Two important things took place as humans returned to normal life after the flood. The first was the re-iteration of God concerning man’s mandate. Just exactly the way Adam was blessed in the beginning and saddled with the responsibility over the earth, even so, did God to Noah. “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” (Genesis 9:1 NKJV). In addition to the blessing was the reiteration of man’s dominion. “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.” (Genesis 9:2 NKJV). This brings out something about God’s eternal commitment to man. Proverbs 8:31 says that His desire is towards the sons of men. Again, we learn from the fact that God’s anger is not forever. In anger, He sent the flood; but in love, He restored man’s privileges.

The second important thing that took place was the expansion of man’s diet. What God gave to man in the garden for food were fruits and vegetables. Here, he was given license to eat “every moving thing that lives”, just the way he had been given green herbs. I met a man who is in his nineties and has not tasted meat in the past 60 years or more. He won’t even accept meat broth from you. He is in the best frame. However, that is not to fulfill a religious injunction. It was his personal choice. The Bible makes room for those who want to eat only vegetables, but in no way condemns those who choose to eat meat. We notice that though God gave humans the liberty to eat any meat, it must be without its blood. That is another boundary that God set right there. Liberty without control is unacceptable to God