GOD’S RAINBOW

© 2023 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” (Genesis 9:13-15)

Because of man’s wickedness, God had just used a flood to destroy all but Noah and his family.  Knowing that mankind would, again, pursue wickedness, He used the rainbow as a demonstration of His mercy.  It represented His promise to refrain from repeatedly sending worldwide floods to deal with man’s wickedness.  However, the rainbow was not a promise to withhold judgment forever.  In fact, the apostle Peter made it clear that this present season of mercy shall end violently.  God shall terminate His period of patience with a final judgment of fire yet to come.

“Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:6-10)

The flood demonstrated God’s judgment of sin.  God’s rainbow foreshadowed God’s present patient withholding of final judgment for many millennia.  The above passage warns us not to conclude that this long withholding of final judgment shall last forever.  Rather, this period of mercy is an opportunity for men and women to repent of sin and come to God through Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners.  Those who fail to do so, prior to that final judgment, shall never know mercy again.

Some are using God’s rainbow to symbolize their willful rejection of Him.  What shall be your response to God’s rainbow?

 

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