1. Order restored (1-3)

God blessed Noah as he had blessed Adam (1:28a). But creation order had been broken by man's sin, so man could not rule over the earth without God's help. No one can live in chaos, so God reestablished order. But it was an order based on fear, not on love and respect. Man became carnivorous. 'Survival of the fittest' became the rule. Because of the carnage of the flood, life became cheap. So God had to teach man the value of life.

2. Man's life is precious (4-17)

The value of man's life is not derived from his pragmatic usefulness. He is valuable because he bears God's image (6). The fetus in the womb, the retarded or old person all have God's life in them. God taught the value of human life by making murder a capital offense. The covenant of life and the rainbow remind us that all life belongs to God. God remembered Noah's offering, and set aside blood to use as a sacrifice for sin on the altar (Lev 17:11). It was for atonement and man's spiritual life.

Application: Lord, teach me to respect every person, for your image is in each of us.
One Word: God made man in his image