Title Genesis 8:1-22
Contents <Text> Genesis 9:1-17
<Meditation>
1. God blessed Noah and his family who came out of the ark and said,
Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and every beast of the earth, every bird of the air, every creeping thing on the earth, and every fish of the sea, because it was delivered into your hands (verses 1-3). allowed with
Humanity's first diet was a perfect vegetarian culture. This is because God allowed all poisonous vegetables and plants to be eaten (Genesis 1:29). In the beginning, human beings had a gene that allowed them to live forever without death, so they are interpreted by Bible scientists to be able to neutralize poisonous vegetables and plants by eating them.
Unfortunately, the first human sin began with eating. “… It was a tree that was good for food, pleasing to the eye, and desirable enough to make one wise, so the woman (Eve) took the fruit and ate it… ”
After the events of Good and Evil, mankind lost eternal life and tasted physical death regardless of their will.
Through the Flood of Noah, we were allowed to eat meat conditionally, which is the regulation on the dietary culture that we should not eat oil and blood (Leviticus 3:17). When eating meat, very specific dietary guidelines (Exodus 12:8-10) are issued to eat both unleavened bread (unleavened bread) and bitter herbs.
In this way, the change in the diet of mankind goes hand in hand with the history of sin.
Humanity, expelled from the Garden of Eden, had to sweat to satisfy their hunger to eat and live, and as in today's text, limited meat consumption will be allowed after the flood. It can be seen that every time a person commits a sin, the rules of his diet have become more conditional and strict.
Why did the perfect diet culture that could eat even poisonous plants and vegetables become so demanding?.
It was because of man's sin.
Plants also lost their vitality due to man's sin, so they could not sustain life with only vegetables, fruits, and fruits. Genesis 3:17 says, “Cursed is the earth because of you, and you will toil all the days of your life to eat of its produce.”
But again, as humans sinned, the flood occurred in the days of Noah, and the earth's environment deteriorated rapidly. Heavenly waters poured down, deep springs burst, and the earth was thrown into chaos.
Ultraviolet rays are pouring down from outside the Earth. The climate is divided into four seasons, with severe cold and heat. Vegetables alone were not enough for humans to endure in such an environment. So, God took pity on him and allowed him to eat limited animals.
This shows that God is nonetheless the One who prepares and takes charge of human food.
Before people worry about what they will eat, God has already prepared and prepared them.
People of faith should strive to seek his kingdom and his righteousness first, rather than worrying about food and clothing. These are the words that God promised to take responsibility for the basic issues of food, clothing and shelter.
When the Israelites lived in the barren wilderness for 40 years, He provided food, clothing, and shelter for them. Three meals a day, water, clothes, shelter, guidance, protection from the enemy, everything the Israelites needed was given by God. He sent manna down from heaven to feed the three million Israelites, and he made water from the rock like a river, and He fed them, clothed them, and protected them. There is only one reason. Because we are God's people, His children. Because it was his people who were going toward Canaan. Therefore, He says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you also” (Matthew 6:33).
2. God made a promise to Noah (9:8-17)
It is a promise never to be destroyed by a flood again. He gave a rainbow as a token of that promise. Noah's flood means 'God's judgment' for mankind. The rainbow covenant is ultimately a promise that those who believe in God will be exempt from judgment.
God first gave them a covenant when they started a new life. The reason for this is to convince those who believe that judgment will never come, and it requires them to believe.
The word that best shows the image of God who gives ‘the evidence of the covenant’ is John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Even with such clear evidence, those who do not believe will be foolish, pitiful and will be judged.
If we really believe in judgment, if we believe in God's promises, if we believe in God's faithfulness, then we must proceed in obedience to all God's words. Therefore, we should be able to shun sin and put off old customs and we can put them off.
These things are possible only by faith.
To believe in God is to believe what God has said and to believe in His promises.
<Prayer>
The God who cloths the grass that blooms and dies today, the God who feeds the birds of the sky, and we ask many things from God in terms of our diet and health. But I cast all my anxieties on the Lord today. You have given me a new day today to live for the glory of God. Let me live by faith and by the Word, and lead me to live a life that spares no effort and effort in revealing the glory of God. Help me to become a servant used for the sake of the kingdom and its righteousness.
I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
(Written by: Kim Soon-sik)