The Noahic Covenant
WEEK 2: The Noahic Covenant – God's Commitment to Creation
Primary Text
Genesis 8:20–9:17
Expositional Outline
I. God’s Response to Noah’s Sacrifice (8:20–22)
vv. 20–21: Noah offers a burnt offering; God’s response is internal: “The Lord said in His heart…”
v. 22: A poetic commitment to sustaining the created order — a reversal of Genesis 6:5–7.
II. Covenant Establishment and Blessing (9:1–7)
v. 1: Echo of Genesis 1:28 — "Be fruitful and multiply." God reaffirms the creation mandate.
vv. 2–4: Changes post-flood — fear of humans instilled in animals, permission to eat meat (with blood exception).
vv. 5–6: Sanctity of human life re-established; life is sacred because humans are made in God's image.
III. God's Covenant with Noah and All Life (9:8–17)
vv. 8–11: Covenant is not just with Noah, but with all flesh — creation-wide.
vv. 12–17: Sign of the covenant: the bow in the cloud. God sees it and remembers.
Original Language Insights
קָרַת בְּרִית (karat berit) – “cut a covenant” again seen implicitly here though not by name; the language of establishing (הֵקִים – heqim) a covenant is used (9:9).
תֵּבֵל (tevel) – world/order — though not in this passage, Genesis 8:22 parallels the Psalmist’s use of the term for the established earth system (Psalm 24:1).
קֶשֶׁת (qeshet) – “bow” (9:13): the same word for a war bow. Symbolism: God hangs up His weapon — points away from earth, not toward it.
Cross-References
Genesis 1:28–30 – Original creation mandate, mirrored in 9:1–7.
Psalm 104:5–9 – God’s commitment to ordering the natural world.
Isaiah 54:9–10 – God compares His love to the Noahic covenant: unshakable.
Romans 1:20 – God’s invisible qualities evident in creation, sustained by His covenant faithfulness.
Hermeneutical Analysis
Historical-Grammatical
Flood narratives were known in the Ancient Near East (e.g., Epic of Gilgamesh), but Genesis stands apart in theological framing: it’s not about divine frustration but divine mercy.
The covenant is universal and unconditional — a rare form in the OT. It is not based on obedience or sacrifice but purely on God’s commitment.
Canonical
The Noahic covenant sets the foundation for God’s work with creation — it precedes and undergirds later covenants.
Every future covenant (Abrahamic, Mosaic, etc.) assumes the stability of the created world that the Noahic covenant guarantees.
Redemptive-Historical
This covenant shows that God does not intend to destroy the world again — salvation history will unfold within a stable creation.
It prepares for the Abrahamic covenant by showing God's commitment to humanity even after judgment.
Deep-Dive Theological Insights
Genesis 9:6 – This is the first legal principle post-flood. It affirms human dignity based on the imago Dei. In a world reshaped by death, God reaffirms life.
The rainbow as divine self-reminder – It’s not primarily a human symbol but one that God sees (9:14–16). This is covenant from God’s side — the image is of a warrior putting down His weapon and choosing peace.
Unconditional grace – This is the only major covenant that is not conditioned on human obedience. Even though “every intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (8:21), God still enters into covenant.
Common Grace – This covenant is the root of the theological concept of common grace — God’s sustaining of the world for the benefit of both righteous and wicked alike.
Teaching or Preaching Application
Hook: Ask, “What’s the foundation for our confidence that the world isn’t spinning out of control?” Then explore how God's commitment to creation gives us a theological foundation for hope.
Application Points:
Christians live in a world sustained by God, not chaos.
Ecology and stewardship matter because God values creation.
Every rainbow is a reminder of God's mercy and restraint.
Discussion Questions:
Why do you think God made a covenant with "all living creatures" and not just Noah?
What does this covenant reveal about God's view of human life and creation?
How might this covenant shape our view of justice, creation care, or public life?
