28 The Noahic Covenant

Noah was indeed blessed for he essentially became the sole man through whom all the earth’s people groups would descend. Just as in Adam the world would be populated so to in Noah would all the earth come from his seed. God blessed Noah and his family with a covenant. The covenant is initiated with God’s words, “and said unto them.” The covenant with Noah reduced personal liberty by the instituting of human government. The new beginning made it necessary to implement obligations for order on the earth. Just because God destroyed all mankind except one family it did not mean that he did not hold human life sacred. Humans were given the duty of avenging blood for blood in the post-deluvian world. (Genesis 9:6) After the flood, God made it a duty of men, and sometimes of beasts, to repay murder with the punishment of God-ordained retribution in kind. The provisions of this covenant are still in effect. They have not been nullified. Therefore the essence of this covenant was to stabilize nature through laws to provide a guard against wickedness.

THE COVENANT HAS FIVE PROVISIONS.

1. The earth is to be filled with humanity
2. The fear of man is imparted to the animal kingdom
3. All living animals become food for humans
4. God implements a prohibition of consuming blood
5. The implementation of capital punishment