they were to offer the blood of animals in sacrifice. We read in Heb. 9:22, “…and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).” The meat of animals is given to man to eat, but the blood symbolizing his life was to be sacrificed on the altar. What was sacrificed to God was to be counted common; man was not to partake of it any form.

So we see that God was protecting man from endangering his health and from defiling his conscience. But we find something else in verses 5-6…
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. 6. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

God places great value upon human life. For that reason, whoever kills a man will be killed by man. If an animal kills a man, that animal must die. If a man kills another man, that man must die. Later, in the details of the Mosaic law, we are given further instructions. In those details God acknowledges that there is a great difference between killing someone accidentally and deliberately. But at this point, God is providing a deterrent against killing people. Do you see how this is another form of protection. It kind of reminds of the mark that God put on Cain, to protect him against the retaliation of those who knew and loved his brother Abel.

Notice the end of verse 6, “for in the image of God made he man.” God made man in His own image. We have already seen this in Gen. 1:26-27. A few weeks ago when we were in the first part of Genesis 5, I made the comment that Seth was not created in the image of God, but in the image of Adam his father, who had sinned against God. I implied that we as human beings were not created in the image of God. I fear that what I said may be a bit misleading. More than one person also pointed out the statement of James, as he taught about the power of the tongue. James 3:9, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God."

I am not saying that man is no longer in the image of God. Rather, I am saying that we are not created in the image of God in the same way that Adam was created in the image of God. The difference is in the fact that we are descended from a fallen Adam. This difference comes out in Gen. 5:3, where we are told that Seth was made in Adam’s image. It has long been said, and rightly so, that man is in the image of God, but that image has been marred. It has been messed up by sin. But praise God that the image of God is being restored to those who are in Jesus Christ. For those of us who are the children of God, we have been predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son.

As I have already mentioned in relation to man’s dominion over the animal kingdom, human life has been greatly cheapened in our society. We see the same thing in the lack of punishment against serious crimes, even murder. I’m not on a campaign to convince you that we should have capital punishment. Without doubt, God’s Old Testament commands included capital punishment, but some would say that there is no place for it in the New Testament. Personally, I don’t think the New Testament speaks to the issue of capital punishment, either for or against. One thing we must consider is that the abandonment of capital punishment has taken away the restraints upon the one who would contemplate murdering another human being.

This much we can see without question: God was gracious to protect Noah, his family, and those who would come after them. As God protected them, down through the centuries He has been protecting the people He created. It isn’t that we deserve it; it is simply that He is gracious.

IV. Covenant – God Made a Covenant with Noah that Extends to All His Creatures (9:8-17)

Now let’s read Gen. 9:8-17…
And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9. And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10. And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11. 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. 12. And God said, 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: 13. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15. And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16. 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. 17. 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.

Listen again to what God said to Noah in verse 9, “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.” God says that He is going to establish a covenant with Noah. What is a covenant? It is an agreement, but it is stronger than what we normally think of as an agreement. A covenant is a very binding agreement into which one enters. From this one verse we find out a couple of very important things about this covenant agreement. First of all, it is God who establishes the covenant. As we read through these verses, you probably noticed that there is lots of repetition. God makes this basic statement several times. But throughout the whole passage, there is nothing said about Noah’s part of the covenant. When we think of an agreement, we normally think of the responsibilities of two parties. Party A must do this; Party B must do this. But God says, “I will establish my covenant with you.” He doesn’t call on Noah to do anything. God takes all the responsibility for the keeping of this covenant.

The next thing we learn is that the Lord is not only establishing this covenant with Noah, but also with his seed after him. That is, God establishes this covenant with all the descendants of Noah. Are you a descendant of Noah? Indeed, you are. We all are. When God made this covenant with Noah, He was also making it with us. Whatever this covenant is, it is God’s covenant with us. And not only is this covenant with all mankind, but it is also with the rest of God’s creatures, yes, with every living creature.

That brings us to the most important question: What is this covenant? What is the substance of this binding agreement? We find the content of the covenant in verse 11, "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." God says clearly that He will never again destroy the earth and man and all living creatures with a flood. He has already said this at the end of 8:21, but now He is more explicit, stating it as a formal covenant. Let there be absolutely no question about what God will never do again.

Again, let’s remember what a great comfort this must have been to Noah and his family. They were well aware that their Creator was a God of indescribable power and wrath. But now they knew that He would never again express His wrath through a worldwide flood. It is also a comfort to us. God is as capable of bringing that same flood again, but we have His promise that He will not.

