God said to Noah, “I am giving you a sign of My
covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to
come. I have placed My rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of My
covenant with you and with all the earth (Gen. 9:12-13 NLT)
Ever since I was a kid, I have always admired the beauty of
rainbows. They do not happen that often in our area, but when they do, they are
one of the most beautiful things to observe in all of creation. Of course, who
can forget to look for the pot of gold at the end? Yet if you find it, it
belongs to me since I been searching for it for years, but that’s a different
story. ;)
Regardless, the symbolism of the rainbow has drastically
changed from what it originally meant! Even still, the point of this article is
not to consider the topic of LGBTQ, but rather to consider the original meaning
of the rainbow, and how it is a symbol of something for us today, and not that
of the LGBTQ community.
As stated in the Bible and quoted above, the rainbow is a
symbol of God’s covenant and promise to Noah and all of creation since his
time. God’s covenant with Noah is often called “The Noahic Covenant,” and it is
found in Genesis 8:20-9:17. Noah formally agreed to this covenant by
making a sacrifice to the Lord (Gen. 8:20-21). But why was this covenant
necessary?
Mankind had become exceedingly wicked, and the trend and
direction of their lives were focused on their own sinful desires (Gen. 6:5).
It is interesting to note that in context, this came as a result of believers
marrying unbelievers (Gen. 6:2; see also Matt. 22:30; Rom. 8:14, 19). God had
been patient and merciful with the people for hundreds of years. However,
eventually the love and justice of God had to respond. Otherwise, God would not
truly be loving and just. So God destroyed the entire world with a flood. But,
God saved 8 people, Noah, the only righteous person on the planet at that time
(Gen. 7:1), and Noah’s family.
While the global flood of Noah’s day took place over 4,000
years ago, there are 3 parts to God’s covenant with Noah that are important for
us to understand today. First, we need to understand that the Noahic
Covenant is universal and unconditional.
God made this covenant with every living creature and for all
succeeding generations from the time of Noah until the end of time (Gen. 9:12).
This covenant does not depend upon anything Noah or his descendants had to do.
Therefore, regardless of how wicked and immoral our world is becoming (and one
does not have to look very far to realize that society is far from where we
should be) yet God promises that He will never again destroy the earth with a
global flood.
Second, we need to understand that the creation mandate has
been restated and expounded. The creation mandate was
originally given to Adam and Eve as a part of the Adamic Covenant, stating that
mankind is made in the image of God and is to be fruitful, fill the earth and
have dominion over it (Gen. 1:27-28). These same principles were restated to
Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives, likewise they apply to all people
since then (Gen. 9:1-7).
Additionally, from this point forward mankind is allowed to
eat meat, with the exception of blood, and animals will now fear mankind as a
result. Some teach that Christians should be vegetarians since mankind was
originally. However, that no longer applies. Yes, we can find other dietary
restrictions which did apply both during the Patriarchal and Mosaic Ages. But
today in the Church Age, the only dietary restriction is the prohibition of
eating blood (Acts 15:29; Rom. 14:20). God explained that the creature’s life
is in its blood and was to be used for atonement (Lev. 17:10-16). (Remember, it
is by Christ’s blood that we are saved.) Additionally, some cultures then and
even now use it in their idolatrous practices.
Lastly, capital punishment was now a Biblical means of
handling those who commit murder. This is restated in the New Testament (Rom.
13:4). It is important to note that the enforcement of capital punishment has
always been through God ordained authorities, namely, governments (Rom. 13:1).
Likewise, the Bible is not against self-defense, especially as it relates to
means by which the government has deemed legal (Luke 22:36).
The third thing that we need to understand about the Noahic
Covenant is God’s promise still applies. The promise is based upon God’s
faithfulness alone. God has always been faithful to do just as He promised.
This can be seen in how He dealt with Adam and Eve, promising to send One who
would destroy the Devil, namely Jesus (Gen. 3:15; Heb. 2:14). God was faithful
to Noah and his family, keeping them safe in the Ark. God was faithful to
Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, and even the people of Israel in spite of
their unfaithfulness. God was faithful with His people in the early church. And
He is still faithful to us, regardless of how faithless we are. God is always
faithful to His promises. Yes, some of His promises are conditional, yet the
promise to never again destroy the entire world with a flood is not one of
them.
Therefore, when you see the rainbow in the sky, I want to
encourage you to remember its true meaning: (1) God’s faithfulness to all
creation. And (2) His amazing grace: God was patient with the people, giving
them a 120 year opportunity while Noah built the ark to turn to Him. God
likewise extended grace to Noah and his family to be saved even though He could
have easily have wiped them out as well. Similarly, God has been gracious with
every single one of us. He has provided a means that we can be saved from the
wrath that is to come—through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ (1
Thess. 1:10). For one day, God promises that He will destroy the earth with
fire (2 Peter 3:10, 11).
R.C. Sproul said, “The Noahic covenant is God’s pledge that
He will preserve the stability of nature, a stability that will allow His
people to flourish and that will provide an arena for Him to enter history and
bring salvation (John 1:14). Moreover, our Creator’s love for all that He has
made is seen in the pledge that He will never again destroy the world (with a
flood), which is also an early sign that one day all creation will
be renewed” (www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/noahic-covenant-1670/). I
pray that you are encouraged by the true meaning of the rainbow.
In His service,
Matt
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