Context No. 3637 of 4322 · Genesis

Genesis 9:8-17: in context

8God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9“As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. 11I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

After the flood, God makes a covenant, not only with Noah and his descendants but with every living creature, that never again will a flood destroy the earth. And he gives a sign: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth; when I see it, I will remember.

There is something wonderful in this. God, of course, does not forget; but he graciously provides a visible sign, the rainbow, as a pledge, so that we too can look up and be reminded of his faithfulness. And the bow appears precisely in the storm clouds, a promise of mercy shining out amid the very rain. God binds himself by covenant, and then gives a sign that anyone can see. Every rainbow is a reminder of a promise-keeping God, whose mercy extends to all creation, who has set his pledge in the sky for all to see. When the storm clouds gather, the bow declares that God remembers his covenant of mercy.

When storms gather in my life, do I look for the sign of God's covenant faithfulness, remembering that he is a promise-keeping God whose mercy shines even amid the rain?

Sources

Genesis 9:13: "I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth."
Genesis 9:15: "I will remember my covenant... and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh."
Genesis 9:16: "The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant."