“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.'” (Genesis 9:12-13, ESV)
I love rainbows. I always look for them in the sky after a big rainstorm. I look in the direction opposite the shining sun and sometimes I am blessed to see this beautiful arc.
Now as you are aware these days, many groups, schools and media providers have adopted the rainbow as a symbol of diversity and tolerance. The symbol is used particularly in association with a certain lifestyle which is opposed to God’s Word. The whole month of June was designated as pride month under the banner of the rainbow flag. But the fact is, the rainbow was created by God for His glory.
Moses tells us that God placed the first rainbow in the sky following the worldwide flood. God had sent that flood to destroy the whole world and everything and everyone in it because the whole earth was filled with wickedness. But God spared Noah his wife, their 3 sons and their wives. God saved Noah and his family along with all the animals he put on the Ark He told him to build.
The rainbow shows us God’s mercy and grace. Once the flood had receded, life had to begin anew. God knew that mankind would be wondering if He would ever destroy the world again in such a way. If so, how could they live without great fear? How could they go on or why? Therefore the Lord made a covenant. He pledged to Noah and to all mankind and all living creatures that He would never again destroy the world by flood. His pledge is the rainbow that we see after a rain shower. Now, every time we see a rainbow, we should rejoice as we remember God’s trustworthiness and love. The rainbow is a sign of God’s faithfulness to His covenant. It reminds us that He always keeps His promises even when we do not. Therefore we can trust Him to carry us through all the storms of life and lead us into eternal life.