Genesis 9:8-12

These verses from the New American Bible lay out how Yahweh set up his covenant with Noah and his children: "'See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants and with every living creature that was with you . . . I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood . . .'" God the Almighty thought enough of lowly humans to set up a compact, a binding compact on both parties. Humans, limited and mortal, were teleological partners with the Master of the Universe--what a heady compact, a real compliment to be able to be deemed able to partner with the Almighty! God is teaching humans here to be honest, to make and faithfully abide by uttered, permanent oaths that bind generations going forward forever to a certain commitment to their Creator, to be smart enough and free-willing enough to be regarded as mature enough and responsible enough to make and keep such an agreement, to be moral and abide by God's covenant. God gives a lot to humans, regards humans as his contractual equals, expects much from them, and they will be punished if they do not honor and live by this covenant, which applies for thousands of years going forward. God gives his word and never goes back on it, and he expects us to not lie, to make and keep promises, honoring our commitments and obligations. This is a high ethical bar for humans to reach and live in accordance with. Here are these verses from the Holy Bible (KJV): "And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you . . . And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood . . ." God does not sign contracts or agreements that are transitory, flighty or passing. These covenants are forever, never lightly entered into, nor lightly or easily set aside. God, for De's part means to honor the covenant forever, and expects the same from fickle, backsliding humans. We will betray God innumerable times. We fail to honor the commitments that our foreparents binded us to by their voiced assent and consent thousands of years ago. Though we reject God, refute all obligations, and even forget that the abandoned covenants were ever forged between God and humans, it matters not in the eyes of God. We are never released from meeting these obligations, and we will be punished for failing to hold up our end of the bargains. Forever means forever. Humans will not prosper and cease to know much suffering on earth or in heaven until they remember the existence and influence that these divine contracts hold over human destiny, and then we offer sacrifices anew, recommitting ourselves to honor our contracts with God to the best of our individual and collective abilities. As an aside I wonder if Yahweh's promise never again to wipe out or nearly wipe out humanity is an ongoing promise that weapons of mass destruction will not end our race, or that some of us will survive nuclear Armageddon. Who knows? Is our race meant to live forever on earth, in on some planet somewhere as living animals? Again, who knows.