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Writer's picturePastor Curtis A. May

Promises made, Promises kept

Article for July 28, 2024


Genesis 9:8–10 8God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9“Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth.


A covenant made with not just Noah but his family, his family to come, and all living creatures that came off the ark and their descendants too.  This is a new beginning, a forgiveness made from the one whose forgiveness gives life.  A covenant which is a promise, a contract if you must that is sealed by the very word of God. 

You see, God’s word is better than a signature of man which might be contested in a court.  God’s word is truth, true justice, and promises kept.  We cannot put our trust as we see in mankind’s justice, but we can truly trust in the covenants of God.  It’s a shame, those who do not believe in God’s word really cannot trust God’s word. These unbelievers have no faith in God’s word because their faith is in themselves trusting they will do what is necessary to earn their way into salvation.

It puzzles me that those who have decided God’s word is fake, are still reading it.  I suppose they are still trying to rip it apart to add to their confusion.  I thank God that you put your faith in God’s word and study it to know the truth of God’s promises to all who believe. 

We have a God who sticks to His word even when we do not, even though we do not stick to our own word.  So, my faith is in God and is not so much in mankind.  Why question the creator and perfecter of our lives and salvation?  God’s covenant is truth and can always be trusted because, God cannot contradict Himself.  We have a God who has created Himself to be a God of good, a God of righteousness, a God of truth, a God of mercy and grace, a God of love.


Genesis 9:11 11I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”


God has made a promise, not to end all life with a flood of water.  He did not say that no one would ever drown or there would be no floods.  God said He will not cause a flood to wipe all life from the world.  In this we are safe, but in truth whether God or something else wipes us from this earth, our lives, that is all believers’ lives, will receive new life on the new earth God is creating, or already has.


Genesis 9:12–13 12And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.


It is the love of God that He gives us many beautiful things and the rainbow is one of them.  It is a shame that mankind wants to take every beautiful thing God has created and corrupt it.  The “bow” which we call the rainbow is given as a sign of God’s promise kept and should be revered to be just that.  Yes, science can explain how a rainbow appears to our eyes, but remember God created science too.

This is a reminder to God of His promises to us and it should also remind us that God is watching.  God says every time He sees the rainbow He will be reminded of His covenant to Noah, Noah’s children, and the offspring of Noah’s children, as well as all creatures on the earth.  God is watching, I wonder if He regrets His choice.  There are many ways to destroy the earth, but there is only one way to save all believers and that is Jesus Christ.


Genesis 9:14–15a 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh.


It is interesting that we see the words “creatures of all flesh.”  Maybe I am playing on words, but God destroyed every living creature on the earth except those on the Ark.  You might relate it to the Ark of the covenant yet to come.  God destroyed everything because of mans “sin.” 

We see throughout the Word of God where God uses the word flesh as the temptation to sin.  God knows He did not wipe out all flesh because of all who were on the Ark.  God knew then and sees now that the sin of the flesh continues.  Even as the sin of the flesh was sparked anew when Noah’s son made known Noah’s nakedness.

Pleasing the flesh is another way of saying sinful desires.  We not only sin in flesh, but in desires to steal, kill, and covet our neighbors’ belongings.   But God said He will not flood the earth again and destroy “creatures of all flesh.


Genesis 9:15b–16 And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”


God will not destroy all flesh with the flood of water.  Makes you wonder what God will do to all flesh or should we say all unbelieving sinners as our world continues to spiral down the pre-Noah path.


Genesis 9:17 17God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”


Thanks be to God, He left us another sign, another promise, yes, a new covenant.  God’s sign comes from the very cross that He allowed His only begotten Son to die on.  God left us an image of the very death of sin as it was all crucified with Jesus.  Not that sin no longer exists, but that sin past, present, and future dies on the cross of Jesus.

This too is a promise kept as Jesus asks His Father in heaven, and our Father in heaven to forgive us, because we know not what we do.  Yea, Jesus called us stupid and rightfully so.  But Jesus loves us to life still the same.  Amen.


Written by Pastor Curtis A. May

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