In the previous post, we saw that the flood was actually a sign of God’s patience and grace. We saw that God declared that punishing humans through natural calamities was not a productive way since such calamities did nothing to change their hearts. Now we look more deeply into the covenant that God makes with all of creation through Noah.

Hebrew text:

1 וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־נֹ֖חַ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לָהֶ֛ם פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֖וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

2 וּמוֹרַאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כָּל־חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעַ֖ל כָּל־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה וּֽבְכָל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ׃

3 כָּל־רֶ֙מֶשׂ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוּא־חַ֔י לָכֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה לְאָכְלָ֑ה כְּיֶ֣רֶק עֵ֔שֶׂב נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־כֹּֽל׃

4 אַךְ־בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

5 וְאַ֨ךְ אֶת־דִּמְכֶ֤ם לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ אֶדְרֹ֔שׁ מִיַּ֥ד כָּל־חַיָּ֖ה אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ וּמִיַּ֣ד הָֽאָדָ֗ם מִיַּד֙ אִ֣ישׁ אָחִ֔יו אֶדְרֹ֖שׁ אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ הָֽאָדָֽם׃

6 שֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹהִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָאָדָֽם׃

7 וְאַתֶּ֖ם פְּר֣וּ וּרְב֑וּ שִׁרְצ֥וּ בָאָ֖רֶץ וּרְבוּ־בָֽהּ׃ ס

8 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־נֹ֔חַ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֥יו אִתּ֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃

9 וַאֲנִ֕י הִנְנִ֥י מֵקִ֛ים אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתְּכֶ֑ם וְאֶֽת־זַרְעֲכֶ֖ם אַֽחֲרֵיכֶֽם׃

10 וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־נֶ֤פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֔ם בָּע֧וֹף בַּבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּֽבְכָל־חַיַּ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ אִתְּכֶ֑ם מִכֹּל֙ יֹצְאֵ֣י הַתֵּבָ֔ה לְכֹ֖ל חַיַּ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

11 וַהֲקִמֹתִ֤י אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתְּכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר ע֖וֹד מִמֵּ֣י הַמַּבּ֑וּל וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֥ה ע֛וֹד מַבּ֖וּל לְשַׁחֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

12 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים זֹ֤את אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֣י נֹתֵ֗ן בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֛ין כָּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֑ם לְדֹרֹ֖ת עוֹלָֽם׃

13 אֶת־קַשְׁתִּ֕י נָתַ֖תִּי בֶּֽעָנָ֑ן וְהָֽיְתָה֙ לְא֣וֹת בְּרִ֔ית בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין הָאָֽרֶץ׃

14 וְהָיָ֕ה בְּעַֽנְנִ֥י עָנָ֖ן עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְנִרְאֲתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּעָנָֽן׃

15 וְזָכַרְתִּ֣י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֛ין כָּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה בְּכָל־בָּשָׂ֑ר וְלֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה ע֤וֹד הַמַּ֙יִם֙ לְמַבּ֔וּל לְשַׁחֵ֖ת כָּל־בָּשָֽׂר׃

16 וְהָיְתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּֽעָנָ֑ן וּרְאִיתִ֗יהָ לִזְכֹּר֙ בְּרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֔ם בֵּ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֔ים וּבֵין֙ כָּל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה בְּכָל־בָּשָׂ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

17 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־נֹ֑חַ זֹ֤את אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֲקִמֹ֔תִי בֵּינִ֕י וּבֵ֥ין כָּל־בָּשָׂ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פ

Transliteration:

1 way·ḇā·reḵ  ’ĕ·lō·hîm, ’eṯ-  nō·aḥ wə·’eṯ- bā·nāw;  way·yō·mer lā·hem pə·rū  ū·rə·ḇū ū·mil·’ū ’eṯ- hā·’ā·reṣ. 

2 ū·mō·w·ra·’ă·ḵem  wə·ḥit·tə·ḵem yih·yeh,  ‘al kāl- ḥay·yaṯ hā·’ā·reṣ,  wə·‘al kāl- ‘ō·wp̄ haš·šā·mā·yim;  bə·ḵōl ’ă·šer tir·mōś hā·’ă·ḏā·māh ū·ḇə·ḵāl  də·ḡê hay·yām bə·yeḏ·ḵem nit·tā·nū.  

