Commands for Life Given to Noah and Abraham

Reflection Questions

• How is Noah presented similarly to Adam and Eve? How does he respond to God differently than they did?

• Consider God’s commands to Noah. Does anything feel counterintuitive in this plan that is intended to preserve life?

• Why does God ultimately remember Abraham as a faithful one who kept his commands?

• What lessons have we learned about God’s commands in Genesis that prepare us to understand the intention of the 10 Commandments?

Chapter 1: God Commands Noah to Build the Ark

Following Adam and Eve, Noah is the next human to receive a command from God. By Genesis 6, the land is full of violence and evil, but Noah is described as a blameless one who walks with God (Gen. 6:5-13). So God makes a covenant with Noah in order to preserve life in this quickly deteriorating world. He commands Noah to create an enormous ark, or tevah (from an Egyptian word meaning “coffin”), and to stuff it full of life for a new world (Gen. 6:14-7:5). With the ark, God is partnering with a human to create a mini-Eden and to preserve life.

When Adam and Eve broke God’s command in a land of life, it led to death. But here, Noah keeps God’s command in a land of death, and it leads to life.

Chapter 2: Abraham’s Inconsistent but Ultimate Obedience

The next human whom God commands is Abram. God commands Abram to leave his home for a new land, where God will make a covenant of blessing with him (Gen. 12:1). While Abram frequently obeys God’s commands, it’s often ambiguous in the story how fully he obeys. For example, God says to “Go out from your land and from your relatives,” but Abram takes Lot with him (Gen. 12:4). Despite his inconsistent obedience, Abram trusts God’s word to make him a great nation, and God “reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:5-6).

Eventually, God holds Abraham accountable for his wavering trust (and his abuse of his servant, Hagar, in Genesis 16), and he must sacrifice Isaac, his promised son (Gen. 22:1-2). When Abraham shows his willingness to obey, God confirms his commitment to bless all nations through Abraham (Gen. 22:16-18). Just like Noah, God’s commands to Abraham initially feel like death. But keeping God’s commands ultimately leads to life and blessing.

Though he makes mistakes, Abraham’s legacy is ultimately as one who keeps God’s commands. And it leads to the preservation of life and blessing for future generations. When establishing his covenant with Isaac in Genesis 26:2-5, Yahweh says Abraham kept his mishmeret (what should be kept), mitsvah (command), khuqqot (what is inscribed), and torah (instruction). It’s as if Yahweh is saying that because of Abraham’s ultimate obedience in Genesis 22, he already obeyed all the laws of the Torah that are still to come.

Chapter 3: Setup in Exodus for the 10 Commandments

Prior to giving Israel the 10 Commandments, God says that if they listen (shama‘) to his voice and keep his covenant, they will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod. 19:5-6). Israel will be blessed, and blessing will flow out from them to the nations, as it did with Noah and Abraham.

Just like all the biblical commands preceding them, the 10 Commandments are God's invitation to preserve life. Some of God’s commands will feel intuitive and align with our desires (Exod. 20:13), but many will rub against ancient and modern notions of good and bad (Exod. 20:3, 8, 17).