Page 178 - Through New Eyes

174 THROUGH NEW EYES
that this new world would be permanent, and that He would act
to prevent man’s sinfulness from ever again maturing from
youth to full age (Genesis 8:21). With this new heaven and earth
came a change in God’s covenant arrangements. God allowed
Noah and his descendants to eat meat, apparently for the first
time, and forbade the drinking of blood. Parallel to the drinking
of blood is the shedding of blood in murder; and God also
bestowed on man, for the first time, the right and privilege to sit
as judge and execute murderers (Genesis 9:2-7). Associated with
this new privilege was a robe of authority, signifying man’s new
estate as judge. 10
God gave a special sign for the new Noahic covenant: He
placed His warbow in the sky as the rainbow (Genesis 9:12-17).
The warbow, God’s weapon, is parallel to the flaming sword of
the cherubim (Genesis 3:24), this being the special sign of the
Adamic covenant under judgment.
We are to the point now of summarizing the ways in which
this new establishment parallels the first establishment in Gen-
esis 1-3. First, the new triple-decker world is like the first one, ex-
cept that the new one is permanent. 11
Second, the new high ground, holy mountain, is Ararat. As
we have seen, this is probably the same location as Eden origi-
nally. Humanity will proceed from Ararat as they proceeded
from Eden. Also, in terms of future parallels, note that the
resting of God’s house, the divinely designed Ark, on the top of
Ararat is parallel to the placement of the Temple on top of
Mount Moriah.
Third, as there was a Garden in Eden, so Noah planted
a vineyard. As Adam sinned in the Garden, so Ham sinned in
the vineyard (Genesis 9:18-27). 12 As Adam seized at a symbol of
the as yet forbidden prerogative of rulership, so Ham seized at
Noah’s robe of authority. 13
Fourth, as God judged Adam, so Noah judged Ham. This
change came about because God had committed judgment into
human hands, and given Noah a robe of authority as symbol of
his office. Noah was a new Adam, but a glorified Adam, an
Adam who had some of God’s office bestowed on him. Unlike
Adam in the Garden, Noah was a prophet. Noah judged Ham
the way Adam was supposed to judge the serpent. Noah judged