Quick Note: Genesis 9:8-16
Genesis 9:8-16 – “8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 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: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Although they are nothing but refracted light, rainbows are literally one of the most beautiful wonders of God’s creation, due to the blending of multiple colors into one strong but temporary band. Because of its colorful beauty, it makes a wonderful addition to any nature photographer’s landscape shot. Or at least, it did so with one of my pictures of Gullfoss Falls in Iceland. These falls are a highlight of any tourist’s trip to Iceland due to their sheer majesty and power; and unlike Niagara Falls, where fencing and commercialization abound, Gullfoss is an untouched treasure where people can feel free to walk right up to the water. The falls and the surrounding landscape became a perfect backdrop for one of my favorite photographs of Iceland; but the star of that shot was not the falls but the rainbow that resulted from the refraction of sunlight on the mist produced by the falls. This rainbow added an unexpected beauty to the scene, which I captured by highlighting its colors and dimming out the background. This picture can be seen below.
But the rainbow is much more than just a thing of beauty, it is a sign given to us, the earth, and all creatures on the earth that God would never flood the earth completely again. It was a sign of His covenant to us, as well as, a reminder to Him of that promise. That promise was made to Noah after he stepped out of the ark, where he spent almost a year of his life, surviving the world-wide flood that eliminated all life except those in the ark. That covenant ensures us that every time we see a rainbow in the clouds, God is reminded that He will never flood the earth to destroy all flesh again. The rainbow is a symbol of God’s mercy, grace, and love.
Interestingly, you don’t have to search too long to find a similar covenant in the New Testament. Jesus Christ told His disciples at the Last Supper that His blood was poured out as a new covenant. This new covenant similar to the Rainbow covenant was one that promised salvation from judgment. The new covenant stated that all those who would put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord would be granted eternal life and forgiveness of sins – sins whose punishment is death and eternal damnation. Christ’s blood, like the rainbow, acts as a sign of this covenant, for every time God looks at a Christian, He no longer sees a sinner that is condemned to die but a ransomed life. Christ’s blood covers our sins and appeases the judgment of God. Just like the rainbow is a sign for us to remember God’s mercy, when we look at Christ, His death on the cross, and the blood that He spilled, we see the mercy of God, for He will no longer condemn us, destroy us, or eternally judge us. He loves us completely and fully. Next time, you look at the rainbow, remember how God’s mercy not only prevents a world-wide flood from ever happening again but the eternal judgment from occurring to anyone who believes.
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