God's Covenant with Noah - Genesis Part 14

You know we've been as you well know, looking at Noah's flood out of the book of Genesis and also I ran into this Peanuts cartoon that I thought was really interesting starts off with the Rangers pouring down and Lucy and her brother Linus looking out the window with the rain and Lucy says boy looking at Ray. What is it floods the whole world, and Linus replies.

It'll never do that in the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again and the sign of the promise is the rainbow smile brace on Lucy's face and she says Linus you taken a great load off my mind to which Linus replies sound theology has a way of doing that. I thought that was hysterical. Yeah so you know, folks.

Linus is no right I mean sound theology does have a way of taking a load off our mind and we're in a series.

As I said in the book of Genesis were going to go back to the days of Noah and look at some wound up theology and never to bring all that forward and let that take a load off of our minds today. So here we go little bit of background.

Remember, up to this point we've seen how God told Noah that he was going to destroy the whole earth with a flood, and we see how God told Noah to build an ark to save his family and every animal species on earth and we've also seen that during the hundred years of building the ark. Noah preached repentance to the people of his day. He urged them to turn to God for mercy, which none of them did so at the end of those hundred years God did exactly what he said he was going to do the sense the floor. Now let's pick up their Genesis chapters 8 and nine and see what happens next. Verse one. Genesis 8 but God remembered Noah and the animals that were with him in the ark and God sent a window over the earth and the warder receded and everybody came out of your chapter 9 verse eight then God said to Noah and his sons. I hereby establish my covenant with you and with your descendents after you and with every living creature that was with you in the art and this is my covenant that I established with you never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood, and God said, I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it shall be a sign of this covenant between me and the earth. Now I'm sure you picked up what the keyword is in this passage.

What is it is the word covenant yes and we want to talk about confidence today and let me begin before we look at Noah's covenants specifically. Let's talk a little bit general.

When we look in the Bible, we find that there are two kinds of covenants that God has made with either all of mankind or portion of mankind. The first one we call a conditional covenant, meaning that it's a covenant based on the word you in other words, God says if you do so and so then I will do such and such of the point here is that this kind of covenant is conditioned on. It is only valid if we keep our end of the deal.

And then there are unconditional covenants that God is made with the human race for part of the human race. These are covenants that are not based on the word if in these covenants God says I'm going to do such and such and I'm to do it no matter what you do and whether you have good performance or bad performance, whether you will bear with you disobey with you what I like you don't want this matter because this covenant is not based on human performance.

It is based on the faithfulness of God to keep the promises that he made in the covenant.

Now there are six covenants major covenants that God is made with the human race down through history and in a sense we could say that the entire history of mankind is merely an outworking of these six covenants, so I want to share them with you to go through all six of them in the last one will do is know was awarded to the other five first though greasy bill ready to go number one covenant number one is the Adamic covenant made with Adam Genesis chapter 2, and in this covenant, God said to Adam is you don't eat from that tree in the middle of the garden.

This is a conditional covenant then I will keep you in the garden meet your every need. Take care of you and your family as we know, Adam did not keep his end of the bargain here in this covenant, and so God through him, and all the rest of us out of the garden of Eden.

This covenant is no longer in effect. Okay. Covenant number two is the Mosaic covenant Exodus chapter 19 this is the Mosaic covenant was centered around the Old Testament law that God gave to Moses at Mount Sinai and this was also a conditional covenant based on the word if Moses says Deuteronomy 1126 he says the I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse. A blessing. What's the next word is right you will obey the commands of the Lord your God, and occurs if you do not you disobey well we all know, the Israelites let down their end of the bargain on this one and brought on themselves. All the curses there in the book of Deuteronomy, but friends are not the only ones who've done that. Romans 323 says for all of us to send to. We've all broken every one of the 10 Commandments and the Mosaic covenant to and we've all brought on ourselves. The curses of the book of Deuteronomy as well but Francis is the good news Bible.

This is a great news of the Bible. Galatians chapter 3 verse 13 it says Jesus Christ read deemed from the curse of the Mosaic law becoming a curse for us on the cross.