3 kāl-  re·meś ’ă·šer  hū- ḥay, lā·ḵem  yih·yeh lə·’āḵ·lāh  kə·ye·req ‘ê·śeḇ, nā·ṯat·tî  lā·ḵem ’eṯ- kōl. 

4 ’aḵ-  bā·śār bə·nap̄·šōw  ḏā·mōw lō ṯō·ḵê·lū.  

5 wə·’aḵ  ’eṯ- dim·ḵem  lə·nap̄·šō·ṯê·ḵem  ’eḏ·rōš, mî·yaḏ kāl-  ḥay·yāh ’eḏ·rə·šen·nū; ū·mî·yaḏ  hā·’ā·ḏām, mî·yaḏ ’îš ’ā·ḥîw, ’eḏ·rōš  ’eṯ- ne·p̄eš hā·’ā·ḏām.  

6 šō·p̄êḵ  dam hā·’ā·ḏām,  bā·’ā·ḏām dā·mōw  yiš·šā·p̄êḵ; kî bə·ṣe·lem  ’ĕ·lō·hîm, ‘ā·śāh ’eṯ- hā·’ā·ḏām.  

7 wə·’at·tem  pə·rū ū·rə·ḇū;  šir·ṣū ḇā·’ā·reṣ  ū·rə·ḇū- ḇāh. s 

8 way·yō·mer  ’ĕ·lō·hîm ’el-  nō·aḥ, wə·’el- bā·nāw  ’it·tōw lê·mōr.  

9 wa·’ă·nî  hin·nî mê·qîm  ’eṯ- bə·rî·ṯî ’it·tə·ḵem;  wə·’eṯ- zar·‘ă·ḵem ’a·ḥă·rê·ḵem.  

10 wə·’êṯ  kāl- ne·p̄eš  ha·ḥay·yāh ’ă·šer  ’it·tə·ḵem, bā·‘ō·wp̄  bab·bə·hê·māh ū·ḇə·ḵāl ḥay·yaṯ  hā·’ā·reṣ ’it·tə·ḵem; mik·kōl yō·ṣə·’ê  hat·tê·ḇāh, lə·ḵōl ḥay·yaṯ hā·’ā·reṣ.  

11 wa·hă·qi·mō·ṯî  ’eṯ- bə·rî·ṯî ’it·tə·ḵem,  wə·lō- yik·kā·rêṯ kāl- bā·śār  ‘ō·wḏ mim·mê ham·mab·būl; wə·lō-  yih·yeh ‘ō·wḏ mab·būl lə·ša·ḥêṯ hā·’ā·reṣ.  

12 way·yō·mer  ’ĕ·lō·hîm, zōṯ  ’ō·wṯ- hab·bə·rîṯ  ’ă·šer- ’ă·nî nō·ṯên,  bê·nî ū·ḇê·nê·ḵem, ū·ḇên  kāl- ne·p̄eš ḥay·yāh ’ă·šer  ’it·tə·ḵem; lə·ḏō·rōṯ ‘ō·w·lām.  

13 ’eṯ-  qaš·tî nā·ṯat·tî  be·‘ā·nān; wə·hā·yə·ṯāh  lə·’ō·wṯ bə·rîṯ, bê·nî ū·ḇên  hā·’ā·reṣ.  

14 wə·hā·yāh  bə·‘an·nî ‘ā·nān  ‘al- hā·’ā·reṣ; wə·nir·’ă·ṯāh  haq·qe·šeṯ be·‘ā·nān.  

15 wə·zā·ḵar·tî  ’eṯ- bə·rî·ṯî, ’ă·šer  bê·nî ū·ḇê·nê·ḵem, ū·ḇên  kāl- ne·p̄eš ḥay·yāh bə·ḵāl  bā·śār; wə·lō- yih·yeh ‘ō·wḏ ham·ma·yim  lə·mab·būl, lə·ša·ḥêṯ kāl- bā·śār.  

16 wə·hā·yə·ṯāh  haq·qe·šeṯ be·‘ā·nān;  ū·rə·’î·ṯî·hā, liz·kōr bə·rîṯ  ‘ō·w·lām, bên ’ĕ·lō·hîm, ū·ḇên  kāl- ne·p̄eš ḥay·yāh, bə·ḵāl bā·śār  ’ă·šer ‘al- hā·’ā·reṣ.  

