Rainbows and Promises


Genesis 9:1-17
http://www.esvbible.org/Genesis 9:1-17

 Noah and his family (8 people in all) emerge from the ark prepared to do as God commands. They are to repopulate the earth. Noah takes a moment to worship God for His grace in saving them from the flood and God promises Noah that man will be the predominate species on the earth. All of the animals are given to the people for food and the animals will be afraid of them, helping to keep them safe. God also reiterates that man is precious in His sight because man was created in the image of God. Man's blood is not to be shed and his life is to be protected and respected.

 Finally, God puts a rainbow into the heavens as a sign to Noah that He would not destroy the planet with a global flood again. It has been few thousand years since that flood and God has been true to that promise. We've seen floods, but nothing global. God takes care of His people. They are given food, protection, and a promise. The fresh start has begun.

 Last week I was greeted with the view of a fabulous rainbow from my deck. It was spectacular and you could see end to end. And I admit that when I first saw it I thought of Noah. I always do when I see a rainbow. I am reminded of the fact that God will withhold His wrath until the second coming. I was taught to have that thought as a child because my mom would always remind us of that promise when we saw a rainbow as a family. It was small thing, but it stuck with me. God keeps all of His promises and that is vital to keep in mind because He has made some fantastic promises.

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