Therefore neither circumcision nor on circumcision. Therefore, neither keeping the 10 commandments or not keeping the 10 Commandments. Therefore, neither eating kosher or not eating kosher. Therefore, nothing in the Mosaic covenant means anything, it's been superseded. Now the Bible says what counts is being a new creature in Jesus Christ. They were great news is that praise Lord, and you know it's really sad was really sad is that there are so many Jewish people today who don't get this, though they don't understand they don't realize that the Mosaic covenant is not only on capable but it's also been superseded by what Jesus did on the cross pay.

Second Corinthians 315, Paul says, even to this day, when Moses that is the Old Testament law is read a video call verse there. That is the Jewish people, hearts, and they just don't see yours running back several years ago from Israel on an El Al flight nonstop to New York and I was sitting next to this ultra-Orthodox Jewish man and so I offered him a CD of my life story which he completely refused, but I thought I'd if I can get him to take the CD.

Maybe I can just talk to and so I started talking to it and I started to tell them about how the Old Testament laws on capable and how the Old Testament laws been superseded and about the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross and how to become a new creature in Christ, and finally he just got so fed up with me that he turned to me and he said have you ever had any rabbinic training should know that if you ever been to yeshiva.

I said no.

He said you know nothing. He said Jewish law is so complex and Jewish teaching is so deep he said you know not saying he said you are simple ton well I don't argue with that. I am a simpleton.

I make no bones about that.

I said to him, Sir, you're right. I am a simpleton but that doesn't change the fact that I know my sins are forgiven and I know I'm going to heaven when I die and you don't. I said so lose the simpleton here. Well, that pretty well ended our conversation, he turned away, turned his back to me and refused to look at me talk to me or acknowledge me for the entire rest of the flight and it is a long flight from Israel back to the United Bay. Trust me, and we got off the plane.

I tried to say some truly he wouldn't even acknowledge my presence and I walked off the plane.

Oh so stand what it pulsates even to this day, when Moses is read available covers Jewish peoples hearts, but love this word, but pulse is when any of them Jewish people turn to the Lord fail is taken away and suddenly they realize that it's not about keeping the Old Testament law which all by the way, none of us can do anyway but it's about trusting the saving work of their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

40 years ago. Thanks to the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit to my heart I did with this first said. I turned to the Lord and friends.

It's like the spiritual light bulb went on inside of me and suddenly I got it.

Praise God, and you know what with the Lord's help were out to see this same thing happened to every single Jewish person here in Metropolitan Washington DC amen they met on a strong covenant number three is the Abraham a covenant Genesis 12. This was an unconditional covenant that God made with Abraham and with his descendents, promising blessing on the Jewish people for ever would not go to talk about it now because when we get to Genesis 12 will talk about it more. Covenant number four is the Davidic covenant second Samuel seven is also was an unconditional covenant God made with King David.

I was so unconditional that even David with Bathsheba could nullify this covenant. And in this covenant, God promised David that he would raise up a descendent, a direct descendent of David, who would sit on David's throne and rule the world from Jerusalem for all of eternity.

Now this is the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's who is the fulfillment of this. This is why Gabriel when he was talking to Mary announcing the birth of Christ.

Luke once said, and God will give him that is the Lord Jesus the throne of his father David here.

Wonder why Gabriel said that doesn't have to do with anything always got a lot to do with everything. What he means. Gabriel is telling Mary is that person on the Lord Jesus is going to be the fulfillment of the covenant that God made with King David. A thousand years before Zechariah 14 verse four on that day. The Bible says what day on the day of the second coming of the Lord Jesus watched his feet shall stand on the Mount of olives east of Jerusalem and the Mount of olives will be split into and the Lord will be enough over the whole earth, and his name will be one and the Lord will be one friends. This is a covenant that is still in force today and that is going to be fulfilled in the neck and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Covenant number five is the new covenant. Jeremiah 31 verse 31 God says the time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, not like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt will covenants you talking about the Mosaic covenant. I and what what just how is this new covenant different from the Mosaic covenant will watch verse 33 I will put my law in their minds.

God says, and I will write it on their hearts.

I'm not going to write my law on two tablets of stone anymore. God says, write it right into the heart of people and they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, and I will forgive their wickedness and their sins and lawless deeds. I will remember no more. Ezekiel 11 and I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit within them, for I will remove from them their heart of stone and I will give them a heart of flesh focus is the new covenant and it goes into effect for every true follower of Jesus.