Do not miss how clearly God speaks. He doesn’t speak in riddles, but in words that clearly communicate His plan. And to make sure that no one misses the point, He repeats it again and again. Verse 9, “I will establish my covenant with you.” Verse 11, “And I will establish my covenant with you…” And now verse 12, “And God said, 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.” He repeats again the fact that this covenant is with every living creature down through the generations.

In the midst of this repetition, we find something new here in verse 12. Now the Lord speaks of “the token of the covenant.” Not only will He establish His covenant, but He will give a sign to accompany the covenant. Just in case anyone doubts that God has spoken, He will provide an explanation point for a reminder. And what will be the sign of the covenant? He tells us in verse 13, “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (a sign) of a covenant between me and the earth.” The Lord speaks of His bow in the cloud. Okay, you young ones, what is He talking about? That’s right; it’s the rainbow. Anyone ever see a rainbow?

Can anyone explain how a rainbow is formed? Anyone? If you know the scientific explanation of how the rainbow is formed, that’s fine, but it is a thousand times more important that you know this: “God made the rainbow.” When you are asked to explain how the rainbow is formed, just say, “God does it every time.” That’s the truth. The important thing is not how He does it, but the fact that He does it. God said, “I do set my bow in the cloud.” He makes it; He owns it; it is His sign of the covenant.

If I am calling a great deal of attention to repetition involved here, it is deliberate. We find little that is new in verses 15-17, but the Lord thinks it important to emphasize what He is saying. Verses 15-17…
And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16. 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. 17. 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.

Are you getting the picture. God is going to establish His covenant between Himself and every living creature and He is going to place a rainbow in the sky to remind Him and all His creatures that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood. This was especially meaningful to Noah and his family, as well as all the other living creatures. The time would come when the storm clouds would form and it would begin to rain. Can you imagine the fear that would come upon them? “Here we go again. We better run for higher ground. The flood is coming.” But God had a way of calming their fears. He would put His rainbow in the cloud, assuring them that though He would bring much needed rain, He would not flood the earth again. We have that same assurance today every time we see the rainbow.

You probably noticed the word “everlasting” in verse 16. “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.” Now, of course, God Himself didn’t need a reminder. He doesn’t have any trouble remembering. He uses this language to assure man that He won’t forget. But He refers to this as an everlasting covenant. What does He mean by “everlasting”? You may say, “He means just what He says – everlasting, forever.” Okay, but how long does this “everlasting” last? Does He mean to say that this covenant will last through all eternity? I think not. Surely the Lord is saying that this covenant will endure as long as this earth endures. It is everlasting in that sense. This is similar to the Lord’s command to Israel concerning the Passover: "And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever" (Ex. 12:14). The command is to keep the feast forever, but we know from the New Testament that Christ is our Passover. I don’t expect to see people keeping this physical feast throughout eternity, because we will be feasting on a far greater spiritual fellowship with the Lamb of God.

Conclusion

So what did happen after the flood? Very simply, through repentance and faith Noah offered sacrifices to God. Out of a heart of thanksgiving, he and his family expressed their complete devotion to the God who created them and delivered then from the destruction they deserved. In response to them, and simply out of His love and goodness, the Lord blessed them richly, offered His protection, and established a covenant with them.

There is significance in the fact that much more is said about what God did than what man did. There really isn’t much we can do to expand on Noah’s response to God. We recognize that He and He alone has done something to save us. Then out of a heart of thanksgiving, we offer ourselves to Him. That’s it. But God gives so much more. He continues to bless us with all the blessings that Noah received, and with so much more.

There are many blessings which are only available to the children of God. Those blessings are best summarized in Eph. 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” The natural man cannot claim those blessings. But the blessings and promises God gave Noah are for all humanity. God still blesses man. He continues to provide protection. And He keeps His covenant. After all these centuries, He has never flooded the earth as He did on that occasion.

Let’s close with a question: “Do you ever look at a rainbow and fail to remember God’s covenant?” May I suggest that to do so is sin. I didn’t say it is deliberate sin, but it is sin. Why? Because God gave the rainbow as a sign of His covenant. In other words, when He sets His rainbow in the sky, He does it for the very purpose of providing a reminder of His covenant. May God give us a holy anticipation of the next rainbow. And when we see it, may we be powerfully reminded of what God did for Noah, his family, and for all of us. May God guard us from making everything so commonplace. That rainbow is not an arc of concentric colored bands that develops when sunlight interacts with raindrops. That rainbow is the token of God’s covenant. It is nothing less than God speaking to you and me, reminding us of what a wonderful and merciful God He is. What a time to praise Him and thank Him.