What does Genesis 9:8 Mean?

Study Notes

saying
See Scofield " Genesis 9:1 "

the Lord said in heart

The Third Dispensation: Human Government. Under Conscience, as in Innocency, man utterly failed, and the judgment of the Flood marks the end of the second dispensation and the beginning of the third. The declaration of the Noahic Covenant subjects humanity to a new test. Its distinctive feature is the institution, for the first time, of human government--the government of man by man. The highest function of government is the judicial taking of life. All other governmental powers are implied in that. It follows that the third dispensation is distinctively that of human government. Man is responsible to govern the world for God. That responsibility rested upon the whole race, Jew and Gentile, until the failure of Israel under the Palestinian Covenant ( Deuteronomy 28:1 to Deuteronomy 30:10 ) brought the judgment of the Captivities, when "the times of the Gentiles" (See); Luke 21:24 ; Revelation 16:14 began, and the government of the world passed exclusively into Gentile hands; Daniel 2:36-45 ; Luke 21:24 ; Acts 15:14-17 . That both Israel and the Gentiles have governed for self, not God, is sadly apparent. The judgment of the confusion of tongues ended the racial testing; that of the captivities the Jewish; while the Gentile testing will end in the smiting of the Image (Daniel 2.) and the judgment of the nations Matthew 25:31-46 .

See, for the other six dispensations:

INNOCENCE (See Scofield " Genesis 1:28 ")

CONSCIENCE (See Scofield " Genesis 3:23 ")

PROMISE (See Scofield " Genesis 12:1 ")

LAW (See Scofield " Exodus 19:8 ")

GRACE (See Scofield " John 1:17 ")

KINGDOM (See Scofield " Ephesians 1:10 ")

Context Summary

As the human race started afresh on its career, God blessed it, as at the first. God always stands with us in a new start. The prohibition against the use of blood in food is often repeated. See Leviticus 17:11; Acts 15:29. In a very deep sense, the blood is the life. When we speak of being redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we mean that we have been saved by His sacrificed life. The blood maketh atonement for the soul. But while animal life might be used for food or sacrifice, human life was surrounded by the most solemn sanctions. A Covenant is a promise or undertaking resting on certain conditions, with a sign or token attached to it. The bow in the cloud, the Lord's Supper, the wedding ring are signs and seals of their respective covenants. Never witness a rainbow without remembering that as God hath sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so He will not withdraw His kindness. See Isaiah 54:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 9

¹  God blesses Noah and his sons, and grants them flesh for food
⁴  Blood and murder are forbidden
⁸  God's covenant, of which the rainbow was constituted a pledge
¹⁸  Noah's family replenishes the world
²⁰  Noah plants a vineyard,
²¹  Is drunken, and mocked by his son;
²⁵  Curses Canaan;
²⁶  Blesses Shem;
²⁷  Prays for Japheth, and dies