Genesis 9: New Covenant, New Rules?

Some scholars view the biblical story as a series of "dispensations."  Dispensationalism is the idea that there are different eras or ages throughout history in which different rules or expectations are subsequently laid out for God's people.  For instance, one dispensation or administration of God's rule is experienced in the Creation, while a second occurs from the Fall to the Flood, a third from the Flood to Abraham, etc.  Each one brings its own unique standard.

Personally, I am not a Dispensationalist, though I think it makes for an intriguing discussion, and there is some scriptural support for it.  For instance, God does seem to adjust the rules for humanity following the Flood.  (I have previously noted that God ratchets down the scale of human lifetime in Genesis 6:3 to 120 years.)

Now, in Genesis 9, God makes a couple of other significant changes.  Instead of only plants given for food, God now gives animals to people to eat.  In fact, they may eat any animals - except not blood (vs. 4).  Speaking of blood, the rules about capital punishment are changing, too.  Whereas Cain and Lamech were protected from being killed, the new order is that the shedding of blood requires one's own blood to be spilled (vs. 6).  Other structural changes include the rainbow being given as the sign of a covenant that the earth will never be completely flooded again and a curse upon Noah's son Ham and his descendants.

One way to interpret new regimes like this in scripture is through the idea of dispensations.  As major covenants (Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus) appear in scripture, it is feasible that each is introducing new expectations for God's people.  Students of Dispensationalism concentrate on noting the differences among the various eras in Bible times and figuring out how the rules apply to us today - as well as in the future.

My main objection to Dispensationalism is that it seems to me too much of a curious human construct to impose upon scripture.  I give more weight to those verses which speak of the unchanging nature of God than to the idea that His laws might be capricious and whimsical.  Besides, the operating principle of God's relationship with humankind is consistently undergirded by grace, no matter what era or dispensation is in question.  To me, the attempt to study and parse out dispensations, while interesting, is a rabbit trail that threatens to get us off-track on a spiritual tangent rather than allow us to keep the main thing the main thing.

Regardless of who is right, however, it is important to note that with the Flood (as well as each new covenant) come some important changes in what God expects of His followers.