As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease." While the earth remainsThis phrase sets the temporal framework for the promise that follows. The Hebrew word for "earth" is "אֶרֶץ" (erets), which can mean land, country, or the entire world. Here, it signifies the physical world as created by God. The word "remains" implies a continuity and stability of creation, underscoring God's sovereignty and the enduring nature of His covenant with humanity. This assurance is foundational for understanding the reliability of God's promises throughout Scripture. seedtime and harvest
These terms refer to the agricultural cycles essential for human survival. "Seedtime" (Hebrew: "זֶרַע" - zera) and "harvest" (Hebrew: "קָצִיר" - qatsir) symbolize the processes of sowing and reaping, which are fundamental to sustaining life. This promise of regularity in agricultural cycles reflects God's provision and faithfulness. It also serves as a metaphor for spiritual sowing and reaping, a theme echoed in the New Testament (Galatians 6:7-9). cold and heat
This phrase highlights the natural climatic variations that are part of the earth's design. The Hebrew words "קֹר" (qor) for cold and "חֹם" (chom) for heat indicate the extremes of temperature experienced in different seasons. These variations are part of the divine order established by God, demonstrating His control over the natural world. They also remind us of the balance and harmony inherent in creation, which God maintains. summer and winter
The mention of "summer" (Hebrew: "קַיִץ" - qayits) and "winter" (Hebrew: "חֹרֶף" - choreph) further emphasizes the cyclical nature of seasons. These terms represent the broader seasonal changes that affect the earth. Historically, these cycles were crucial for ancient agrarian societies, dictating planting and harvesting times. Spiritually, they can symbolize times of abundance and scarcity, growth and dormancy, in the believer's life. day and night
This phrase refers to the daily cycle of light and darkness, a fundamental aspect of creation established in Genesis 1. The Hebrew words "יוֹם" (yom) for day and "לַיְלָה" (laylah) for night underscore the regularity and predictability of this cycle. This constancy is a testament to God's orderliness and faithfulness. It also serves as a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment and darkness, a theme explored throughout Scripture. shall never cease
The promise that these cycles "shall never cease" (Hebrew: "לֹא יִשְׁבֹּתוּ" - lo yishbotu) is a powerful assurance of God's unchanging nature and His commitment to sustaining creation. This phrase conveys a sense of permanence and reliability, reflecting God's eternal covenant with humanity. It reassures believers of God's ongoing provision and care, encouraging trust in His promises and faithfulness. Persons / Places / Events 1. NoahA righteous man chosen by God to survive the flood and repopulate the earth. After the flood, God makes a covenant with Noah, promising the regularity of seasons and day and night. 2. GodThe Creator who establishes the covenant with Noah, ensuring the stability of the natural order as a sign of His faithfulness and mercy. 3. The EarthThe physical realm that God promises to sustain with regular cycles of nature, symbolizing His ongoing provision and care for creation. 4. The FloodA cataclysmic event that purged the earth of its wickedness, after which God promises never to destroy all life in such a manner again. 5. CovenantThe divine promise made by God to Noah and all living creatures, signifying a new beginning and the assurance of God's continued provision. Teaching Points God's FaithfulnessGod's promise in Genesis 8:22 is a testament to His unwavering faithfulness. Just as He maintains the natural order, He is faithful to His promises in our lives. Dependence on God's ProvisionThe regularity of seasons and cycles reminds us of our dependence on God's provision. We are called to trust in His timing and care. Stewardship of CreationAs recipients of God's promise to sustain the earth, we are entrusted with the responsibility to steward His creation wisely and responsibly. Hope in God's PromisesThe assurance that "day and night shall never cease" provides hope and stability, encouraging us to rely on God's unchanging nature amidst life's uncertainties. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the promise of Genesis 8:22 reflect God's character and His relationship with creation? 2. In what ways can we see the fulfillment of God's promise in Genesis 8:22 in our daily lives? 3. How does understanding the regularity of God's creation help us trust Him in times of uncertainty? 4. What responsibilities do we have as stewards of the earth in light of God's promise to sustain it? 5. How can we apply the principle of God's faithfulness in Genesis 8:22 to our personal walk with Him and our interactions with others? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 1:14-18This passage describes God's creation of the celestial bodies to mark seasons, days, and years, establishing the order that Genesis 8:22 reaffirms. Psalm 74:16-17These verses speak of God's sovereignty over the day and night and the establishment of the seasons, echoing the promise of Genesis 8:22. Jeremiah 33:20-21Here, God compares His covenant with David to the fixed order of day and night, underscoring the reliability of His promises. People NoahPlaces Mount AraratTopics Cease, Cold, During, Getting, Goes, Grain, Harvest, Heat, Henceforth, Remains, Seed, Seedtime, Seed-time, Summer, WinterDictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 8:22 1095 God, patience of
1335 blessing
1355 providence
4007 creation, and God
4060 nature
4065 orderliness
4406 agriculture
4464 harvest
4506 seed
4806 cold
4829 heat
4854 weather, God's sovereignty
4921 day
4970 seasons, of year
4975 week
5267 control
8331 reliability Genesis 8:15-22 5106 Noah Genesis 8:21-22 1347 covenant, with Noah
7227 flood, the Library December 27. "He Sent Forth the Dove which Returned not Again unto Him" (Gen. viii. 12).
