"While the earth remains" (Genesis 8:22), and so forth. Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: What do the children of Noah suppose, that their covenant is sealed and stands forever? Rather, only so long as heaven and earth endure does their covenant endure. When that day comes of which it is written, "For the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wear out like a garment" (Isaiah 51:6), in that hour, "And it was broken in that day" (see Zechariah 11:11). Rabbi Acha said: What caused them to rebel against Me? Was it not because they would sow and not reap, give birth and not bury? From here onward there shall be "seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat" (Genesis 8:22); the sun shall weaken them; "summer and winter." I will rouse against them the bird, as you say, "And the bird of prey shall summer upon it, and every beast of the earth shall winter upon it" (Isaiah 18:6). There was an incident with one of the great ones of the generation who was suffering pain in his head; he said: See what the generation of the flood has done to us.
The Noahide Covenant Holds While Heaven and Earth Endure
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 61:2
(בראשית ח כב) עֹד כָּל יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'. רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל מַה סְבוּרִין בְּנֵי נֹחַ שֶׁבְּרִיתָן כְּרוּתָה עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד, אֶלָּא כָּל זְמַן שֶׁשָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ קַיָּמִין בְּרִיתָן קַיֶּמֶת, כְּשֶׁיָּבֹא אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ "כִּי שָׁמַיִם כֶּעָשָׁן נִמְלָחוּ וְהָאָרֶץ כַּבֶּגֶד תִּבְלֶה", בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה (ראה זכריה יא, יא) וְתוּפַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא. אָמַר רַב אָחָא, מִי גָּרַם לָהֶם שֶׁמָּרְדוּ בִּי, לֹא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ זוֹרְעִין וְלֹא קוֹצְרִין יוֹלְדִין וְלֹא קוֹבְרִין מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ זֶרַע וְקָצִיר וְקוֹר וָחֹם, חַמָּה חַכְּאַכִית קַיִץ וָחֹרֶף מֵקִץ אֲנִי עֲלֵיהֶן אֶת הָעוֹף כְּהַאֵיךְ דְאַתְּ אַמְרֵת "וְקָץ עָלָיו הָעַיִט וְכָל בֶּהֱמַת הָאָרֶץ עָלָיו תֶּחֱרָף", מַעֲשֶׂה הָיָה בְּאֶחָד מִגְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר שֶׁהָיָה חוֹשֵׁשׁ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ, אָמַר, חָמוּן מָה עֲבַד לָן דָּרָא דְּמַבּוּלָא.