The Rainbow Covenant

Genesis 9: 8-17
Length: 22:46

This is a message given on March 22, 2009 at the Homer City United Methodist Church for the Indiana District Lay School - Advanced Lay Speaking Class.

We don’t hear much preaching on the Old Testament these days, but it is part of God’s Word and it is important to read and understand it. There is a lot of imagery and “types” of Christ depicted throughout the Old Testament. We need to remember that the message of the Old Testament prophets point to Jesus. They preached a message of repentance, as did John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles. It is the same message we need to preach today.

Our scripture reading this morning picks up right after the flood. Of course, we know in the beginning God created Heaven and Earth, then man, then they ate the apple and oh boy. Down hill from there. Sin entered the world and man became evil and corrupt.

But this man Noah, however, was a righteous man. Not by his works, but because he believed in God as Creator, and Savior from his sin. He found grace in God, because he humbled himself. So, God told Noah to build an Ark.

It is interesting, as we know, only the people and animals that were on the Ark survived the flood. There was only one way to be saved from the flood. Sounds like our situation today, doesn’t it? There is only one way of salvation for us too.

Anyways, even though it had never rained before, Noah obeyed God and built the ark. The rains started, the heavens broke loose and for forty days and forty nights there was rain. Eventually, the water subsides and Noah sends the dove out and when it doesn’t return Noah knew it was about time to head out of the ark and back onto the earth.

Noah exits the ark, sees the devastation and destruction all around him and the first thing he does is…..build an alter to worship God. Picking up in chapter 9 verses 1-7 we see God instructing Noah. God tells Noah to be fruitful and multiply, rule the earth, eat meat, but not the blood (this simply means to eat dead animals not living ones), and to establish capital punishment for taking another man’s life.

Now, in verses 8-17, God is again speaking to Noah and is telling him what He will do. God establishes His covenant with Noah, God gives them the sign, and then summarizes the covenant with them.

What is the covenant?
God promised Noah that he will never destroy the earth by water or a flood again. See, before the flood, from what I understand there was never any rain. The earth had some type of vapor barrier or canopy. Now I don’t know all the details of what this canopy was like, some say it was a layer of ice, all I know is what scripture says and it calls it an expanse. Gen 1:7 “And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.”

At any rate, this barrier in the sky apparently minimized the harmful effects of the sun and had some type of tropical like effect on the world. This is partially why people lived to be almost 1,000 years old and animals were able to live a long time and grow very large. There was no need for rain, the hydrological cycle worked differently.

But at the flood, the people of earth saw rain for the first time. Noah saw rain for the first time. And it was a massive, destructive force. So if someone were to ask Noah what he thought of rain as soon as he got off the ark, he would probably have flipped out and shouted “Rain? Where?, Everyone, back on the boat.”

So, no doubt he didn’t like it. He saw the death, devastation, and destruction it caused. Rain was no good to Noah, but as we know rain is a vital part of our life today. So God makes this covenant with Noah telling him the world will not be destroyed by rain again. So there was no need to fear rain.

Now, usually, when we think of a covenant, we think of an agreement between two parties. The Untied States agrees to not point its missiles at Russia as long as Russia agrees not to point their missiles at us. Each side gets something.

God’s covenant, however, with Noah is different. It is completely one sided. God does not say if you do this, I will do this. God simply says, “I will not destroy the earth by water again” This is a covenant for the blessing of man from the mercy of God. For man’s life from the grace of God. It is an unconditional unilateral covenant from God.

Isn’t that wonderful? But Who is this covenant with?
Obviously, Noah and his family, but it extends to all generations of Noah. Remember, during the flood, everything was destroyed except for the things on the Ark. Which included Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives. That is a total of 8 people. God’s covenant extends to them, but also to their offspring, which includes us today.

Notice though, God did not limit His covenant to just us. He also included all of the animals in the world too. What an awesome God. It is also interesting to note this is a universal covenant, meaning everybody is included.

How do we know He will keep his covenant? God says he will put his bow in the sky so that he will remember His covenant with the world. Notice it says bow. This is because God is viewed as a warrior. That isn’t a image we normally think of today is it? But it is true, look at Exodus 15:3, it says “The LORD is a warrior, The LORD is His name.” (Moses and sons of Israel sang)

A bow is a weapon as in a bow and arrow. The people of biblical times would see this bow in the sky and know that God has hung up his weapon. Today, we call it a rainbow and it occurs when light is refracted (bent because of a change in speed or direction) through moisture in the atmosphere.

When people look at a rainbow they may think of many things. Like wow, look at the pretty colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). Or maybe they run to find the little lepricon and pot of gold at the end of it. Or maybe they think of homosexuals using it as the symbol of their perversions.

We as Christians really should be looking at it and saying thanks be to God for His covenant with us. God says He gives us this sign so that He remembers His covenant with us. But, God doesn’t need the rainbow to remind him of His covenant. He puts that rainbow in the sky, so that we know He still remembers His covenant with us. It is a sign of mercy, grace, peace, and love from God. Every time you look at a rainbow you can see God’s grace, even though humanity deserves God’s wrath and judgment.

Finally, God’s covenant is an everlasting covenant, meaning He will never destroy the world by flood again. Sure it is going to rain and storm in places and they will be destroyed by water and storm damage, but He will not destroy the world by flood again. Yes, He is going to destroy the world in the future, but not by flood or water. Yes, the polar ice-caps will melt, but that will not be the ultimate cause of destruction to the world.

How is the earthy going to be destroyed?
2 Peter 3:10-11 (day of the Lord)
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Rev 20:9 (Satanic Rebellion Crushed)
9And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

Rev 21:1
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

Sadly, as we know, the flood did not eradicate sin from this world. In fact, just a few verses after this covenant, Noah planted a vineyard and got drunk and naked. Ham, Noah’s son, saw this and had either a sinful thought or possibly actions.

Sin was still there after the flood and is still here today. God is going to destroy this world again and the unrepentant sinners who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life will be judged.

So what is the point of all this?

Well think about it, which came first, the flood or the rainbow covenant? The flood, right? Why did God send the flood? Because of the evil, sinfulness of the people. God sent his Holy wrath upon the earth, for vengeance and judgment of their sins. Why? Because of His perfect righteousness and holiness.

The rainbow covenant, shows and reminds us of God’s love, His mercy, His grace, His peace, and His patience.

God is indeed a God of love, but make no mistake He is a God of wrath. His judgment will one day again be poured out on this earth, by fire. Knowing this, shouldn’t we be living holy and godly lives?

If you haven’t been living the life God wants you to live, take the time today to repent, change your life and live your life to God’s glory.

Let the rainbow remind you of not only God’s love, but His wrath as well.

Closing prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time spent in your Word today. We thank you for your Word, and that it has been so well preserved over these many years. We thank you for your Holiness and perfect dealings with us. We thank you for your covenant with us. Help us to see not only your love as we look at the rainbow, but also the righteous judgment you deal to evil. We thank you most of all for sending your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay for our sins. It is in His name we give thanks and is due all honor and glory, now and forever. AMEN.