When we make a promise, sometimes we back it up with a token that shows we mean what we said, that our word is good. A child may give a favorite belonging to another to show their promise of friendship. In legal or financial matters one puts up a bond or collateral to show your promise to pay the debt. In marriage ceremonies the bride and groom usually exchange rings as a symbol of their promise to love, care for, and be faithful to the other. In our Scripture passage today we will read a promise that God made to mankind, and the symbol He gave to remind us of that promise.
The background to our Bible passage is the account of Noah, which we all are familiar with. After the flood waters had dried off of the earth, Noah and his family, along with the animals, came off of the ark. Noah then took some of the clean animals, (animals that were suitable for sacrifice), and offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, thanking Him for preserving their lives in the Flood. When God smelled the odor of the sacrifice, He made a covenant, a promise to Noah and all of his descendants that He would never destroy the earth or all mankind again with a world-wide flood (vs. 8:20-21; 9:8-11). This is the Noahic Covenant, the first covenant that God made with man.
God then proceeded to give mankind a symbol of His promise to them, and that symbol is the rainbow (vs. 12-17). God intended and He specifically designed the rainbow to be a sign, a symbol of this covenant promise that He made. He told us that whenever we look into the sky and see the rainbow, we will be reminded that God promised never to destroy the whole earth again with a flood. Today the symbol of the rainbow has been twisted by the culture of the world to mean something totally different, something which God did not at all intend, and something that is not from Him. However, believers, those who follow and know His Word, know that the rainbow was a gift from God to remind us of His promise.
Some people may question whether this promise has been kept, as there have been numerous devastating floods throughout history. There have been floods that destroy large areas of cities, of properties and homes, and which have killed multiple hundreds, even thousands of people. Flooding can be some of the costliest and deadliest of natural disasters. However, if we take a good look at what the Scripture says, we will see that God has kept this promise. There are all sorts of local floods, but God promised to never destroy the whole world with a flood again. The next time God destroys the earth, it will be by fire (II Peter 3:10-11).
As we look at this covenant that God made with mankind, we see that there are three parts, each of which have not ceased since that day when Noah and his family disembarked the ark. The first is that God promised to never again flood the whole earth (vs. 8:21; 9:11). The second part is that as long as the earth remains, the seasons will come as expected (vs. 8:22). I may really dislike winter, but I know that it will come every year, just as I know that it will not last forever. Springtime will come. The last part of the covenant is that a rainbow will be visible when it rains. The rainbow was created as a sign to all that God keeps His promises. That is what the rainbow means.
This is an unconditional promise that we have from God. There are two kinds of promises in the Bible - conditional and unconditional. Conditional promises are that if we fulfill our part, God will keep His part. If we do this, God will do that. An unconditional promise is that God will keep His promise, no matter what we do or don’t do. This was one of God’s unconditional promises.
The next time it rains, when a thunderstorm comes by, look up into the sky as the storm is ending, and look for the rainbow. When you see it, don’t think of anything else, but remember what the rainbow really stands for. God keeps every one of His promises to us.
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