Wednesday, June 27, 2007, Part 1
"You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14).
"And behold, I Myself am bringing flood waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark–you, your sons, your wife, and your son's wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself, and it shall be food for you and for them" (Genesis 6:17-21).
" 'As for Me, behold, I 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 go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.' And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth' " (Genesis 9:9-13).
IDEA: God relates to His people through a covenant.
PURPOSE: To help listeners see the biblical foundation of a covenant.
We are dealing with the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” In a biblically-oriented marriage, adultery is the breaking of a “covenant.”
The first biblical reference to a covenant is one that God made with Noah (Genesis 6-9).
I. God makes a covenant with Noah before the flood to spare him and all those with him in the ark.
God simply announces to Noah that He will establish His covenant with him. It is a sovereign dispensing of grace and protection on God’s part.
The security that Noah had was from the action of God. It is God’s covenant and He established it.
This is not a bilateral agreement, or contract, or compact.
In the light of that covenant Noah had corresponding obligations to bring his family and a number of animals and birds, and creeping things into the ark.
There is no conflict between God’s absolute covenant and the obligation of Noah to enter the ark.
Noah’s actions are not necessary for the covenant to be established.
But they are necessary for him to enjoy the benefits of the covenant.
II. After the flood, God made an additional covenant with Noah.
Read again Genesis 9:9-10.
This is even more clear about the essential nature of a covenant.
It is unilateral. It is conceived and established by God himself. Noah had no choice in the matter. God didn’t say, “I am going to commit myself to you if that is something you desire.”
It is “universal” in its provision. It was made with Noah’s descendants and even with non-human creatures. God’s grace in this covenant wasn’t dependent on an intelligent understanding or a favorable response on the part of the beneficiaries.
It is unconditional. No commandment was given which could be considered as a “deal breaker.” The thought of Noah breaking the covenant was irrelevant.