17 way·yō·mer  ’ĕ·lō·hîm ’el-  nō·aḥ; zōṯ ’ō·wṯ-  hab·bə·rîṯ ’ă·šer hă·qi·mō·ṯî,  bê·nî ū·ḇên kāl- bā·śār ’ă·šer  ‘al- hā·’ā·reṣ. p̄ 

NIV:

1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 

2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 

3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 

5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 

9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 

10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 

11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 

13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 

14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 

15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 

16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

Study:

God has reinstated the life giving and life sustaining cycles. Now he moves to announcing the covenant he makes with all of creation through Noah. The first thing he does is reiterate the first command to humans. They are to be fruitful, increase in number and fill the earth. However, there now is a downside to the role humans will play with respect to the rest of creation. Whereas earlier the other creatures were not said to be fearful of humans, God now clearly declares that other creatures will fear humans. Something disastrous has been uncovered about human nature. They are so self centered that they are actually not just a threat to themselves but also a threat to the rest of creation. And while millions of animals died in the flood without understanding how great a threat humans were, now the other creatures would instinctively know that humans are a danger to them.

God also permits the eating of meat for the first time. Whereas earlier we hear only about plants being given to humans for food, now the clean animals are also given as food. Some well meaning people have argued on this basis that, since humans were originally vegetarian, we should all strive to be vegetarian. This is faulty logic for humans originally also didn’t wear clothes! In this dispensation, God has permitted the eating of meat and while people are free to be vegetarian, there is no compulsion to it in the text. Rather, when God permits humans to eat meat, it is because this will have a role to play in salvation history.

That being said, the current meat industry is a far cry from anything that the bible envisioned as being permitted. The bible does not condone raising animals in inhumane conditions that violate the nature God has given them. We who still eat meat must take this into account seriously and at least attempt to ensure justice for animals that are being raised for food.

The text then prohibits eating meat with blood in it. The reason given is that blood is a symbol of the life of the animals. Hence, it would be inappropriate to eat the meat along with what had given the animal life. Eating the meat of an animal is a triumph of death over life and to underscore this by eating the meat along with the blood is to undermine the life giving properties of the blood.

Some interpreters claim that vv. 5b-6 is the institution of capital punishment. In a declaration that alludes to God’s question to Cain after Cain had murdered Abel, God says, “I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.” The text seems to pronounce that anyone who murders another human would forfeit their life at the hands of other humans. However, it is not clear how capital punishment is related to humans being made to bear the image of God.

I believe the link is to be found by looking at humans in a different light. Humans were created to bear the image of God. This means that we were created to exercise authority. We were made to rule and govern, even if we are unable to do it in just ways. This drive toward ruling and governing is inherent in our nature. And hence those who are in positions of power will repay death with death. This is not because God wants the death of humans. After all, sentencing a murderer to death does not do anything for the victim. Rather, humans are so deeply in the thralls of death, as seen in their ready and rampant use of violence, that humans cannot think of any other ways of enacting justice. We know only of retributive and punitive justice, not restorative and reconciliatory justice. 

Hence, the text does not describe the institution of capital punishment. Rather, the text does mention capital punishment in order to pronounce that it is actually an indictment of human justice systems. Indeed, if any group of people would require the death of a murderer as punishment, it is a sign that that group of people has been completely swept away by the forces of death and violence and is unable to think of positive ways of enacting justice.

Then God reiterates his decision not to enact his justice through the forces of nature. He will never again use such methods to punish humans for their violent ways. Rather, God makes a covenant with all of creation. Human violence and depravity will never again provide God with a reason for inflicting the earth with worldwide catastrophes.

Finally, God says that the rainbow would be the sign of this covenant that he has made with all of creation. It is important to note that this does not mean that there were no rainbows before this. The laws governing light did not change on that day. Rather, the rainbow, which was always visible during and after showers, is now endowed with significance. From being a merely natural phenomenon, it has become a sign of a covenant through which God promises to not allow human sinfulness be a reason for which the other creatures on the earth would suffer. The next time we see a rainbow, perhaps we need to remember our relationship with the rest of creation. And we perhaps need to insist on being just stewards of this world that has been entrusted into our keeping.

Prayer:

Our loving, almighty Father. We throw ourselves on your mercy. We know that we have not taken care of this earth as we ought to have. We have exploited the other creatures that share this world with us. We have engaged in violence and have been responsible for the extinction of thousands of species. We confess our sin before you and ask you for the wisdom to escape the grip of the forces of death and evil. We ask you to give us your wisdom through your Spirit and give us the integrity to follow through on the leading of your Spirit. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.