Right after Noah stepped off the ark, he sacrificed a lot of animals. This may seem weird to some who believe that only two of every kind went on board, but the biblical text suggests that there were 7 of many types of the animals who went on board. So there would be plenty to sacrifice.
God resigned Himself to the fact that people will always be evil; so God set up certain ground rules to protect people from animals and from each other. Those rules were set up within the surroundings of a blessing with which God blessed Noah. That blessing immediately precedes the covenant that God made with Noah.
THE COVENANT
Covenants were common forms of promises made between 2 parties. I believe that covenants began in order to confirm long standing promises in a day when there was very little reading or writing. As years came and went, promises, vows and simple agreements were forgotten or left behind for some reason after another. Covenants then became binding agreements that were not forgotten because they were often (but not always) made with accompanying actions and marked by unusual events.
Noah's covenant was made on a day when Noah sacrificed dozens if not hundreds of animals. It was made on a day when a rainbow filled the sky. It was made on a day that Noah and his children would never forget.
GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH (Genesis 9:8-17)
Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
“Now behold, I Myself do establish
My covenant with you,
and with your descendants after you;
and with every living creature that is with you,
the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.
I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood,
neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
and with your descendants after you;
and with every living creature that is with you,
the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.
I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood,
neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I
am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with
you, for all successive generations;
I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.
It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud,
and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.
It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud,
and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all
flesh that is on the earth.”
There is a lot of repetition in the covenant that God established with Noah:9 times - God names the parties involved in the covenant which include Noah, his children, animals, and the earth.
7 times - the covenant is mentioned.
3 times water or flood is mentioned
3 times the bow is mentioned
2 times the sign is mentioned (which refers to the bow)
2 times God says that He will remember
2 times God says that a world wide flood will never again take place
Repetition usually tells us what is important in a passage. With it we can break down the covenant into a simple formula.
God made a covenant with humanity, the animals and the earth.
God covenanted never again to destroy the earth by water.
God set the rainbow in the sky to let us know that the bow is a memorial sign to himself of this covenant.
This last part seems to be the climax of the covenant. God said, "When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember...." Does God need to remember? Or does He say this for our benefit? No doubt, He said that for us.
Repetition usually tells us what is important in a passage. With it we can break down the covenant into a simple formula.
God made a covenant with humanity, the animals and the earth.
God covenanted never again to destroy the earth by water.
God set the rainbow in the sky to let us know that the bow is a memorial sign to himself of this covenant.
This last part seems to be the climax of the covenant. God said, "When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember...." Does God need to remember? Or does He say this for our benefit? No doubt, He said that for us.
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