The Rainbow

THE RAINBOW

The rainbow is one of the symbols of the Noahic Covenant. It too, like all the other Covenants point toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The following are some of the examples relating to the rainbow

1. It was of God’s ordering: “I set my Bow in the clouds”. So is the Covenant of Grace of God’s ordering. Man could no more effect his salvation than he could put a Rainbow in the clouds.
2. The Rainbow was set in the clouds upon God smelling a sweet savor in Noah’s sacrifice; so the Covenant of Grace is founded upon and sealed with the blood of the Lamb–a reminder thereof being set before us every time we set down to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
3. The rainbow is a divine security that the waters should return no more to destroy the earth; so the covenant of grace guarantees againist the deluge of God’s wrath, that it shall never return to destroy any soul that by faith and obedience clings to Christ.
4. It is the sun which gives light and being to the rainbow. Remove it from the firmament and there could not be its glorious reflection in the clouds. So Christ, the sun and light of righteousness, gives being to the Covenant of Grace. He is its very life and substance.
5. Although the arch of the bow is high above us,reaching into the heaven,yet the ends stoop down and reach to the earth. Just so it is with the Covenant of Grace: although the great covenant Head be in heaven, yet through the gospel He stoops down to men upon earth.
6. God’s bow in the clouds is very extensive, reaching from one end of heaven to the other; so His Covenant of Grace is wide in its reach, stretching back to eternity past and reaching foward to eternity future , embracing who so ever will come.
7. As the rainbow is a security against a universal deluge, so is it prognostic of refreshing showers of rain to a thiristy earth. So the bow of the Covenant which encircles the throne of God (Rev 4:3) not only secures against vindictive wrath, but gives assurance of the rain–the Holy Spirit’s presence and influences.
8. The visible appearance of the rainbow is but of short continuance, for usally it appears only for a few minutes and then vanishes, yet we do not conclude that the Covenant is broken or that the floods will come. So now the saint may not be favored with a sensible light of the Covenant of Grace yet through faith, obiedence and remembrance of his experience can remain in perfect peace.