An overarching Bible theme is God’s Covenant, or agreement, with humanity. While the word does not appear in the first three chapters of the Bible it is there. God created all that humanity needed and more before He created people. The privilege of living in the garden was unearned either by labour or moral purity. Eve and Adam had unrestricted access to all there was with one exception, ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ (Gen. 2:16,17). The penalty was death, although this did not come instantly. Because of their disobedience the couple were driven from the garden and thus denied access to the tree of life.
Although the story is presented in different ways throughout Scripture the constant remains: God invites humanity to enjoy all the benefits He provides; the offer is extended freely, it is not earned by our moral purity or anything we may do; there is a condition of obedience; and the penalty for unfaithfulness is exclusion from the benefits of the covenant.
As time passed following Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden humanity became increasingly depraved, so much so that the earth was ‘filled … with violence’ (Gen. 6:18) and the heart of God was broken (Gen 6:6). God’s response was to destroy the earth, saving one family to make a new start. The head of that family, Noah, is described as the only one on earth that had a close relationship with God (Gen. 6:9).
There is a real sense the flood, with its destruction of life, is a fulfillment of Gen 2:16,17: ‘ But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”’ Death is the penalty of sin. Yet God provided a means of escape for Noah, the one good man on the earth, and his family.
The flood provides a new beginning not only for humanity, but for other living things. Both humans and animals are commanded to be fruitful, to multiply, and fill the earth (Compare Gen. 1:22-28 with 8:15; 9:1). At this time God confirms, or establishes, a covenant with Noah, his descendants, and all living creatures that He will never again destroy the earth by flood and gives the rainbow as a sign or reminder of that covenant (Gen. 9: 8-17).
There is a condition: ‘And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image’ (v 5,6).
Remember, this covenant of which the rainbow is a perpetual reminder was made with all Noah's descendants. The Canaanites, those supposed victims of genocide, were direct descendants of Noah’s son Ham and parties to the Covenant.
Suffice for the moment, the covenant theme continues throughout Scripture. God covenants with Abraham and the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. The Old Testament prophets speak of a New Covenant, one that is later ratified by the Blood of the Messiah. In Revelation 4 we seen a vision of God’s throne surrounded by a rainbow. Revelation pulls these themes of Covenant, obedience, judgement, exclusion from and inclusion in the blessings of God together.
The question remains, do we see these elements in Joshua? I will continue to explore this in future posts.
Bible quotes from the New Living Translation.
Links to previous posts on this topic:
The Importance of Joshua
http://kenswampmarsh.blogspot.com.au/2016/09/the-importance-of-joshua-confronting.html
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