God’s Blessing on Noah and His Offspring: After the great deluge God gives to Noah and his sons the same blessing he gave to humans at their creation (1:28), empowering them to prosper and to replenish the earth. Further, we learn that humans continue to bear the image of God; each person possesses intrinsic value.Yet God introduces three drastic changes. First, God grants humans permission to eat meat. Second, dread of humans henceforth characterizes the way animals respond to humans. Third, God also establishes a covenant with Noah and his offspring, guaranteeing never again to destroy the earth by a flood. This covenant gives humans confidence to build communities without fearing another catastrophe of total devastation.

Two speeches from God provide the structure for this section: God b…