Genesis 9:12-17 (NIV)
12 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:
13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of
the covenant between me and the earth.
14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in
the clouds,
15 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.
16 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."
17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I
have established between me and all life on the earth."
I do not know much about bow hunting, as many
in my congregation already know, but what I know about bow hunting has
definitely caused me to rejoice in the gospel even more. Ok, I know some of you
are thinking that perhaps I have been hit with one too many arrows in the head
already but follow with me on this journey.
A friend of mine shared this insight with me
several months ago and I have often thought about it and found great comfort.
Just what was it about the rainbow in the sky that would cause man to rejoice?
Did God really want us to see the beautiful colors and just be amazed by the
array of the colors of the light spectrum? Is that all that he wanted us to see
in the rain bow in the sky? I think there was much more to it than just the
sight of the colors.
Remember that God told Noah that whenever he,
God, saw the rainbow he would not send another flood of judgment again. All
because of a rainbow in the sky? There has to be more to it than just this.
Enter my bow hunting friend.
"Pastor when you hear of a bow what else
do you need besides the bow to complete the set?" I was asked.
In my great storehouse of hunting knowledge I
thought to myself, "What else do you need to go bow hunting? After much
prompting I said, "You need some arrows."
"You have answered correctly," came
the reply.
"Take a look at the rainbow in the sky,
where would the arrow be pointing if you were to arm the bow?"
"I thought more quickly this time and
said, "The arrow would be pointing up towards the sky."
"You are correct once again pastor. Do
you see it now why God placed such a bow in the sky to remind us of his promise
to not destroy the world by a flood again?"
The picture began to gain clarity and I saw
that the arrow of God's wrath was no longer pointed at earth, instead it was
pointing at the heavens. Could it be that God was painting the picture for all
who would look to the heavens so they would see that God himself would absorb
the wrath due us because of our rebellion?
The arrow of God's wrath would be absorbed by
the death of his son on the cross for our sins. If we would only trust in
Christ, the wrath of God that is due us would be absorbed by him so that we
would never face the judgment of a just God because of our sins.
In the same way God promised that he would
never destroy the earth by a flood again we can know the same peace if we will
only look to Christ, who took the arrows of God's wrath and had them pointed
directly at his own body on the tree. It is because of Him that we are free
from the wrath to come.
So next time you see a rainbow in the sky let
it remind you of the Savior who bore our sins in his body on the tree. And may
you be reminded as well that God has promised to all those who have trusted in
Christ that there will never be any fear of any judgment all because of the
arrows of God's wrath are no longer directed at you.
Hallelujah what a Savior!
Rejoicing that the arrows are no longer
pointing at me,
Pastor Phil