Ep. 79 | The God Who Keeps His Promises | Genesis

Listen in as Pastor Eddie Blalock shares today’s daily devotional featuring Genesis 9:7-17. Let’s be Formed by The Word together!

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Transcript

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Every story has a beginning. And if you don't understand the beginning, you'll likely misunderstand everything that follows. Welcome to Formed by the Word. Currently, we're going back to the very beginning as we look together at the first 11 chapters of Genesis. These chapters explain our world, our struggles, and much about ourselves. We'll see beauty and brokenness, purpose and pride, judgment and grace. We'll watch humanity fall and see that God already had a plan to restore his relationship with us. The Bible doesn't start with a problem, it starts with a perfect God, and that changes everything. So, wherever you're listening, whether you're driving, working out, or just scrolling for something meaningful, lean in, open your heart, because the God who spoke in the beginning is still speaking today.

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Have you ever been disappointed by a broken promise? Maybe someone promised to be there for you and never showed up. Maybe they promised to help, but then backed out. Maybe they promised forever, but forever didn't last. One reason broken promises hurt so much is because we want to trust people. Unfortunately, human promises often fail. Genesis 9 introduces us to a God whose promises never fail. Well, after the floodwaters receded, Noah stepped onto a cleansed earth. The first thing he did was to build an altar and worship. In response, God spoke words of blessing, reassurance, and promise. And what Noah discovers after the flood is something that every believer needs to know today. And our God is a promise-keeping God. Don't forget that. Today we're looking at Genesis 9, verses 7 through 17, and we're going to see this thought unfold. The first thing we notice is that God gives humanity a brand new beginning. Genesis 9, verse 7 begins this way. Now be fruitful and multiply and repopulate the earth. Then God told Noah and his sons, I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, and with all the animals that were on the boat with you, the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals, every living creature on the earth. So you see, after judgment came grace. After the flood came a fresh start. Just as in the beginning God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, he now gives the same command to Noah. Once again, he says to be fruitful and multiply and repopulate the earth. Now this is more than just a matter of survival, although it is. This is the restoration of humanity. God is essentially saying, I am not finished with humanity just yet. Next we observe that God makes an unbreakable promise. Look at chapter 9, verse 11. It says, Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures. Never again will a flood destroy the earth. Now this is worth noting because this is the first time in Scripture that we find this word covenant explicitly named. It's aptly named the Noahic Covenant or the covenant with Noah. I don't want to assume that we all know what a covenant is, so let me remind you, a covenant is more than a casual promise. A covenant is a binding commitment. What's remarkable to see that God makes this promise, knowing humanity has and will continue to struggle with sin. People haven't changed, but neither has God. In fact, God hasn't changed at all, and that's exactly the point. God didn't make this promise because people had changed. God made this promise, this commitment, because he never changes. The covenant rests on God's character, not on humanity's performance. That's covenant. And finally, we observe that Noah gave, or God gave Noah and mankind, I think we would add, a visible reminder of this covenant. Genesis 9, 12 to 17 reads like this: Then God said, I'm giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It's the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the flood waters destroy all of life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth. Then God said to Noah, Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures of the earth. What an incredible verse, right? To seal his covenant, God places a rainbow in the clouds. Now, which of us haven't enjoyed a beautiful rainbow? And what an incredible moment that we have to teach our children when they first spy a rainbow and we can tell them why it's there in the sky. The rainbow wasn't primarily given as a symbol of human commitment, it was given as a symbol of God's commitment. Covenants were almost always sealed with a gift or at least something visible. Maybe the best example of this sealing of a covenant is found in the traditional wedding ceremony. What do we do? We give and receive rings. The giving and receiving of rings is really the outward sign of an inward commitment between the bride and groom. Well, the rainbow is something of God's wedding ring, if you will. It's his outward sign of a heavenly commitment. Every rainbow then has a wonderful place in our lives. You know, even at my age, I still wonder when I view a beautiful rainbow. Every rainbow reminds us of three things at least. God remembers, God's faithful, and God keeps his word. So, in a sense, every rainbow is a sermon in the sky about God's faithfulness. Mom, dad, don't miss the opportunity at the next sighting of a rainbow to tell your wonderful, beautiful children about God's faithfulness to mankind. Well, here once again we see the gospel in Genesis, right? The Noahic covenant points beyond itself. It's God's promise of preservation after the flood. It's God's promise that he will never again flood the earth. Throughout Scripture, God keeps making promises. He promised Abraham a nation. He promised David a kingdom. He promised a Messiah to his people. I could go on and on. Well, in similar fashion, God's greatest promises are all filled in Jesus Christ. Every promise that ultimately we have ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus. The rainbow reminds us that God keeps his word. The cross proves it. The rainbow reminds us that God spared man from judgment in a temporary fashion. The cross proves and he saves man from judgment for eternity. At the cross, God demonstrated once and for all that he will do exactly what he says he will do. Wow, how do we apply this, Pastor Eddy? Oh, here's some thoughts. Good questions to ask yourself. Do I truly believe God keeps his promises? What promise of God do I need to trust today? His promise to forgive? His promise to provide? His promise to never leave me? His promise to finish the work that he started in me? What promises do I need to trust today? Genesis 9 teaches us that when God makes a promise, he means it. He remembers it. He keeps it. You see, your relationship with God is built on his faithfulness, not your ability to get everything right. Take away for today. When everything around you changes, God's promises remain the same. So we have Genesis 8 that says God remembered Noah, and now we have Genesis 9 that explains why. God remembered Noah because God always remembers his promises. And God didn't make this promise because people changed. God made this promise because he never changes. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us again of your faithfulness and your insistence on keeping your commandments. Forgive me, Lord, when I question your promises or fail to trust your word. Thank you for the beautiful rainbows that grace our world and remind us often that when you make a promise you mean it. You remember it and you'll keep it. Amen and amen.

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Thanks for joining us today. We are so glad that you chose to spend a few moments with us in God's Word. If this episode has encouraged you, we ask that you leave us a review or maybe share this episode with a friend. Also, would you consider sending us a note to let us know what God is doing in your life? Pastor Eddie would love to hear from you. You can find this email in the show notes. Until next time, stay in the scriptures, keep following Christ, and allow your life to be formed by the Word.