Genesis 9:1–17
This post is a written reflection of the video,
prepared for those who wish to read the passage slowly
and follow the flow of meditation on God’s Word.
(Genesis 9:1~17)
In Genesis chapter 8, the judgment of the worldwide Flood came to an end. When Noah came out of the ark, the very first thing he did was build an altar and offer a sacrifice to God. The LORD received that offering and made a promise: never again would He destroy all living creatures in this way. As long as the earth remains, its rhythm would not cease.
Genesis chapter 9 unfolds that promise more clearly in the form of a covenant.
The Flood had lasted nearly a full year. Though Noah’s family had been saved, the terror of judgment could not have easily faded from their hearts. God understood this. He desired to comfort them. Again and again He declared, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, nor will I ever again destroy all living creatures.”
As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night would continue. A total judgment like the Flood had now been withheld.
Why was such judgment restrained? Because the sacrifice Noah offered—a fragrant offering that foreshadowed the blood of Jesus Christ—was accepted by God. There is only one sacrifice that can halt total judgment: the blood of Christ.
God then reaffirms the blessing first spoken in Genesis 1: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” Yet something had changed. Because of sin, fear entered creation. Animals would now fear humanity. Meat was permitted for food, but with a clear boundary: blood was forbidden, for blood is life.
Through this command, God taught the weight of taking life and revealed the principle of substitution, pointing forward to redemption through Christ’s blood.
God establishes His covenant not only with Noah and his family, but with their descendants and with every living creature. Remarkably, this covenant places no obligation on humanity. It is a one-sided covenant of grace, upheld by God alone.
As its sign, God set the rainbow in the sky. “When I see it, I will remember My covenant.” God repeatedly emphasizes that He Himself will remember, speaking peace to those whose hearts might tremble at gathering clouds.
Later, the prophet Ezekiel would describe the glory of the LORD as having the appearance of a rainbow. At the center of that glory stands One like a man—Jesus Christ. Because of the covenant sealed in His blood, judgment has been withheld and history preserved.
Judgment has not disappeared. It has only been delayed. The world continues not because sin has vanished, but because the blood of Christ is holding it together.
Therefore, God’s word to us today is this: believe in the covenant of the Savior, be comforted by it, and live as those who now bring comfort to the heart of God.
Genesis Bible Meditation Playlist