The minute we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior suited me to goes into effect.

Well, God writes his law on our heart.

How does he do that well by the indwelling Holy Spirit. God says will all know him. How do we know him was suddenly were in personal relationship with God through the work of Christ on the cross, God says, I will remember their sins no more. Romans 814. There is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Jesus Christ. And finally, God says I will take out of them their hardest though and I will put into them a heart of flesh.

Second Corinthians 517 if any person is in Christ, they become a new creature, old things passed away selfishness heart heartedness self-centeredness insensitivity to others. The heart of stone passes away all things become new sensitivity to people caring for people and openness to God's softness in our life. Why, because we will have stony heart. God puts a heart of flesh and a this is an unconditional covenant for every true follower of Christ and folks, there is nothing you and I can do or fail to do that will ever rob us of the benefits of the new covenant praise the Lord that that deserves a round of applause. What he said okay so these are five covenant God made with mankind. This reviewer number one. The Adamic covenant not in effect at the garden of Eden. I will have to convince you that number two the Mosaic covenant not in effect, it's been superseded. Number three. The Abraham it covenant still in effect and ongoing. The Davidic covenant still in effect and to be fulfilled completely at the second coming of Christ and the new covenant is still in effect and fulfilled every day in the life of every single true believer in Jesus Christ is that while long.

That's a lot of information go to war Miss Annie well, you're right, but I got more 40 because we talked about Noah's covenant yet so has number 605 provisions for this covenant is an unconditional covenant God made with Noah and all five of these provisions still shape our world today, ready to they are the rolling Genesis 8 and nine. Provision.

Number one is the constancy in the laws of nature. Genesis 822 as long as the earth indoors, God says seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease provision number one is that as long as the earth indoors we can count on. We can ask for uniformity when it comes to the physical laws of nature is why the sun rises in the east, every single day. This is why apples fall off the tree and go down instead of up every single day.

God promised this as part of this covenant provision number two is the universal fear of man by animals.

Genesis 92. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the bees of the feel God has programmed animals since the flood so that given the chance, they always try to run away from man and you don't think God's done a good job doing this you just go deer hunting or fishing sometime and you'll see God's done a great job this number three provision number three is permission for men and women eat meat. Genesis 93 everything that lives removed shall now be food for you. God says, just as I gave you the green plants to eat before the flood. Now I give you everything that you know that before the flood. Every body was vegetarian. Another people lived off broccoli and cauliflower and green beans and squash and black-eyed peas and collard greens and okra and rutabagas and kale and Brussels sprouts.

Yes they do. Yeah but now God gives Noah permission to eat big Macs and Kentucky fried chicken. Oh yeah, God gives Noah permission to go to five guys and Morton's and Ben's chili bowl yeah you know what for some of us here.

This is one of the most important verses in the entire Bible praise Lord pay provision number four of this covenant is civil government. Genesis chapter 9 verse five and from each person. God says I will demand an accounting for the life of their fellow man whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed, you know, before the flood, there was no civil government at all. Every body just did what was right in their own eyes and as we know the results were disastrous violence and then grew to astronomical proportions on earth, so much so, that God had to send the flood start all over.

Well now after the flood, God creates a new form of moral restraint, a new governor if you will, on man's sinfulness because it civil government and God grant civil government not only the authority to punish murder with the death penalty but also to establish laws against kidnapping and robbery, trespassing, assault, battery, the kind of things that would lead to murder if not intercepted sooner. What is this tell us about civil government will it tells two things.

Number one the civil government is not man's idea. It was God's idea, and it tells us number two that the primary duty of every civil government is not to regulate hunting and fishing. Their primary duty is not to feed the flip or the primary duty of civil government is not to build public transportation. The primary duty of civil government is to restrain sin in human society. Jack McCoy on order doing the right work of civil government strain sin because civil government didn't we end up right back in the world of chaos that happened in the days no finally number five provision number five is no universal flood ever again pay. Linus was right. Genesis 911. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of the flood.

So let's summarize with me okay after Noah exited the art God made an unconditional covenant with him that still applies to our world today, which is why today number one, the laws of nature or constant day after day after day, which is why today. Animals have a universal fear of man which is why today we are free to eat lots and lots and lots of meat products and go to heaven early if we want number four, number four is why today there is some form of civil government.

