In our topic today, Keith and Nathan share thoughts on the rainbow. What does it mean? Where does it come from? Why is it a covenant sign from God? How can we still find hope in its meaning? We address all these questions and more as we draw from Scripture that talks about the first account of the rainbow.
The use of the rainbow in our culture today has been hijacked by those with perverse and deviant lifestyles. Scripture is very clear on how God feels about these deplorable practices. It doesn’t mean that people can’t be saved out of even those sins. It does mean that you can’t continue in a sinful lifestyle and expect to have the hope of salvation. Going back to its earlier roots, your hosts examine the first historic account with the rainbow and what its purpose is all about.
Everyone should be familiar with the account of Noah and his ark. While God’s wrath poured out on the face of the earth, Noah was delivered in the ark. The water, as a symbol of God’s wrath separated Noah from the earth. The habitat that God created especially for people to live in. As dryland began appearing, and Noah was able to leave the ark, his first act was to worship God. This was acceptable, and God made a promise that the seasons, summer and winter, night and day, would never cease. This means there is hope that no mere humans can destroy the earth, and disrupt the cycle of seasons. Not that the earth won’t end at some time, but only at God’s doing and not men.
Continuing in this account God shows Noah his covenant sign. A rainbow in the clouds. The covenant is in shattering light itself into its various colors. A covenant sign meant something had to be broken. Just as it would be impossible to recombine shattered parts, it would be impossible to go back on a covenant. Even if you tried to repair the covenant object, it would be too scarred. There would be missing pieces, and it would never be the same as it was. Besides the promise of having seasons at their proper times, the rainbow means there is hope that the earth would not be destroyed by water. It means there is hope that humans will not be separated from the earth that God created for them to live.
The rainbow then, is a symbol of hope that God will withhold his wrath and not take away our proper home. There’s nothing in there about reveling in our perverse desires. The rainbow also means that seasons will continue and no amount of man-made effects on climate change can stop that. When it’s time for the earth to end it will be on God’s terms and not men. Don’t be deceived by the modern claim to the rainbow, or by fear tactics that say people are killing the earth.
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