Intro:
DVD series – Case for Creation
Affirms the Christian view that God created the world
Genesis does not explain in a scientific manner how God achieved this. But it does account for a certain worldview.
David, got it right when he says in Psalm 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
It is not the celestial lights are gods, to be worshipped, but they speak of an amazing creator.
So what then is the book of Genesis about?
ANE – Polytheistic
Humans as an afterthought
Do manual jobs that the gods did not want to do
Hebrews/Israel – Monotheistic (one God)
Humans at height of creation
To have a relationship with the creator
Through Genesis
If there really is a God, who created the universe and everything in it, then how can we get to know this God?
The solution emerges that this is only possible when he reveals himself to human beings.
i.e. Evidenced in creation itself
Communicates directly to human beings
Genesis then is primarily about revelation; God’s revelation of himself to human kind.
The purpose of this self-revelation is to establish the notion of a covenant people. Sadly today the word, “covenant” is not widely used or understood in our 21st Century context. Despite this, the term is central to understand God and our relationship with him.
Continuing on with the Genesis series:
This is the first of three sermons on COVENANT in Genesis. Today we will focus on God’s covenant with Noah. Essentially God suspended judgement on the sins of humanity until the work of Jesus. In Jesus we can find forgiveness of sins, when we repent and therefore turn from our sins.
From the opening lines describing creation, we find the emerging theme, whereby God reveals his plan to build a people, committed to him, and he promises to commit to them. i.e. Gen 17:7-8 (Abram/Abraham); Deut 4:20 (Moses) – “I will be your God and you shall be my people.”
Very early on in the piece, the reader becomes aware of God’s concern that his creation ... in particular his prized creation – human beings are being consumed by their own wickedness.
Through the early chapters of Genesis we find an interesting pattern.
Cycle of:
Sin Judgement Punishment Grace Redemption
Adam and Eve
Cain kills Abel
Story of Noah:
Problem of sin human wickedness flood
God decides to blot out human beings
Sees the one righteous man, Noah and his family
Will give human beings one more chance
Genesis 6:18 promises a covenant with Noah, but is not specific as to the nature of this covenant.
So what is a covenant? Essentially it is a contract.
A covenant is more than a mutual agreement between parties. It is an “oath-bound promise” where one party pledges to bless or serve another party in some specified way.
In the biblical sense a covenant is always initiated by God.
Genesis 8:21-9:3, 7; 8-17
1. God Restores Creation (8:21-9:3, 7)
Sin continues
Never again curse the ground
Seasons will always come as expected
Humans to, “be fruitful, increase in number and fill the earth”
Things as they were after being expelled from the Garden of Eden
2. God’s Judgement Suspended (9:11)
See 6:5-8
Human wickedness “deeply grieved” wipe humans out
Found favour in Noah (and family)
Because God found favour in Noah he suspended judgement of human sin ... (9:11), “I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood again; never again will their be a flood to destroy the earth.”
NOTE: repeat = EXCLAMATION!
It is fair to say that in this story, and by our own experience, human beings have not become more holy ... therefore God’s judgement is required.
Instead, God has chosen not to immediately judge each and every sin during what is now known as the Old Testament period ... time leading up to Jesus Christ. Ever since God’s covenant with Noah (and all of humanity to follow), God has pledged himself to long-suffering and patience. He waited for Jesus Chris to be the full and final sacrifice for sins to do that (Acts 17:30-31)
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.
God has promised to allow ample time for people to repent turn from sin and turn to obediently follow him.
3. God’s Promise (9:12-17)
In this story ... it is easy to look at God and think,
WOW he is some egotistical, violent, irrational being that is bent on punishing people, when he created us this way in the first place.
However, I think we need to take a closer at this story...
Read vv 12-17
The bible doesn’t suggest that this was the first rainbow ... in fact ... rainbows would have been present as a natural phenomenon where droplets of water refract beams of light. God is simply claiming a common natural occurrence as a symbol of his commitment.
In the ancient world as well as well as ours, when a treaty is being signed between two countries, often gifts are exchanged as a sign of goodwill between the two parties. This is similar, except in this case, human beings do not have to do anything ... as this covenant is initiated by God ... and the rainbow is a reminder of his promise to not destroy all life again.
This reminder was not intrinsically for human kind. When God sees the rainbow, he remembers his covenant.
There is however a secondary benefit for human beings. When we see bow, we can take comfort and hope in the knowledge that God is remembering his promise to us.
ENDING:
• The Book of Genesis affirms that God created the world and everything in it.
• Despite the level of depravity displayed by human beings, his prized creation ... God chooses to not wipe all of creation out ... because of the righteousness of one man (Noah) and his family.
• Because of his covenant with Noah, God has withheld his right to judge each and every sin, until the day Jesus is sent to rescue all humankind from sin.
• And for us that day has come, some 2000 years ago.
There were more covenants to come throughout the Old Testament ... finally however; one covenant came to make complete God’s intentions for the human race.
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin [a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [2 Corinthians 5:18-21]”
This is the New Covenant ... a covenant of GRACE not judgement; only if we are willing to accept Jesus as our LORD and Saviour. God brings us back to himself (reconciles us) by blotting out our sins and making us righteous.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” [Hebrews 4:16]
