McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1913-02-07
tBy Il. o. SELLERS. Director OF Eve
ming Department The Moody Bible Ia
stitute of Chicago)
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 9.
GODS COVENANT WITH NOAH.

Ark At last God gave him COM
mand tS:15, l6) to go FORTH but he
did not go empty handed. Noah had
taken his all In the ark and 1t proved
to be a most profitable investment.
Though shut up $50 days T:24), God
must have been In the hearts Of that
little company as they stepped forth
upon the dry land. What an over
towering sense of Gods gracious
mercy. What a recollection Of Gods
awful wrath. What trembling least
there be a repetition Of this disaster.
And what an amazement in contem-
plating the mighty work of founding
q new race.
Noah's Offering.
The FIRST act on Noah's part upon
leaving the ark was to build an altar
unto God and to offer burnt offering
$500. Thus we see that Gods COW
enant with Noah was based upon the
ground of shed blood (Heb. 9:15-22),
and as such It was an acceptable Of
fering, "a sweet smelling sacrifice"
(8:2D, because 1t was an expression
of entire conservation to God, Phil.
4.18. This offering Is. Of course, q
type of Christ who is the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world" AS
Noah's offering, see 1921, averted a
rightful penalty, even SO the offering
OF Christ redeenls US from the curse
OF sin which is our just due, Gal. 3:13.
AS they look about upon the
cleansed earth. for there Is no sin
present except that Of their own
hearts, they are to us type OF that
new life into which we enter through
Jesus Christ, see L. Peter 500. FL.
A study Of covenants and Of coven-
ant making ceremonies is always In
tensely interesting. In the Biblical
meaning a covenant Is compact or
agreement between two parties, ~
between God and man. ~ between
man and man. In this covenant God
bestowed the benefit of an assurance,
though Noah had had certain condi-
tons imposed upon him. the fulfilling
Of which brought him to this place
where he might receive this assur-
ance.
Gods covenant with Noah was one
of eight great covenants, ~ the one
made in Eden. Gen. 1873; (2) the
Adamic, Gen. 3:15: t3) this with
Moab, Gen. s:21. %; "a one with
Abraham, Gen. 1918: tb) that with
Moses, Elk. 1895: ts) one with the
lsraelites, Deut. 36:3; (7) that with
David, q Sam. 7:16: (s) the new GOV.
enant, Heb. 8:S. The main elements
Of this covenant are. (a) the removal
Of the curse, 8:21: (b) the assurance
of returning harvests and regular sea
son, 8:22; (c) the promise of an
abundant progeny. 81: (d) the domi
nation of animal life, s:2; (e) provi
sion for food, both flesh and herd, 9:
3. ~ provision for sacrifice and wor'
ship, ga; (g) the safety of human
life, 9:6; (h) the administration Of
justice, s:6. We thus seen in this
Gods pledge of the continuance OF
this present earth until the end Of the
ages. Rev. 21:1. Cleansed this earth
has been by water. cleansed It shall
be once for all by fire, : Peter 81.
Gods Premise.
Noah.s life Of obedience before he
entered the ark had ELECTED Gods
promise that he would establish a
covenant with him, see Eph. 6:1S:
and so God today holds before all
men the promise Of . new and better
covenant into which they also may
enter II they will. Heb. S:S. God has
frequently used this covenant as an
| illustration of his love and his faith
fulness towards his people. lisa. s:
:, 10, and this covenant included Gods
care for the beasts AZ we'll Is man.
verses 10, Is, 16, see also Ps. 3e:b, 8:
Jonah All. This Is q good thought
to emphasize with the younger pupils
II. Verses 1917. As though Je
| hovah would make assurance doubly
secure, he not only made q covenant
| but appointed token. a sign. Of that
| covenant, whereby the covenant is to
| be remembered, read Gen. 17:11: Ex.
1918, 2:12; Matt, 26:23-2S;. !. Cor.
IL 1895. We must beware Of read
ing into this passage any suggestion
that this is the first appearance Of a
rainbow upon the earth: there 10 no
such suggestion In the text, but rath-
err God took the rainbow which was
set In the cloud and made Of It q
token OF the covenant he had made
with Noah. Whenever we behold a
rainbow we ought to remember that
| his covenant was not alone to Noah.
but to us, his seed. We ought to re-
member that he is a covenant keeping
| God. He says to US az he said to
Noah, Il will remember my covenant"
But to us who live in the gospel age
he has made a more wonderful and q
more glorious covensnt than that
which he made with Noah (see John
1928. 29). and let US remember that
his covenants are everlasting. '. 10
| fsee also Sam. 23:5; lisa. b5:s; Jer
! 3s.4o:i Heb. 1920. Our only hope
| is in his faithfulness to his own word
| It is difficult to oyerestimate the value
! OF this assurance in the final success
OF the good. Let us lift our eyes from
the dreary battles with wrong, the
tempests Of Gin which often hide the
sun. the depths of despair and the
scourses chat seem like everlasting
ruin. to catch = vision OF that future
triumph. to hear strains Of the halle
lujah chorus that VIII MI our hearts