Scripture: Genesis 9:8-16 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Devotional: Before Abraham and before Moses, God made another kind of covenant with a faithful man name Noah. You might remember his story – you know, the guy that built the ark? The flood. The rainbow.
This covenant followed God’s complete destruction by flood of all mankind and animals except those who were with Noah on the ark. All because of the evil that prevailed on earth.
God’s promise was to never again flood the earth and destroy all living creatures. This covenant was with both man and with all living creatures. And continues to be signified today by the rainbow appearing in the clouds.
This covenant was not a blood covenant, but one sealed with a sign – the rainbow. It was also an unconditional covenant: Noah or his descendants were not required to do anything for God to keep this covenant. When we see a rainbow, we should always be reminded of God’s faithfulness and His amazing grace. And that our God is a holy and righteous God who hates sin and who will not allow it to go unpunished forever.
More importantly, it we see that, just as God provided a way for Noah and his family to be saved in the ark, He also has provided a way for us to be saved through Jesus Christ. Noah and his family were saved from the wrath of God that came in the flood, just as those who are in Christ are saved from the “wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Reflect:
- Reflect upon the meaning of God’s covenant with Noah and what it means for you.
