AN EVERLASTING COVENANT

 

 

 BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL

EXPLORE the covenant God made with Noah after the flood; DELIGHT in signs of God's grace; and IDENTIFY promises of God which gave us peace and assurance.

 

FOCAL VERSES  Genesis 9:8-17

KEEP IN MIND

"And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth" (Genesis 9:11).

 

AT-A-GLANCE

1. The Covenant (Genesis 9:8-11)

2. The Sign (vv. 12-16)

 

IN FOCUS STORY

Therese was eagerly awaiting her husband's arrival from work. He had talked about wanting to take a trip for their anniversary-nothing big, just a getaway. She had wanted to go, but wasn't sure she could. She had really been working hard, but her new supervisor always had an excuse for why a request for leave was denied even when employees had the time. God had given Therese the assurance in her heart that He would make a way, but since they needed the money, Therese didn't want to rock the boat by making her supervisor upset. She believed that God would make a way-even if she couldn't imagine how.

Today, however, she got great news, Not only was she going to have time off, but the company was giving several employees the opportunity to fly to a seminar on an island. She had been selected. The seminar was Tuesday through Thursday, but the memo congratulating her also stipulated that the company would pay for the weekend as part of their appreciation for a job well done. That meant that not only did she have the time off, she had airfare and a room. Her husband could join her, and the trip would work great financially. She knew God had promised to make a way, but she was blown away by the way He made!

 

God is indeed a promise keeper. In today's lesson, we learn that He never fails!

 

THE PEOPLE, PLACES, and TIMES

Covenant.  A covenant is formal agreement between two parties. The principle section of a covenant is the stipulations, which may include requirements for either party or both. In this covenant, God took stipulations upon Himself rather than imposing them on Noah and his family. Unlike the later covenant with Abraham and those that build on the covenant with Abraham, this covenant did not entail election or new revelation. It was also made with every living creature, not just people.

 

 

BACKGROUND

Leaving the Ark, Noah made a sacrifice to God. Noah received God's grace, walked with God in obedience and righteousness, was preserved from judgment, entered a new age with people's wickedness temporarily removed, and responded with worship.

After Noah made the sacrifice, God promised never to curse the ground in this way again. The continuity of seasons is evidence of God's forbearance.

God instructed Noah to be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth (vv. 1, 7) just as He told Adam (1;28). And Noah, like Adam, was to have dominion over animals (9:2; cf. 1.26, 28) with one prohibition (9:4, cf. 2:17).

With Noah's new beginning came a covenant. It was necessary now to have a covenant with obligations for mankind and a promise from God. Because of the Flood's destruction of life, people might think that God views life as cheap and assume that taking life is a small matter. This covenant shows that life is sacred and that man is not to destroy man, who is made in the image of God.

In essence, then, this covenant was established to ensure the stability of nature. It helped guarantee the order of the world. People would also learn that human law was necessary for the stability of life and that wickedness should not go unchecked as it had before. So human government was brought in.

 

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

1. With whom did God make the covenant (Genesis 9:8-10)?

2. What is the purpose of the rainbow in the cloud (vv. 13-15)?

3. How long was the covenant to last (v.16)?

 

DISCUSS THE MEANING

1. Why is it important that God's promise include humans and animals? What does this tell us about God's love?

2. What do you see as the importance of water in the narrative of Noah's encounter with God? Can we relate this to baptism in Jesus' Name?

3.God saved Noah and all who were with him and then made a covenant with him that would extend to his children and to the animals eternally. What does this say about God's mercy?

4. In the In Focus story, Therese believed God based solely on her faith. When have you faced a situation when you were assured by faith alone that God would deliver you? Can faith serve as a "bow" of God's promise? How?

 

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY

We often her about natural disasters affecting hundreds of people. At these times, we can't help but act on our concern. How can we encourage ourselves, and other who are facing disaster, to hold on to the covenant God made to His people? How can Apostolic believers continue to trust and help others to trust that God will never forget his promises?

 

MAKE IT HAPPEN

As we continually hear of alarming situations, we must remain prayerful knowing that God does provide for His people. In this passage, God promises that the rainbow would be a reminder of His deliverance and His promise. In what way can you represent God's rainbow this week to someone who is in need of encouragement regarding His eternal covenant?

 

(Except from The Apostolic Light)

 

DO YOU NEED MORE WORD?

 

ONLINE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON brought to you by:

WWW. ANYMEETING.COM