9:8-11
God now makes a covenant with Noah and his sons, and with his descendants after him. This is the first covenant in the Bible. It is also made with all the living creatures. Throughout the early chapters of Genesis we see a close relationship between man, the earth and all the living creatures. The environmentalists have got it right when they say the earth is important and we should look after it, but many of them get it wrong when they talk about man’s position in the order of things, and “solutions” such as population control. God promises that there will never again be a flood that destroys the whole earth. In the New Testament the event of the flood is looked on as a kind of drama that has elements of salvation in it. It is referred to in Matt 24:37,38; Lk 17:26,27; Heb 11:17; 1 Pet 3:20 and 2 Pet 2:5. One lesson then is that after the final judgement the new earth will never be destroyed.
9:12-17
God gives a sign to confirm the covenant. When Jesus was around the people were forever asking for a sign, or demanding a sign. We sometimes look down on them for doing this (myself included), but we see here that God gave a sign to confirm the covenant, so perhaps there calls for a sign were not that unreasonable after all? The rainbow is a sign of the covenant. Rainbows occur when there is both rain and sunshine, it is a reminder that the sunshine will win through! God is highly committed to His creation.
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