THE COVENANT OF GRACE

INTRODUCTION - So far we have seen in our study of God's Covenant with Noah that this was a gracious covenant, based upon the divine election of God. It was also a covenant which included the children of Noah thus, we see God pouring out His grace on family units. This covenant repeated the mandates of the Adamic covenant, showing us that Noah's covenant was not a new covenant, but a repetition of the first covenant with additions. In this covenant, God promised to sustain the world to the end of time. All of the gracious promises which God made to Noah were based upon the sacrifice of Christ, for in the sacrifice which Noah offers to the Lord, God sees the future atonement of Christ and makes His promises based on Christ's future work. The covenant is then sealed with the rainbow, God's reminder of His promises. This evening we shall end our study of this covenant by considering -

1) IN GOD'S COVENANT OF GRACE WITH NOAH, THE LORD SETS AUTHORITIES OVER US TO CONTROL AND HINDER THE SPREAD OF SIN - Genesis 9:1-7 - None of us have ever known a world of depravity as Noah knew (Genesis 6:5). This man was the only believer in the entire world. He had no one to worship God with, no one who would care about his work, and no one who was interested in the coming judgment. Noah was a man all alone in a completely sinful world. Why did God allow the world to reach such a state of depravity? Certainly this shows us what human beings become when they are left to their sin. Without the restraints of God, we would become a world filled with iniquity. In His covenant with Noah, God added some helpful restraints which would hold back the increase of sin.

A) THE INSTITUTION OF THE GODLY FAMILY - The seed of the woman certainly previous to this, but before the flood God's people fell into idolatry. Noah was beginning human life all over again and the family unit was an important restraint to the spread of wickedness. The line of God's people would once again be generated. Such godliness within the family unit becomes a great hindrance to the depravity of sin in this world. Perhaps this restraint is not always so obvious to us, yet godly parents, holy spouses, children who walk with God , have an incredible affect on the sinful world around them. This is why we see so much attack against the family today. If the family unit can be brought down, sin and misery will be free to multiply. The godly family is a healing element in the world, constraining evil, convicting of sin and righteousness, and providing a godly example for the world around them. Thus, as Noah goes to propagate the world again, the godly family becomes an important restraint for evil.

B) THE INSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH - THE PEOPLE OF GOD - Though not dealt with specifically in the text, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is certainly implied here, for Noah and his family are worshippers. They comprise the church of their day and, like the family, the church provides a constraining influence on evil in the world. However, should the church become like the world, if her practice is compromised and her doctrine becomes shallow, we can certainly expect sin to flourish. Our country is in a mess today not because of the depravity for man, for we have always had this. Instead, the Christian restraints of family and church have eroded. When the church strays for her holy path, sin will be excused, laughed at, and flaunted. The church must be strong if she is going to be an effective restraint against evil in this world.

C) THE INSTITUTION OF LAW AND CIVIL GOVERNMENT - In God's covenant with Noah, the sanctity of human life is established (Genesis 9:5,6). Even though man is fallen, the image of God is still retained. We are not like other creatures. We see how far modern man has strayed from this truth in his legalization of abortion - it is legalized murder which is an abomination to God for His image is being desecrated with the death of every child. How does God protect life? "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed." In this provision is contained the power of the sword, and the power of government to institute the execution of the murderer. A system of justice is imposed upon men, whereby they will judge the wrongdoing of their fellow men and follow the prescribed penalty. This law is meant to terrify the murderer and once again hold back the power of sin. When civil rule becomes corrupt, and when leaders excuse their own sin as they rule, the system of civil government will collapse. Governments are called to rule according to the law of God. It is only then that the wave of sin will be held in check.

2) THE BUILDING OF THE TOWER OF BABEL - Genesis 11:1-9 - In God's covenant with Noah, there was a specific command to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. The builders of the Tower of Babel, however, were reluctant to follow the mandate of God. Instead, they wanted to make a name for themselves, and endeavor to keep themselves from being scattered over the face of the earth. Babel becomes the prototype for every endeavor of man that is built apart from the glory and honor of God. The builders of Babel were endeavoring to build a City of Man (a Secular City) free from the involvement of God. It is a city built completely on the wisdom of man, though the builders fail to realize and acknowledge that all their knowledge comes from God. It is a city built for the honor of man, for here man will make a name for himself. It is a city also built on the worship of man. Here is a group of people who do not want to follow the covenantal mandates of God. They want to be their own god, their own independent state. How different this is from the construction of the City of God! The Lord's City is built upon His wisdom and for His glory. It is a place where the inhabitants honor the name of God and are fully dependent on the Lord as they follow His law.

The Lord comes down in Genesis 11 and shows what happens to those who will build their cities and their lives apart from God. By casting the confusion of language upon the people, the Lord's "scattering" is accomplished. God's plans can never be thwarted, whether man agrees to abide by them or not. Yet why this scattering? Why was it wrong for humanity to congregate in this one city? The reason is, this unity was sinful and the city and tower would always stand as a shrine to the independence of man from God. The city and tower had to be brought down. Obviously, Babel is the ingenuity of the devil himself, endeavoring to unite mankind against God. The languages of the world become another means of God preventing the rise of worldwide evil. Nations will now hold each other in check through wars and power struggles. Cultures will fight against each other. In the midst of these struggles, great sin will be constrained and man will never be able to completely unite again in rebellion against God.