The Covenant of the Rainbow

The Covenant of the Rainbow Genesis 8:1-11:26 Key Verse 9:11,12 “I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come.” 

Introduction The work of God is the work of grace and mercy. Without God’s mercy and grace there is no salvation.   God’s grace is well expressed in the covenant of the rainbow.

I. God Remembered (8:1-22) To “remember” in the Bible is often not merely to recall people to mind but to express concern for them, to act with loving care for them. It emphasizes God’s decision to faithfully fulfill a previous commitment. When God remembers his children, he does so “with favor.”

What Was the First Thing Noah Did When He Came Out of the Ark? 8:20 says, “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.”

Noah Built an Altar

Altar “Altar” is a place where we meet God and worship him. He remembered God’s abundant grace. He was thankful to God and worshipped him. He was thankful to God’s love which had saved him and his family from a dreadful judgment. He took some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on the altar.

II. God Established the Covenant (9:1-17) 9:11,12 “I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come.”

Rainbow: The Sign of the Covenant

III. Noah’s Descendants and the Tower of Babel (9:18-11:32) Ham did not respect or love his father, because love covers over a multitude of sins (1Pe 4:8). Shem and Japheth showed their respect toward their father and God.

Three Basic Obligations as God’s Stewards The first is a spiritual duty to receive God’s word and knowledge of God and preserve it and teach it to others. The second obligation is an intellectual duty, to grow in the knowledge of God and teach it to others. The third duty is a material duty, to provide for man’s material comfort.

The Tower of Babel They wanted to build themselves a city with a tower that reached to the heavens, so that they might make a name for themselves and not be scattered over the face of the earth. They intended to rebel against God by uniting the whole human race. It was an act of defiance against God’s command to fill the earth (1:28).

Jerusalem and Babylon Jerusalem was “the city of peace,” whereas Babylon was “the city of confusion.” Jerusalem was chosen as the center of God’s revelation, and it was the center of worship for the Israelites. But Babylon refers to the kingdom of Satan.

Conclusion God gave us the rainbow as the sign of the covenant in the midst of his dreadful judgment. The rainbow is a sign of God’s love and grace. May we remember God’s patience, love and grace and build an altar of thanks as of first importance every Sunday.