Monuments in the Sky
Gen 9:8 – 21
“When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant between me and you and all living beings,…” It is a strange thought that God could forget, that He expresses the desire for a monument, a bow in the sky, as a reminder of his unilateral covenant to never again destroy in this way.
I’ve known this passage from my youth and I’ve taught this passage to my children. When we see a rainbow we think of it. That in itself is an extraordinary power. A sign and symbol in the natural, material world of God’s faithfulness to me.
“Of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you.” Suddenly this sounds different. Am I somehow responsible to God in covenant for the well-being of other creatures? Even if they have dread fear for me, and often enough I for them?
A bow in the sky. I think of how glad I am that God will never again wholesale destroy. Today, I make the commitment to do likewise.
