The Rainbow
Genesis 9:13-16 “I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth.
And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the clouds:
And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”
Revelation 4:2-3 “And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One set on the throne.
And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like an emerald.”
The rainbow is a type of God’s grace.
The rainbow was given, in part, to show that God would keep His promise.
But, it was not only to assure man that God would not destroy the earth by flood again….but it was a gift of the new relationship between God and man.
His eye would be upon it….and man’s eye would look up for it.
The rainbow comes from both the storm and the sunshine.
The sun shines on the drops of rain still in the cloud, and the light broadens into the prism of color!
Science tells us the colors of nature…all come from the light itself….the pure ray, which is colorless to us…..but is actually made up of all colors…..
…the primary three being blue, red, and yellow.
The actual color of any object is the result of it’s capacity to absorb the rest….so, if a object absorbs the red and yellow rays….the object is blue;….if it absorbs the blue and the yellow…the object is red…and so on.
Someone has said….”light paints all nature”.
“…God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
God’s glory is beyond what we have sight for….but when He shows us one of His attributes…or His gifts to us, here and there…in HIs Word…..
…..they are broken down, so we are able to see them in their beauty.
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
When God shines light into our hearts….He does not turn….nor change His mind toward us.
He gives us as much of His grace, as we will use….
He gives more to those, who use what they have….and when they use that, He gives more, still.
It is like the rainbow….you can not find the end of it. The top you can see….but when it’s colors come down to us….you can try and find the end…but you can not.
The ends of the rainbow point down to earth, while the top is arched toward heaven. Like a bow, without an arrow….for when the rainbow is seen the storm has passed.
Grace was given from the sacrificial life and death of Christ…..
….all the storm of the penalty of our sins, fell on Him….
….therefore, God’s new relationship with us….is in grace.
(1 Peter 4:10 speaks of the “manifold grace of God.” And 1 Peter 5:10 tells us that God is “the God of all grace”. And grace is the unmerited favor of power to us)
As God said….”when I bring a cloud over the earth…” (Genesis 9:14)
Every storm that comes to us,….is not in penalty of sin….but in trial of faith.
It will pass,…..for it comes through His hands….with the promise of His grace being given to us with it.
Isaiah 43:2 “When thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned: neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”
This is God’s grace.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 