8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”
Reflection
Every year I receive the same birthday greeting from my youngest brother, Jimmy, who has Down Syndrome. I’ve received dozens of them. And it’s always the same rainbow and greeting, with *STAR* written above my name.
Of course, I don’t always get it on my birthday. Sometimes I get it a month early. Sometimes I get it a month late. Regardless, it’s nice to be remembered every year.
But it’s even nicer to contemplate the rainbow and what it means.
God told Noah, and us, why He created rainbows in Genesis 9:13-16. He set the rainbow in the clouds as a sign of the covenant between Himself and the earth.
That’s a good thing because He said, “Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Covenant is another word for agreement, contract, pledge or promise.
The rainbow is one of many promises God has made to us.
God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, even though he was an old man.
Paul tells us in Romans 4:20-21, “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
God has made many promises to His children and He has the power to fulfill them all.
Why has He made these promises?
Peter tells us in the beginning of his first letter, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
My favorite promises are that God will never leave us or forsake us; and that we won’t be tempted beyond what we can bear.
But look at one final promise in 1 John 2:24-25: “See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life.”
Think of God’s promises every time you see a rainbow – or need to see one.
by Rick Reed
For Pondering and Prayer
If you need a promise from God, think of the rainbow!
Prayer: Lord, you’ve made us many promises—and kept them, or will keep them all. Amen.
