Rainbow–Not Just a Logo–the Sign of God’s Covenant

Knuckles aching, I squeezed the armrests tighter. The blizzard tossed the Boeing 707 like a kite in the wind. Is this really a safer route home for Christmas 1967? Driving the snow-packed, icy Montana roads seemed less dangerous to me than my first-ever flight. That’s when I glanced through the tiny window and saw the powerful reminder, a rainbow–not just a logo–the sign of God’s covenant.

A brilliant rainbow completely encircled the jet-black silhouette of the aircraft. An immense peace flooded my anxious heart. The smile stayed glued to my face as I watched the incredible sight for the remainder of the harried flight.

I knew from Scripture, that while I looked out at that gorgeous circle of colors from Planet Earth, God looked down at the same from Heaven. Could He see me sitting inside that silhouette?

Technology has expanded Sir Isaac Newton’s original description of seven colors in the arc to an array of more than a million distinct colors. Organizations of all types have adopted the rainbow as its emblem. However vast the color count becomes, and whatever group elects to print the colorful arc on its tee shirts, the truth of its origin remains: the rainbow’s not just a logo, but the sign of God’s covenant.

The story begins in Genesis Chapter Six:

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created…for I regret that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Gen. 6:5-8)

What made Noah different than the rest of the population that his family should be saved from the destruction to come? The answer is in the next verse:

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” (Gen 6:9)

In the next chapter, Noah stayed faithful even in the midst of an enormous trial. Noah obeyed God and built the ark for something the world had yet to experience—rain. For the year it took to build the strange vessel, Noah retained his proper attitude towards God and His instructions.

Genesis 7:1 “The Lord then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.’”)

What did the Creator see as wicked in the world He’d made? Returning to Genesis Chapter Six:

“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them…’.” (Gen 6:11-13)

The remainder of Chapter Six through Chapter Eight gives the flood story. The rest of the verses in Chapter Six describes the construction of the Ark, measuring 450-ft (length) X 75-ft (width)X 45-ft (height), as well as the orders concerning the wildlife. Chapter Seven records the account of the flood and in Chapter Eight the details of what happened once the rain stopped.

As soon as the surviving family left the ark, Noah made an altar on the dry ground where they worshiped God.

God accepted their sacrifice and received their worship, promising Noah that He’d never again destroy the earth with a flood. In fact, God made it a covenant with Noah and his descendants.

Throughout history, covenants/contracts require a type of seal. Here in Africa, there’s not a document of any kind that can escape the official stamp of both the organization and the government official. Even the border crossing requires official stamps from both parties.

In Genesis Chapter Nine, God tells Noah that He has created a brand-new sign for this special covenant.

“And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you…, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 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. 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.” (Gen 9:12-16)

On Friday, June 26, the White House, home of America’s First Family, celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all fifty states, by illuminating an impressive display of the multicolored lights of the rainbow. Though some Christians took exception to this display, I smiled at the irony.

Consider these most-recent ironies:

1.  The same President who invited the Muslim Brotherhood to meet with him in the White House, while turning his back on the Prime Minister of God’s People, Israel, chose to decorate his house with the sign of the Jewish God’s covenant.

2. The President of a Christian nation whose currency declares In God we trust, refused to receive the Christian leaders of the annual National Day of Prayer in May, but held a reception for Gay Pride month at the White House in June. Even so, the conflicted leader proudly illuminated the sign of God’s covenant around the White House for all the world to see.

I can’t say for sure that God looked upon the President’s rainbow and remembered His covenant. Technically, the Scripture speaks of a rainbow made in the clouds, but when I heard the news of the light show, that’s what I remembered. I wondered if the irony of lighting a rainbow on the outside of the White House made God smile, too.

The utilities company may be lighting up the colors of this replica for the international press to present to its audience, but God made the original for His very particular, eternal purpose: a rainbow—not just a logo–the sign of God’s covenant.

Because of God’s covenant, I find comfort and encouragement in every rainbow—regardless of where it’s shining. God’s brilliantly colored arc reaches out like His loving arms to remind us that He’s offering His covenant with us. To make the circle complete, I only need to reach out to Him.

(Note: The ellipses indicate words left out of the passage. I’ve included the reference to give the entire passage, in case someone would like to take his Bible to read what I’d omitted.)

Have you experienced any cool rainbow moments? If you haven’t read the story of the rainbow and God’s covenant, you can Google Genesis chapters six through nine if no paper version exists in your home. It’s a story worth reading.