Covenant 2: Noah

Structure and Content of the Covenant

Read Genesis 6-9

Covenant Mediators, Roles, Participants, and Witnesses

• Noah as Head of the Household represents the family before God and so speaks on behalf of the family to God and on behalf of God to the family

• The covenant is made with Noah, his sons and descendants

• “every living creature … all flesh”

• the earth itself—God is both party and witness, as the text says “I will remember my covenant … between me and you and every living creature” (Gen 9:15).

• God as Initiator: "I am establishing my covenant" (Gen 9:9), repeated for emphasis (Gen 6:18).

• Nature/Structure of human party - Dictates Form

  • Overall Party: God initiates the covenant with Noah (and through him, his descendants and all living creatures) communicating His promise directly to him. "I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature " Genesis 9:15

  • Mediator: Noah Genesis 6:9-22

Covenant Expression/Form

• Family/Household as described in Genesis 6:9-22

Change/Content of the Blessing, Promise, or Prophecy Curse, Reward, and Signs - What is in it for man?

• REWARD: Creation preserved and blessed, a New Eden in a way as all the unsalvable was repealed, and so although there is a sense of exile from Eden still, God is offering His providence

  • Pope Francis calls this a "covenant of Peace": The covenant guarantees stability for creation and the continuation of life—“while the earth remains … seedtime and harvest… day and night shall not cease” (Gen 8:22) and grants dominion and food provision (Gen 9:1-4).

  • The Church teaches it guarantees stability for salvation's plan, re-establishing favor despite sin (CCC 1080). Pope John Paul II calls it a vision of the world's value, included in God's non-destructive commitment

  • Promise to Keep Seasons and Never flood the Earth again (end of Chapter 8)

  • "The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth"

  • CCC 71: God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings (cf. Gen 9:16). It will remain in force as long as the world lasts.

• Read Chapter 9

• CURSE: Though the global flood judgment is expressly declared complete (“never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth,” Gen 9:11), God’s demand for the sanctity of human life remains (“Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human his blood shall be shed,” Gen 9:6). This contains nothing pertaining to the covenant itself but rather serves as a reminder—incumbent upon the Cain and Abel situation—of the sanctity of human life.

• SIGNS: The rainbow is explicitly designated as the sign of the covenant between God, Noah (and descendants), and every living creature: “I have set my bow in the clouds … it shall be a sign of the covenant” (Gen 9:12-13) The ongoing cycles of nature (seedtime/harvest, day/night, seasons) function as public, visible reminders of God’s faithfulness and the covenant’s enduring validity.

  • The Dove and Olive Branch

  • Pope Francis: The rainbow which the Lord Himself creates and says is the symbol of the covenant that He will make: ‘This is the sign of the covenant I make between me and you ... I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign’, a remembrance of this peace which shall be a covenant”.

Historical Context or Timing, Context, and place the Narrative between God and Man

Genesis 4:1-7 What state is man in now? - It comes after the covenant with Adam but also Man's fall

• What does knowledge mean in this context?

  • Participation in the mystery of another person, at least biologically

  • Sounds like marriage

  • This is actually the same word used when Peter says Lord you know all things

• Why does Eve speak about the Lord after giving birth to her first son?

  • Because there is something so fascinating about the biological process, although it is not the belief of Christians that everything is reducible to the material as far as a human person is concerned, the soul is authored by God, but also the process by which people are materially made is a gift of God as well and every bit worth thanking God for.

  • Moreover, adding more people to the human family is always something to rejoice over because every life is a gift, especially when it is not guaranteed to anyone.

• We already see the beginning human harmony of specialization (always good for economics) and teamwork.

• What happens when we do not feel our prayers are not heard if we strive after greatness and seemingly give no less effort without good effect compared to our neighbor? What do we notice as a difference between the offerings?

  • We see a sudden loss of peace and the biting sadness of jealousy. In such agitated states, we hear God but are somewhat consumed by our flight/flight response we add that voice to those of our enemies, the perceived contrariety to our good, and behold in our sadness we sin. The Lord encourages Cain to avoid sin and renounce the state he is in lest it consume Him even more. Does God do this with us?

  • Cain's offering was not quite as grand as Abel's notice:

    • "The firstlings" in Abel's offerings were choice portions of the fruits of his labor. - Does this mean Abel was a good brother?

    • Cain's offerings were only a part of his abundance, at least the language suggests that.

    • What does that say about Cain's heart?

      • Jealousy, Dissatisfaction with one's lack of connection with God, and a belief that there is no other option to grow and therefore others must be brought down

• Man expelled from Eden, yet still called to be fruitful, multiply, and exercise dominion

• Genesis traces the line of relation through Seth, Enosh, etc., noting the reality of death and the unfolding of sin and its effect on the soul

• Noah was found pleasing to God GN 6

• The rest of the humanity was beyond repentance see Genesis 6:5

  • God subsequently wiped-out humanity excepting Noah and His family after and only after Noah obeys in building the Ark and gathering animals.