"He sent forth the dove which returned not again unto him" (Gen. viii. 12). First, we have the dove going forth from the ark, and finding no rest upon the wild and drifting waste of sin and judgment. This represents the Old Testament period, perhaps, when the Holy Ghost visited this sinful world, but could find no resting-place, and went back to the bosom of God. Next, we have the dove going forth and returning with the olive leaf in her mouth, the symbol and the pledge of peace and reconciliation, …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth 'Clear Shining after Rain'
'And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Sermon of the Seasons
"Oh, the long and dreary Winter! Oh, the cold and cruel Winter!" We say to ourselves, Will spring-time never come? In addition to this, trade and commerce continue in a state of stagnation; crowds are out of employment, and where business is carried on, it yields little profit. Our watchmen are asked if they discern any signs of returning day, and they answer, "No." Thus we bow our heads in a common affliction, and ask each man comfort of his fellow; for as yet we see not our signs, neither does …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 32: 1886 The Best of the Best
"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys."--Song of Solomon 2:1. THE time of flowers has come, and as they are in some faint degree emblems of our Lord, it is well, when God thus calls, that we should seek to learn what he desires to teach us by them. If nature now spreads out her roses and her lilies, or prepares to do so, let us try, not only to see them, but to see Christ as he is shadowed forth in them. "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys." If these are the words …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 42: 1896 The Unchangeable One
Psalm cxix. 89-96. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: …
Charles Kingsley—Town and Country Sermons On Gen. viii. I
On Gen. viii. I Hippolytus, the expositor of the Targum, and my master, Jacobus Rohaviensis, have said: On the twenty-seventh day of the month Jiar, which is the second Hebrew month, the ark rose from the base of the holy mount; and already the waters bore it, and it was carried upon them round about towards the four cardinal points of the world. The ark accordingly held off from the holy mount towards the east, then returned towards the west, then turned to the south, and finally, bearing off eastwards, …
Hippolytus—The Extant Works and Fragments of Hippolytus The Song of the Three Children
DANIEL iii. 16, 17, 18. O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. We read this morning, instead of the Te Deum, the Song of the Three Children, beginning, 'Oh all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise …
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting That it is Profitable to Communicate Often
The Voice of the Disciple Behold I come unto Thee, O Lord, that I may be blessed through Thy gift, and be made joyful in Thy holy feast which Thou, O God, of Thy goodness hast prepared for the poor.(1) Behold in Thee is all that I can and ought to desire, Thou art my salvation and redemption, my hope and strength, my honour and glory. Therefore rejoice the soul of Thy servant this day, for unto Thee, O Lord Jesus, do I lift up my soul.(2) I long now to receive Thee devoutly and reverently, I desire …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
To declare emphatically that the people of God are a covenant people, various signs were in sovereignty vouchsafed. The lights in the firmament of heaven were appointed to be for signs, affording direction to the mariner, the husbandman, and others. Miracles wrought on memorable occasions, were constituted signs or tokens of God's universal government. The gracious grant of covenant signs was made in order to proclaim the truth of the existence of God's covenant with his people, to urge the performance …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Genesis 8:22 NIVGenesis 8:22 NLTGenesis 8:22 ESVGenesis 8:22 NASBGenesis 8:22 KJV
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