Genesis 9:8-11 And God spoke to Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,… We see here — 1. The mercy and goodness of God, in proceeding with us in a way of covenant. He might have exempted the world from this calamity, and yet not have told them He would do so. The remembrance of the flood might have been a sword hanging over their heads in terrorem. But He will set their minds at rest on this score, and therefore promises, and that with an oath, that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth. Thus also He deals with us in His Son. Being willing that the heirs of promise should have strong consolation, He confirms His word by an oath. 2. The importance of living under the light of revelation. Noah's posterity by degrees sank into idolatry, and became "strangers to the covenants of promise." Such were our fathers for many ages, and such are great numbers to this day. So far as respects them, God might as well have made no promise: to them all is lost. 3. The importance of being believers. Without this, it will be worse for us than if we had never been favoured with a revelation. 4. We see here the kind of life which it was God's design to encourage — a life of faith. "The just shall live by faith." If He had made no revelation of Himself, no covenants, and no promises, there would be no ground for faith; and we must have gone through life feeling after Him, without being able to find Him: but having made known His mind, there is light in all our dwellings, and a sure ground forbelieving not only in our exemption from another flood, but in things of far greater importance. (A. Fuller.) Parallel Verses KJV: And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, |
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