A Pastor’s Perspective

“God Keeps His Promises” by Mike Hill, pastor of Calvary Chapel Aberdeen (mjhill@ida.net)

“Were there rainbows before the Flood?” My daughter asked the other day.  I remember being told as a child that there was a treasure at the end of a rainbow.  It was a trick.  “Hey, the closer I get to that rainbow, the further away it goes!”  I exclaimed. 

I believe now I’ve found the treasure.  The beauty of a rainbow is worth a thousand words.  The bright colors, the smooth arc, and the amazing size of rainbows paint a beautiful backdrop for a picture-perfect sky.  Of even more value is what rainbows signify:  God keeps His promises.

Noah received word from God that the end was near.  "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them" (Genesis 6:7).  Wow.  Sounds harsh.  Some would say, “I thought God was a God of love!”  He is, but He is also a holy and righteous Judge.  The world’s days were numbered at that time in history because of widespread wickedness.  “Now the Lord observed the extent of the people's wickedness, and He saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry He had ever made them. It broke His heart” (Genesis 6:5-6 NLT).    

God disclosed to Noah the tool of destruction:  rain.  Prior to the flood in Noah’s day, rain was virtually non-existent.  That means no one had ever seen a rainbow before the Flood.  Not one drop of rain fell to the ground up to that time.  I imagine the meteorologist had a cake-walk job.  “Let’s see here, tomorrow’s weather is going to be great!  And the next day, the next….”  But no longer.  “Behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die” (Genesis 6:17).

After the rain poured for 40 days and nights and the water flooded the whole earth then abated after 150 days, the inhabitants of the ark were ready to re-populate the earth.  About the time Noah and his family disembarked from the ark, God made a covenant with him, humanity and all creation.  God promised He would never again destroy the world with water.  God signified His promise with a rainbow.  “…The waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 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. (Genesis 9:15b-16).

God keeps His promises.  He said it and that settles it!  Jesus promised, “I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47).  He said it, I believe it, that settles it:  I have [not “will have”] everlasting life in Jesus, my sins are forgiven, and I have a place reserved in heaven (John 14:1-6).

God promised He would not destroy the earth with water again.  Still, He promised He would destroy the earth with fire (2Peter 3:10-12).  The world’s days are numbered.  The Bible, God’s Word that does not change, says, “The end is near.”  Discover the true treasure of God’s promise in Jesus before it’s too late.