God blessed Noah and said, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth,” just as He had blessed Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28. He did not say “subdue,” because the power to subdue everything was lost by man since the Garden of Eden, a time from which creation has been in a state of rebellion. Jesus is the one who came to restore the original authority and position of man (Matthew 28:18). God commanded Adam and Eve to eat from every seed-bearing plant and every tree, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 1:29-30; 2:15-17). Adam and Eve and even the animals were vegetarians before the curse, which ensured their longevity.

In Noah’s time, because God said His Spirit would no longer dwell in man and his days would be limited to a maximum of 120 years, and after the detrimental effects of the flood, man experienced genetic degeneration that led to changes in skin pigmentation, resulting in differences in race and color starting from Noah and his children. Additionally, man became a meat-eater or carnivore. God instructed them to eat meat, which was meant to provide a supplement to maintain their longevity (Genesis 9:3-4). But He gave them solid principles to follow: the animal had to be killed before any part of it could be used for food. And since it lives as long as the blood (dâm) flows in its veins, the blood must be drained before its flesh can be eaten.

The purpose of this restriction was to prevent the horrible cruelty of mutilating or cooking an animal while it is still alive, which would cause it pain and suffering. The animal had to be slaughtered first. The draining of blood from the body was evidence of death, hence the prohibition against eating flesh with the blood was a necessary restriction to prevent savage cruelty. This principle was also intended to teach that the life of the animal, which is in the blood, does not belong to man, but to God Himself, who gave it (Nephesh “soul” / Neshamah: breath of life).

God permitted man to eat meat and no longer be a vegetarian due to the degeneration of creation and the genetic defects that appeared in him. God decided not to destroy the earth by a flood again, and as a sign, He placed His bow (oth in Hebrew: flag, signal) in the clouds. Whenever God is angry and wants to destroy the earth, the bow will appear as a sign to remind Him not to do so…

This text is an extract from the book “THE PENTATEUCH: Under the Eyes of Grace” written by Dr. Rhema Divin Ngoy.

We invite you to read the following article “Rebellion of men and the dispersion of nations / (Tower of Babel)“.