The Reassurance of the Rainbow

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’”  Genesis 9:13

I saw a rainbow this morning, and it wasn’t even raining.  Only a few grey clouds brushed against the high blue canvas, but enough moisture hung around to prism a spectrum of color across the sky.  Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (thank goodness for Roy G. Biv)—all vivid and intense.  Because I was driving, I tried not to stare but could hardly help myself.  The sight of God’s brilliant promise to always keep His promise was a great way to start the day. 

Every time I see a rainbow, I think about the story—a bad flood, a big boat, smelly animals, and a small family.  Though the scene is often depicted as cute and cuddly, it was actually horrid.  Constant evil and corruption had consumed the thoughts and actions of God’s creation, and He chose to wipe the slate clean and start again(Gen 6:5-12).  The faith of one man kept him and his family afloat as all others gasped their last and sank into a watery grave.  Finally, one year and ten days after God’s judgment began falling, these eight stepped out of the ark onto dry ground. 

The first thing they did was build an altar of gratitude to God.  The smell of their sacrifice was sweet, and God replied with a blessing, a promise, and a sign.  “The Lord blessed Noah and his sons…Then God said to Noah and to his sons, ‘Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth..I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth’”(Gen 9:8-13). 

God knew the next time the sky turned dark and drops began to fall, Noah’s heart would pound fearfully and his mind would wonder anxiously, “Will it stop or be like before?”   Not wanting His children to live in worry, God calmed them with a covenant that water would ever again wipe away all life on earth.  But when the clouds began to gather, God knew Noah that might feel unsure and insecure, so He sent assurance that “whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember”(Gen9:16).

Never think for a moment that God is the one who needs reminders.  We are, and He graciously obliges in a beautiful way.  The arc of the rainbow reminds us of the ark of salvation—a picture of our own great rescue from death and destruction.  Its myriad of colors causes us to recall the many promises God faithfully keeps without fault or falter.  Almost two thousand years after Noah stood staring into the sky, Joshua stated a truth we can still (and always will) proclaim.  “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed”(Josh 23:14).

Don’t let storm clouds scare you.

We can relax in the rain when we remember the promise.