9:9 I establish my covenant. See notes 6:9–22; 8:20–9:17. God’s promise to preserve the earth (8:20–22) is now confirmed by a covenant (cf. 12:1–3; ch. 15). In 6:18 the covenant relationship was exclusively with Noah (6:18 note); now it is extended to his descendants and to all creation (v. 12). See “God’s Covenant of Grace” at 12:1.

In a sense, God mediated His mercy through Noah for the created order, and later through Moses for Israel. So Noah and Moses were subordinate types of the true Mediator to come, Jesus Christ (Heb. 3:1–6).