  • It was, as it were, the principle destructive response from God on the effect's of Adam's covenant 

• CCC 56 After the unity of the human race was shattered by sin God at once sought to save humanity part by part. The covenant with Noah after the flood gives expression to the principle of the divine economy toward the “nations”, in other words, towards men grouped “in their lands, each with [its] own language, by their families, in their nations”. Gen 10:5; cf. 9:9-10, 16; 10:20-31.

• CCC 57 This state of division into many nations is at once cosmic, social, and religious. It is intended to limit the pride of fallen humanity (Cf. Acts 17:26-27) united only in its perverse ambition to forge its own unity as at Babel.(Cf. Wis 10:5; Gen 11:4-6) But, because of sin, both polytheism and the idolatry of the nation and of its rulers constantly threaten this provisional economy with the perversion of paganism.(Cf. Rom 1:18-25.)

• In summary: "Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence." Genesis 6:11 

• CCC 58 The covenant with Noah remains in force during the times of the Gentiles, until the universal proclamation of the Gospel.(Cf. Gen 9:16; Lk 21:24; DV 3.) The Bible venerates several great figures among the Gentiles: Abel the just, the king-priest Melchisedek - a figure of Christ - and the upright “Noah, Daniel, and Job”.(Cf. Gen 14:18; Heb 7:3; Ezek 14:14.) Scripture thus expresses the heights of sanctity that can be reached by those who live according to the covenant of Noah, waiting for Christ to “gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad”.(Jn 11:52.)

The Making of the Covenant Response: Rituals and Oath of Ratification

God as the Primary Maker and Active Party

• He precedes Noah in preparation for the circumstances in which His covenant shall come

• God initiates the covenant with Noah (and through him, his descendants and all living creatures) communicating His promise directly to him.

Human Response - Sacrifice/Labor and Sin/Failure

• Noah’s sacrifice ratifies the covenant which precedes God’s ratification of the covenant in Genesis 9:8-17.

  • Read Genesis 8

  • Pope Francis: “After the flood, the first image is that of the dove which, after circling a few times, returns in the end with a tender olive branch in its beak. In that moment, it was thought that the tragedy was over, that the destruction had ended and that peace would return. [Indeed,] it is because of this that the olive branch is a symbol of peace; it is God’s message to humanity. God 'regretted' that destruction and promised not to do it again: 'I want peace’. This dove is the symbol of what God wanted after the flood: peace, that all men should be at peace”, Francis pointed out.

• This proceeds God's Ratification of the Covenant

• Obedience: Obedience in Building the Ark (Gn 6:22), being faithful to God, Offering of Sacrifice of Thanksgiving (Sir 44:17)

  • Hebrews 11:1-7

• • • • • • The implied duty of man is to maintain His communion with God according to prior precedent

          • Noah honors the covenant by offering sacrifice

          • Reflection: Faith is not an abstract ideal or a passive belief—it is deeply connected to real life. The examples in this passage are not of people who merely thought about faith, but of individuals who acted boldly and tangibly because of it. These “larger-than-life” figures demonstrate that faith involves risk, obedience, and transformation.

            • Acting in anticipation of God’s providence — making decisions today based on trust in what God has promised, even when the outcome is unseen.

            • Allowing transformation of one’s life — letting faith reshape priorities, values, and actions.

            • Following God in obedience — stepping forward when God calls, even when the path is uncertain.

• Disobedience: Failure Genesis 9:1-2, 8-14,18-29

• • Where did Noah go wrong?

    • When God bestows freedom and we choose to use it according to our will, does it not usually progress toward selfishness instead of actually regenerative rest

    • How does this failure compare to that of Adam?

  • "Saw the nakedness of his father" means?

    • Understand scripture with more scripture.

    • Leviticus 20:11 - Adultery

Purpose of This Covenant

As a Step towards Christ (Preparation)

•  Preparing world for further covenants, for relationship with God, reintegrating Man's authority over creation under God's benevolent reign (implied in universal scope). Undoing Man's corruption at least to a point of freedom

As Step in Man's restoration and Redemption: 

• • Restoring and renewing original blessings (Gen 9:1)

    • Universal fruitfulness, stability, life

  • Foundations the kingdom by allowing societal order and justice (Gen 9:6)

As an increase in communion: 

• Blessings are cosmic: fruitfulness, no annihilation, rhythms' continuity, extending to animals (Gen 9:9-10).

As a Step in the growth of the Kingdom

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church highlights unity of humanity under this blessing, denouncing division like Babel (Compendium of the Social Doctrine, 429) Foundation for ordered human society

Continue to reflect on the increase of individuals in the covenant.

For Additional Sessions on this

Resources from Fr. Riccardo