03 TBC - The Flood Covenants

• Introduction

  There are more than 300 references to the word 'covenant' in the Bible, and you'll be glad to hear that we are not going to try to trace each one. We will, however, take a brief look at other foundational covenants in the book of Genesis before we move on.

  If we tried to understand the word covenant by reading through the Bible from cover to cover, the first time we actually meet the word ‘covenant’ would be in the record of Noah and the flood.

  We are introduced to the terrible wickedness of those days and hear of God;s intentions to bring the judgement of a flood upon the Earth. But even in the proclamation of the coming judgement there is some good news.

'Thee' and 'Them' and the Flood Covenants

Thee

• (Genesis 6:5–7 ESVi)

  The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:5–7 ESVi)

  And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.(Genesis 6:5–8 ASV)

  • regret, grief, sorrow

    The OT predefines the words for repentance and carries their colours into the NT

    NT repentance is not 'only' a change of mind; it includes regret, grief and sorrow

• Genesis 6:17–19 ASV

  “And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon this earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.” (Genesis 6:17–19 ASV)

  The older versions keep the distinction between 'thee' and 'you'

  • A covenant with Noah 'I' and 'thou'

    • The Last Man Standing

      Genesis 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:8–9 ASV)

      • This entire covenant depended upon two persons

        • God and Noah

        • others would benefit, but the Covenant was between two persons

        • all blessings ,and survival itself, would be 'mediated' through Noah, the One Man 'left standing'.

        • Only those who are rightly related to the One Man and who shared his 'baptism' would benefit in this covenant.

        a thoroughly corrupt world and 'one man' left standing. Does this remind you of something? of somone? A man in a perfect relationship and unique relationship with God who makes a way of salvation to all who will 'come to him'? Can we see a shadow of Christ here?

Them

The Covenant repeated and its range increased

• (Genesis 9:8–9 ASV)

  Genesis 9:8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

  And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

  • Plural pronouns

    1. Who is the 'you'?

    2. Not just 'Noah's sons' but 'Noah, and to his sons with him'

    3. There is no hint of Noah's sons working with him in the building of this Salvation Ark. The sons did not share that experience with Noah.

    4. Noah and his sons now have a shared experience. They have been united together in a common experience by means of a baptism.

    5. The covenant made between God and Noah is now to be shared by all those who shared Noah's baptism.

Noah's baptism?!?

There's an unexpected reference to this baptism in the New Testament

• (1 Peter 3:19–21 NKJV)

  What happened to the ark was a kind of pattern for a future event. It was a anti-type. It was a prefiguring of 'baptism'. We will examine the destructive side of a 'baptism' later in our studies.

  by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited ...in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

  • the ark was being prepared, in which(1) a few, that is, eight souls, were saved(2)through(3) water.

    1. the ark 'in which' lit: into which

    2. eight souls were saved lit: delivered

    3. 'through water' lit: dia, the route

  • Genesis 7:17 -18 ASV

    And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 7:17–18 ASV)

    • the implications

      • This baptism separated the past from the present

      • every drop of water increased that separation, until it was entirely separated from the past.

      • The same water that 'destroyed' the past lifted the ark above the destruction

      • we will return to this theme later, but in the meantime...

    • "The Better Covenant"

      Those who shared 'Noah's baptism' shared his survival and his destiny. Those who came to Noah, and were with him shared God's judgment on sin and... survived; it is a prefiguring of a future truth. Those who share Christ's baptism will also share his covenantl.

      Mark 10:38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” Mark 10:39 They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; (Mark 10:38–39 NKJV)

      • What cup was that? What baptism was that?

        For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13 NKJV)

  • The Remnant

    • Genesis 7:22-23

      All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. Genesis 7:23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained (alive). (Genesis 7:22–23 NKJV)

      (alive) is added for aid understanding but is not present in the text.

      remained H7604 שָׁאַר shaʾar - the first use of a word linked with Remnant. Those who survived because they shared Noah's baptism became the Remnant; another Bible truth that we will return to later.

      God was going to start all over again with a Remnant. All the promises given to the human race were now carried by the Remnant. God's plan for the human race is now contracted to a tiny group of people who are now the sole bearers of human destiny.