Do you actually know the significance of the rainbow? In today’s world, quite a few people are probably under informed concerning the rainbow. Therefore, this post is in order. Parts of it will be familiar to many readers. Other parts may be surprising. But all of it will be truthful and informative. That’s how we do Equipping For Life!
The Rainbow And Reality
Let’s begin with a question: How do banks train tellers to spot counterfeit currency? Well, they don’t bring in piles of counterfeit money. Instead, they train the tellers to notice all of the unique features of real currency. Great familiarity with the genuine article easily equips one to spot a fake. That’s the model I’ll use to acquaint you with the beautiful realities of the rainbow.
Reality: God Judges Sin
Actually, there are two realities here. First, there is a thing called sin. No matter what modern thought proposes, there is right and wrong. The wrong we think, do and say is an offense to a holy God. He calls that our sin. And second, God is, has been, and will be the only righteous Judge of sin and sinners. The horrors of God’s judgment on sin brought us the rainbow! Stay with me…
God saw that every thought of Man’s imagination was continually evil (see Genesis 6:5). So He passed judgment on Man and his sin by destroying the earth with a flood. One man, Noah, found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God instructed him to build an Ark so anyone in it could survive the judgment of the flood. But only Noah and his family were saved by the Ark.
Reality: God Keeps His Word
First, God said the flood was coming and it came. According to God’s promise, after the flood, Noah and his family came out of the Ark with all the animals. And second, Genesis 9:8-17 tells us what God said and did when Noah came out. His word to Noah has proven true in the millenia since the flood.
What did God do? He initiated a covenant with Noah and all Creation. This is often called the Noahic Covenant. God’s promise was to never again destroy the Earth by flood. This covenant was unconditional. There was nothing for Noah to do in order keep his part of God’s covenant. God had made a unilateral promise. And finally, God’s covenant was signified by His sign – the rainbow. When you see a rainbow, you see visible evidence that God keeps His Word.
God is not a man that He should lie (see Numbers 23:19). His Word is always reliable and His Word always accomplishes the purpose for which He speaks (see Isaiah 55:11). Today, we can know for sure that there will never be another worldwide flood. But that doesn’t mean God won’t judge sin.
The next worldwide judgment of sin is what Scripture calls the day of the Lord. And God has told us in advance that His judgment will come in the form of fire. You can confirm that in the following:
- II Peter 3:10-11
- Revelation 20:9
- Revelation 21:1
Reality: Reminder Of Grace
Was there grace in the flood? Yes. Noah and his family survived. That prefigures that fact that we who are in Christ will pass over the judgment to come just as Noah passed over the waters of the flood. But there’s more! It took Noah 120 years to build that Ark. And he preached while he worked. Unfortunately, nobody responded to his message of coming judgment and the opportunity to enter the Ark. But those who heard Noah had the opportunity and that is nothing but grace.
When we speak of grace we must also remember that grace is extended by God so sinful people (see Romans 6:23) have the opportunity to experience His grace. Just as Noah was saved in the Ark, people today have the opportunity to find grace in the Person of Jesus Christ. Confirm this in:
- John 3:16
- Romans 5:8
- I Thessalonians 1:10
Rainbow: Eternal Symbol
It’s interesting to me that rainbow only shows up three times in many Bible translations. In others, it shows up only six times. Whether it’s called God’s bow or His rainbow, it is referenced three times in Genesis 9. There is one reference in Ezekiel 1. The final two references are in Revelation. So what we see is God’s rainbow at the beginning and the end of the Scriptural record. Notice Revelation 4:3 –
And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.
John’s vision takes us into that grand, heavenly scene. And there we see that the very symbol of God’s promise to Man and Creation is that which encircles His throne. But notice the color difference. Somehow, John knew it was a rainbow but it was also characterized as emerald. And what does the color green often signify? Life! But here it isn’t just generic life; it’s eternal life.
All of God’s promises live eternally. His Words will never pass away, whether they be words of judgment or promises of life and peace.
That’s a great deal to remember the next time you see a rainbow. But seeing these realities will help you appreciate the genuine nature of this beautiful symbol of grace as well as the loving Father Who gave it!
Soli Deo Gloria!
0 Comments