Genesis Chapter 9
How good it would have been to finally be off the ark. It was time to start living again and to plant and harvest food. Things would be a lot different on the earth after the flood. The life span of mankind would begin to drastically shorten. Now their food sources would change because God told Noah that they were free to eat the animals. The animals, however, would now have a fear of mankind. Noah was told to take special care of the blood of the animal. They were to drain the blood of the animal before consuming. The blood is special and represents the life in every creature.
Other changes would be evident as they moved about the land. The topography had drastically changed and there would now be seasons with cold of winter and heat of summer. There would no longer be a beautiful misting from the atmosphere but now they would need to wait for rain to nourish the ground.
God made it clear that He would never cover the whole earth with a flood, and He said that the sign of His covenant would be the rainbow in the sky. Each time it is seen it is a reminder that God keeps His covenant promises. It is interesting to note that there is also a rainbow surrounding the throne of God in heaven. God does not need a reminder, He will always remember and always keep His promise, but He wants to look at the rainbow that is a symbol of His great mercy.
Revelation 4:3And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
Let's Reflect
1. What does verse 1 tell us that God did for Noah and his sons? What do you think that means?
2. Noah was given permission to eat animals but was instructed not to eat (or drink) the life blood of the animals. All animals as well as plants could now be used for food. What did God say about unnecessary killing? What would happen if someone murdered someone else (as was common before the flood)?
3. God made a covenant promise to never cover the earth with a flood again. He made this covenant promise to Noah and his family. God’s covenant was also meant for who according to verse 10?
4. According to verse 13, the rainbow is also meant to be a sign of the covenant that was extended to whom?
5. I think God wanted us to realize how close we humans came to being eliminated from the face of the earth. There is no speculation that some humans survived the Great Flood, all perished except the family that God rescued. God makes it clear in verses 18 and 19 that the reproduction of man would and could only begin again through whom?
6. Some time passed, and Noah drank wine from the grapes of his vineyard he planted and became drunk. We don’t know exactly what his son Ham did to Noah who was found naked in his tent. It could be he abused him in some way, or it could be that he laughed and made fun of his father. Either way it greatly hurt Noah when he realized what his son had done. He prophesied that the sons of Ham would be servants to the other brothers and their families. What was Ham’s son’s name?
7. How long did Noah live after the flood? How old was he when he passed away?
