Genesis9_8-11

Genesis 9:8-11

And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

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.

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.

The covenant was like a limitation that God Elohim placed upon Himself — that He would neither destroy living creatures nor the earth by the waters of a flood. Nothing can limit God Elohim except Himself. Hence, He established a covenant with Noah and his sons. Whatever removes all creation or creates it anew is not difficult for God Elohim. Nevertheless, it was very important for humanity, because the life of human beings is a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). Therefore, life is meaningful to every human being. By virtue of the covenant that God established with Noah and humanity, everyone can come into existence and appear in the world.

The covenant was also effective for every living creature, including the fowl, the cattle, and every beast that went out of the ark with Noah. In other words, all those living creatures suffered terribly during the floodwaters, especially in facing death. Although they were not human beings, they were living lives with feelings of their own, much like ours.

Meanwhile, God also promised that the earth would not be destroyed by a flood. In the eyes of God, human beings, other living creatures, and the earth were united as one. That is why the covenant encompassed all these things together.

Praise God Elohim, who established this covenant with all living creatures and the earth!