Think about it in every single human society on earth and its why number five, no universal flood has ever happened since no one nor will it ever take place. Now that's as far as were going to go in our passage but it's time for us to ask our most important question you know what our question is. I know you've been out of practice little bit rusty but I want you to really do this well to welcome me back to say you're so shameless will do anything to get us to do this loud lunch will I'm shameless, I'm sorry but make this a welcome home for me okay are you ready I go now come on Juan to pay while I feel so welcome back. Thank you.

You say Launcelot I mean wow. Okay all that information is wonderful to know but I don't see one iota of practical application in any of this to my life. Will see if we can help with that. Okay Linus was right. God's promised he would never destroy the world again with water thoughts, folks, that doesn't mean God's promised he would never destroy the world just said he would do about water. When Jesus returns, he is going to destroy the world again but this time I fire this second Peter chapter 3 verse three in the last days scoffers will come and say where is this coming that he promised Jesus for ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it always has been, that would God promised was going to happen. He made a covenant with Noah that the world would have uniformity as long as it existed.

Okay first five but they Peter says deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens and earth were formed out of water and by water and by that same water.

The world of that time was deluged and destroy Noah's flood.

Now, by the same word of God. The present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being For the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Indeed, Peter says the day of the Lord will come, and the heavens will disappear with a roar and the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare CG long. I'm really glad you brought me here today to completely demoralize me. Thank you for doing that well women it with all of were not done this another verse but gosh I love that word in the Bible. Lots in keeping with his God's promise. We who know Christ are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth that God's going to make after he destroys this 11, where righteousness dwells. You know what, in this new earth. Folks are going to be this could be no purse snatching in this new earth, and this will be no muggings there can be no street crime on this new earth is going to be no carjacking and no rape, no home break-ins in this new word that there's going to be no identity theft and no Ponzi schemes and no insider trading, and no Wall Street fraud in this new earth. There's going to be no killing of unborn babies on this new earth. There's going to be no drugs and no gangs and no gangland violence. You know I've got the awning on this new word the murder count in Washington DC is going to be zero. Every single day. How great will that be in the stuff that happened in Miramonte to elementary loud in Los Angeles.

That's not going to happen on this new earth either in the stop mouse.

There's going to be true.

Perfect justice in this new earth, racial justice, social justice, legal justice is not going to be white-collar crime and is not going to be blue-collar crime and is not to be green collar crimes. I could be any kind of crime is that why two reasons. Number one because you and I are going to be there with glorified bodies that had no sin nature and number two cause and fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, Jesus Christ sells the risen Christ the return Christ is going to be sitting on the throne of David in Jerusalem, ruling this world personally and making sure it's a world where righteousness dwells. I gotta tell you something. I get so tired baby like I am. I get so tired of seeing all the wrong things that are done to people in this world unto I mean think the people that they can get away with it.

You know, just pourable things and it's never made right. I mean, this world is so broken. This world is so unjust.

I wouldn't even know where to begin to try to fix it. Hey, how much great news is this that the world were living in now is not going to be the permanent solution socket to be the world is going to go into eternity. God is making a new one and how great is that that is the old hymn says, this world is not my home. Thank God for that. I'm just passing through, and I'm on my way to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Were Jesus will rule and work I will dwell with him for all of eternity. I will bet you guys. But no matter how bad it gets here that lifts my spirit to know I'm just passing so let's close today with the great prayer of the book of Revelation.

Revelation 2220 even so, quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly for Jesus. The spring father, thank you for sound theology today and thank you that it does exactly what Lucy says that it does. It takes a great load off our mind. Lord, if this world were all we had. It is appropriate that we should have a great load on our mind, but I thank you Lord Jesus that there is another world you're going to create where righteousness dwells and where every one of us who knows Christ is good as well with you and then Lord that does take a load off our minds were just passing through the Lord Jesus lift our spirits today.

No matter how bad it gets helpless to be able to look around at this world and say thank God this is not where I'm spending eternity. Lord use this to bring encouragement to our hearts and we pray these things in Jesus name.

And God's people said amen