“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth” (Gen. 9:13).
More than likely, you have seen a rainbow in the sky recently, perhaps following a rainstorm. I saw a beautiful one just last week. Every time we see the vibrant, radiant, and majestic colors of the rainbow we are being reminded of God's covenant with all the earth, and how God keeps His promises. This specific promise is that “the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh” (9:15). Noah and his family would have witnessed God’s first glorious rainbow promise, but there have been countless ones that have appeared in the clouds since that monumental day. God said to Noah, “The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth” (9:16).
If our great God looks upon the rainbow and remembers His everlasting covenant between Him and us, then we too should look upon the rainbow and remember His covenant with us. We should be sure to teach and remind our children and grandchildren as we point to the rainbow in the cloud that God’s Word is true, that God keeps His promises - all of His promises, that God cannot lie, and so we can have full assurance that God will keep all future promises recorded in the inspired Scriptures. There is such beauty and love reflected in God’s rainbow for all of His creation to witness and gain knowledge from.
God’s children, along with all of humankind, need to be making preparations now for the next and final Judgment Day when our Lord returns in the clouds and destruction is brought upon this present heavens and earth (2 Peter 3:3-13). The apostle Peter wrote: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Lord will keep this promise as well. A great question for us to consider then is: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness...?” (3:11). Let us then possess the character and faith of Noah and be righteous, blameless, walk with God, obey God, and be moved with godly fear to make preparations for the saving of our household (Gen. 6:9; Heb. 11:7).