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| A rainbow from a recent storm |
Genesis 8:20-9:29
Does God make any promises in this passage? If so do they apply to me?
God promised in 8:22 that as long as the earth is in existence there will always be days and seasons with their heat and cold. This does apply to me (and everyone else). We either believe in the annihilation theories of Global Warming or we believe God.
God made a covenant with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature in 9:9-17 that He would never destroy the world by water again. He gave the rainbow in the clouds as the token of His promise. This promise applies to me and everyone else, including any animals. This also tends to make me believe in the theory of a canopy above the earth prior to Noah's flood. If there was rain prior to this time, wouldn't there have been a rainbow in the sky since all the necessary elements - water and light - were present? See here for recent article at Answers in Genesis concerning this debate among creationists.
Are there references to Jesus in this passage?
As part of the triune God, Jesus is one who make the covenant with Noah. He also is still keeping this covenant today.
Are there references to future events (in the future for us, that is) in this passage?
Yes, God promised that the world would never again be destroyed by water but He did not promise that the world would never be destroyed at all! He tells us in Revelation 21:1 that this earth will pass away. We see in II Peter 3:7-12 that this earth will be destroyed by fire. Isaiah 65:17 states that there will be a New Earth and this is restated in Revelation 21:1.
Does God make any commands in this passage? If so, to whom? And are they commands that I also must obey?
God repeated the command to replenish the earth. People and animals are still reproducing today. (9:1, 7)
God allowed men to eat meat from the point of the flood onward but He commands that the blood of animals not be eaten. (9:3-5)
God instituted capital punishment in 9:6 by commanding that anyone who kills another person be put to death by other men.
Did you find anything else of interest to you? Please share!
Gen 9:14 stuck out to me. It says, "...when I bring a cloud over the earth, the bow shall be seen in the cloud." Not only is He in control of our lives, He controls the clouds that come over the earth.
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