This passage was briefly mentioned in the class I sat in on at the Pepperdine Lectureships. The class was on Environmentalism from God's perspective (not the exact title.) I was going over my notes and read these verses again. As I was outside watering my garden I was looking at the birds and watching the leaves on the trees sway in the wind and I was struck with awe and a lot of questions.
First I'll show the text.
Genesis 9:8-17 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
"Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.""
Did you ever notice that God made covenant with the earth? What does that mean? Who does God generally make covenant with? Does God make covenant with those he loves, is ambivalent towards or to that which he may be apathetic? Why would God make a covenant with the earth? Can we assume that if God is not going to destroy the earth by flood that he wouldn't want it destroyed by any other means as well? What does creation do to keep their covenant with God?
That is the bulk of my questioning. I was outside feeling a little like Saint Francis, asking (in my mind only) the birds what it means that God made covenant with them? What about the trees? Do they know of God's love, hope and continual patience?
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4 comments:
so you know. . got your facebook note, haven't had a lot of time the last few days. . . i'll call soon!
Well the covenant thing something serious to consider..jonmarq toombs wrote about it at his site http://jomato.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/eternal-covenant/...most of which i did not read...lots of words.
I just try to take care of the space we have been given... Billy has watermelon, cantelope, cucumbers, chilies of various types, papaya plants, and some tomatoes. Oh and he picked a zucchini today. Who would have thought that the old farmer would be reborn by the sea?
so, now i'm trying to write you an email of some length and hotmail is having a glitch. . . c'est lavie, i suppose it will have to wait til tomorrow. i dropped something in the mail for you this week :) and a guy from church/friend/alani's pediatrician (who i refer to as a master gardener) is coming to help me understand how to garden at some point in the near future.
good thoughts kristi. it has been forever, we definitely need to talk on the old tele sometime soon. i don't think i have your # do you still have mine? it's the same as it always was.
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