Old Testament - Genesis 9 - February 4, 2022

 2/4/2022 – Genesis 9

An interesting item: In the book “Answers to Gospel Questions”, Joseph Fielding Smith speaks of this great flood, and that it changed the earth “when the great deep was broken up….and during the flood great changes were made on the face of the earth. The land surface was in the process of division into Continents.”

This chapter begins with the beginning of Noah’s family [his wife and his 3 sons and their wives] as they make a new beginning on earth. The Lord’s direction to them is to “multiply, and replenish the earth” (v1) He then explains in v 2 that the animals, on land or in the waters or the sky, are available for their food, as will the “green herbs” that the Lord has given them. The animals will fear man, which means to me that Noah and his family do not have to fear the animals at this point in time.

Then the Lord speaks of what many scholars call ‘the Law of God Regarding the Shedding of Blood.’ These verses are difficult for me to really understand. But these verses are also some of those included in the Joseph Smith Translation, and it is very helpful to me. This is from the JST, Genesis 9:10-13: 

“But, the blood of all flesh which I have given you for meat, shall be shed upon the ground, which taketh life thereof, and the blood ye shall not eat.

“And surely, blood shall not be shed, only for meat, to save your lives; and the blood of every beast will I require at your hands.

“And whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for man shall not shed the blood of man.

“For a commandment I give, that every man’s brother shall preserve the life of man, for in mine own image have I made man.”

This deeper understanding is also found in D&C 49:18-21, which tells us that the animals are to be used for food, but it concludes with a warning: “And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.”   President Kimball spoke at length in the general priesthood meeting in Oct 1978 about the practice of killing animals simply for sport.

In v’s 11-15 the Lord promises that He will never again create a flood that will cover all the earth, and that He will “set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” Once again, the earth is described as a living being.

The JST of Genesis 9:17-25 gives us more information than that of the King James version of the Bible: 

“And God made a covenant with Noah, and said, This shall be the token of the covenant I make between me and you, and for every living creature with you, for perpetual generations;

“I will set my bow in the cloud; and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

“And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember my covenant, which I have made between me and you, for every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

“And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.

“And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy;

“And the general assembly of the church of the first-born shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch.

“And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will establish my covenant unto thee, which I have made between me and thee, for every living creature of all flesh that shall be upon the earth.

“And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and thee; for all flesh that shall be upon the earth.” 

And this is what Joseph wrote about these verses: “The Lord hath set the bow in the cloud for a sign that while it shall be seen, seed time and harvest, summer and winter shall not fail; but when it shall disappear, woe to that generation, for behold the end cometh quickly.”  

At a later time Joseph said the following: “I have asked of the Lord concerning His coming; and while asking the Lord, He gave a sign and said, ‘In the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come; but there should be seed time and harvest during that year: but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant’”


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