The Rainbow
Scripture Reading - Genesis 9:13-17 KJV
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
There are a lot of people in the world today who see God’s Handiwork of a “Rainbow” but they don’t recognize what this signs means. In today’s lesson we will briefly discuss “The Rainbow” God’s sign to mankind. Yes, many people have seen a “rainbow” appear up in the clouds after a good rain full of color and beauty. As we see in today’s verses this bow in the clouds is a living symbol to God and man that the Lord will never again destroy the earth by water. The Holy Bible tells us in Genesis 6:5-7 that the wickedness of man provoked God to destroy man from off the earth of course this included the land animals, insects but probably excluded the creatures of the sea. In Genesis 6:6 The Lord said that man grieved Him at His Heart which is another way of saying that God found no pleasure in evil men only perpetual wickedness. The measurement of sin was so high in the earth that only one person was able to find favor in God’s Eyes. Yes, that man was Noah and we (ihlcc) get the impression that due to the favor of God upon Noah the Lord spared His whole household simply for Noah’s sake (Genesis 6:8 & 9). This is another witness that men of God (especially husbands and fathers) should lead by example with all godliness because you could cover your whole family from death. Of course we (ihlcc) would never insinuate that Noah’s family was corrupted but we will emphasize the importance of a good man having his family order to establish God’s blessings for his wife and children. Noah was that kind of man because he had an intimate relationship with God. The Lord could speak to Noah because Noah was open to hear from God. Not only did Noah listen to God but he also obeyed the instructions of God. Yes, Noah had to grasp from God the instructions concerning the specific design details for building the ark. Noah also needed to know the schedule of God’s timing so his (Noah’s) work wouldn’t be in vain. God can give you some great ideas but it still takes a lot of work (and a lot of grace) to finish building an ark by hand. Generally speaking it rained abundant and continuously for forty (40) days and forty (40) nights according to Genesis 7:12. This continuous rain upon the earth caused the death of all people outside of the ark of safety. Yes, all those who were not prepared suffered the consequences of loss. The unprepared loss all their material possessions and the loss of life (their friends, family members and their own life too). Since death was involved our gracious Loving Lord thought it good to establish a covenant between Himself and all men that He would never destroy the earth again by water. This is great news for all people because all people should know that God is a God of His Word and God is a God of Life, not death. When the Lord makes a promise that all men will not be destroyed by water again we can rest assured that the Lord is faithful and true such that He (The Lord God) will always honor His Word (His Covenant) with mankind. So keep in mind that whenever it is raining quite profusely it shall not over take your life if you abide in the ark of safety which is Jesus Christ. Though wetness (rain) may endure for several nights the sun (the Son) will come out one of those mornings. As born-again children of God we should never magnify the rain over the goodness of God. We can rest assured that when adversity comes the sun (Son of God) will shine brightly through all the clouds in due season. It is said that the more consistently and quickly we praise the Lord Jesus and Father God (from whom all blessing flow) for their goodness unto us the shorter the season of trouble because our answer comes quicker when we are thanking God for it (the answer) in advance. Believers must not dread living through a storm because dread destroys as opposed to praising God which brings peace and divine protection by the Blood of the Lamb. “The Rainbow of God” is a reminder to Himself that His Great Love abounds upon all mankind just like our great love for God should abound in our heart and mouth, Praise Him. So just remember whenever it is raining day or night “God’s Rainbow” remains in the Heavens (the sky) whether you can see it or not. He is always there because wherever we are God Is. Amen!