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Writer's pictureCecilia Porter

REMEMBER THE RAINBOW


Rainbows are formed with water and light. As the sunlight shines through the water, the light bends. When the light bends, it creates an arc of colors and this is called a rainbow. You need both light and water to see a rainbow. A rainbow will usually appear after a rainstorm, in the midst of a waterfall, or in the morning dew. When you see a rainbow you will basically see seven colors: blue, green yellow, red, orange, indigo, and violet. Because a rainbow is created by light shining trough water, people may see it differently. That means that every rainbow is unique to everyone.


Rainbows looks like they are arched, but rainbows are full circles and they do not have an end. Because we see rainbows from the ground, only part of it is visible. If you see a rainbow from the sky, like from an airplane, you may be able to see its full circle.


As a child, I vividly remember the first time I saw a rainbow and all its beauty. How beautiful it was and how fascinated I was about it. Whenever I saw a rainbow, I would gaze into the sky at its awesomeness. Its multicolors were spectacular.


There are lots of myths about rainbows, such as there is a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, guarded by a tricky leprechaun. In Greek mythology, rainbows were the personification of the goddess Iris. This goddess was a messenger between heaven and earth. This was how the rainbow hangs between heaven and earth. In Homer's the Iliad, Iris was a winged creature who served as the messenger of Zeus. Her presence was always looked upon as a sign of hope.


In the Land of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum, Rainbow was a character that was created by the Rain King. Rainbow was the father of several of the fairies of the land, including Polychrome. In the movie called the Wizard of Oz, even Dorothy sings a song titled, "Somewhere over the rainbow." In the Muppet Movie, Kermit the Frog sings a song titled The Rainbow Connection, and the song's chorus says, "Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me." The rainbow is intriguing and fascinating, and yet connects dreamers everywhere.


In the Bible, Genesis 6, we read about God's discontentment with man. In the 6th. verse we see these words, "The Lord was grieved that he made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." So God made a decision that He would cleanse the earth and start over again. The Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth - men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air - for I am grieved that I have made them" (v. 7). But Noah was different and found favor in the eyes of the Lord. "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God" (v. 9). What a testimony! Noah honored his God through the life he lived.


Scripture tells us, "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence" (v. 11). The Lord decided He would bring forth a flood upon the land. This had never happen before. The Lord commanded Noah to build an ark. He was to build the ark according to the Lord's specifications. Imagine the reaction to Noah when he began to gather the materials and went about his business building the ark. His neighbors probably thought that he was crazy, because of what looked strange to them, but it was God's mission being accomplished.


So God told Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth" (v. 13). The Lord said, "I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breadth of life in it. Everything on earth will perish" (v. 17). The only people that Norah could bring on board the ark was, his wife, his sons, and his son's wives. Noah could bring into the ark, two of all living creatures and every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for his family and for all the living creatures. The Lord told Noah that He was going to establish a covenant with him, and then he could enter the ark.


In obedience, "Noah did everything just as God commanded him" (v. 22). Then the Lord told Noah to go into the ark, him and his entire family. The Lord said, "Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made" (Genesis 7:1). And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.


For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased, the waters lifted the ark high above the earth and the ark floated on the surface on the water. The water rose and covered the mountains. Every living thing on earth perished. The Bible says, "The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days" (Genesis 7:24).


The Lord remembered Noah and He sent a wind over the earth and the water receded. Noah kept sending a raven flying back and forth until the water had dried up. Then he sent out a dove to see had the water had dried on the ground, but the dove couldn't find no place to set its feet, so it returned. Then he waited seven more days and sent the dove out again and the dove brought back an olive leaf. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but the dove didn't return. When it was the right time, the Lord told Noah to come out of the ark, bring out your family and every living creature that was with you, "so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it."

Noah went forth on dry land, and one of the first things he did, "built an altar unto the Lord and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar." Noah understood that God did not have to save him and his family, but he worshiped God by erecting this altar. This sacrifice touched the heart of the Lord. The Lord's reaction to Noah's obedience and sacrifice lead Him to say, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done" (Genesis 8:21).


God blessed Noah and his son and He said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." But God set rules and conditions upon their existence to protect them and the earth. 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. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth" (Genesis 9:12-16).


Let us not forget that this rainbow was a phenomenon, but God who owns the earth made the principle of natural law by which rainbows occurs, and He used the rainbow to assure Noah that rain would not always mean a flood. Without this assurance people would have lived in fear that every rain might be the beginning of another deluge on earth and think this was an end all over again.


The Old Testament consists of seven covenants instituted by the Lord. Some covenants were conditional and others were unconditional. A covenant is a binding promise. This covenant made with Noah and his family was not conditional. This is a unilateral covenant. It was made by God. He did this without any consideration of man and his will. There is no avenue of negotiation. It is not a mutual agreement. It is perpetual to, and unto all successive generations, and it is an everlasting covenant. Not everlasting in the sense of eternal, but in the sense of lasting throughout all times, as long as the earth remains. God established it upon His word. He set it in concrete. This covenant, although it is named after Noah, has no impute from him, and in no way could it be broken.


Throughout the Bible, God is seen as a covenant making God who is faithful to keep His word, and here He makes this covenant with Noah and his family which constitutes all humanity. So really it is a covenant or a promise that God gives to all mankind. God clearly said, "I will never again drown the world in a universal flood." Therefore the rainbow will be the sign that God's Word will forever stand.


Let us look at the reason as to why we should "remember the rainbow:"


First of all the rainbow is a reflection of the glory of God, and its seven colors displays His perfection.


Second, the rainbow is a sign given to humanity that our God would not destroy the earth in a like manner again.


Third, the rainbow represents God' promise, but it behooves us to know that God holds us accountable for our trespasses.


Finally, the rainbow is a sign of faithfulness to God's work of grace. As the old world was ruin, to be a monument of justice. So this world remains to this day, as a monument of mercy, but sin that drowned the old world, will burn this one. This seal of this covenant was the rainbow, which likely was seen in the clouds before, but was never a seal of this covenant until now. It was made so that the rainbow appears whenever we have reason to fear the rain prevailing; God then shows this seal of promise, that it shall not prevail.


The rainbow itself is directed upward, not toward the earth; for the seal of the covenant were intended to comfort, not to terrify. God looks upon the rainbow that He may remember the covenant, so shall we "remember the rainbow" and remember God's covenant with mankind.


Please allow me to share this beautiful poem by Umasree Raghunath, titled What Ever Your Cross:


Whatever your cross,

Whatever your pain,

There will always be sunshine,

After the rain...


Perhaps you may stumble,

Perhaps even fall,

But God's always ready,

To answer your call...


He knows every heartache,

Sees every tear,

A word from His lips,

Can calm every fear...


Your sorrows may linger,

Throughout the night,

But suddenly vanish,

In dawn's early light...


The Savior is waiting,

Somewhere above,

To give you His grace,

And send you His love...


Whatever your cross,

Whatever your pain,

'God always sends rainbows...

After the rain...'


There is only one thing you will see in the sky that's a sign, only one thing that God has placed there to give a spiritual message, and that is the rainbow. Every time we see a rainbow, we should think about how awesome is the sovereignty, glory, faithfulness, and love of the God we serve. There is no other.


Due to this covenant, we can rest assured that we as human beings will remain the earthly masters of this planet. We have the pledge from God, Himself. In fact, He has chosen us to serve, as the lords of the earth under Him. So please, "REMEMBER THE RAINBOW."

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