The Rainbow And The Lion

The Rainbow and the Lion Genesis 9:8-17 

Read Genesis 9:1-17 – Our text today is Genesis 9:8-17

Recap

• The flood is over and Noah and his family and all the animals are out of the ark
• God is setting some rules to abide by. – Dan will cover that section next week 

1. Who is affected by this covenant?

• Vs 9-10 (Amp) Now behold, I am establishing My covenant (binding agreement, solemn promise) with you and with your descendants after you  and with every living creature that is with you—the birds, the livestock, and the wild animals of the earth along with you, of everything that comes out of the ark—every living creature of the earth.

• We can clearly see that the covenant affects:
  • Noah and his descendants – and there after 
  • Every living creature that was with Noah at the time 
  • And every living creature on earth 

• • It’s safe to say that the rainbow promise does not just belong to the people, it belongs to all the animals as well (living things)
  • Sometimes we forget that this earth belongs to all creatures and God has promises for them as well

• Check out this verse: Revelation 5:13 (NLT) And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.’”

• Vs11: – I will establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the water of a flood, nor shall there ever again be a flood to destroy and ruin the earth.”

• • I don’t want you to miss this – God does not say – I will establish OUR covenant – like we have a say about it or its left to our interpretation – He says – I will establish my covenant 

• Vs 12- And God said, “This is the token (visible symbol, memorial) of the [solemn] covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations. 

• • Again, God wants us to know that He is making this covenant – He doesn’t say “this covenant that “WE” are making – He is making the covenant and being very merciful by including us and all the other living creatures

• Vs 13:  I set My rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.

• • So that there is no confusion, God says – I set MY rainbow in the clouds – and this time round he includes not only living creatures but the entire earth 
  • God has a heart for the earth as well – It’s not always about us – my, my, my, my ….

• Romans 8:19-22 (NLT) For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

• Vs 14: It shall come about, when I bring clouds over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the clouds, 15 and I will [compassionately] remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again will the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.

• • Just in case there is confusion who is doing what and who is in charge – God reminds us again 
    • His rainbow will come when HE – bring the clouds 
    • And He will remember – His Rainbow and His clouds will trigger a remembrance of His grace and mercy 
  • I love this because it is not dependent on humans – humans forget, get busy, can withhold to hurt, can capitalize help for their own gain, cannot be trusted at times – And our God knows that – That is why this Mercy is all depended on Him and Him alone 

• Vs 15:  and I will [compassionately] remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again will the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the rainbow is in the clouds and I look at it, I will [solemnly] remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

• • Don’t miss this – God knew that, you and I would break His heart again and there would be anger that would be similar to the time he destroyed every living thing– and so to restrain Himself by the covenant and put a sign in the clouds that He never forgets this covenant
  • God self-imposed limitation because:

• 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent.

• • This covenant doesn’t rest on: 
    • Human obedience 
    • Human Success 
    • Human Strength 
  • This covenant rests purely on 
    • Gods’ mercy
    • Gods Character 
    • Gods’ faithfulness 
    • Gods unchanging Word 
  • God is bearing the burden- Just like He put our sin on His Son as a sacrifice: 
    • I am establishing My Covenant with you and your descendants (vs 9)
    • I will establish my covenant with you (vs 11)
    • This is a visible symbol of the Covenant that I am making (vs 12)
    • I set MY rainbow in the clouds (vs 13)
    • It shall come when I bring the cloud over the earth (vs 14)
    • I will remember my covenant (vs 15)
    • When the rainbow is in the cloud and I look at it (vs 16)
    • This which I have established (vs 17) 
  • When I see this, I can’t help but be overwhelmed by this love of God that will go to all lengths to give me chance after chance after chance – We don’t deserve this Mercy – Yet!

• Micah 7:18 (NLT) -Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.

• God has been reminding me the times He has saved me from hell 

• I love that our God is so merciful that His mercy covers every living creature of the earth

• • The fun fact about this is that all living creatures are grateful for this covenant – I think that other non-human creatures are way happier – because the last time it was the man that messed is up and now this safety/promise is no longer dependent on man
  • I titled this message the Rainbow and the Lion – because seriously the King of the Jungle – The Pride of Africa does not care if we change, add colors, where we hang the rainbow or how we redefine the rainbow – The Lion is not confused about what the Rainbow represents 
  • Its roars in the morning, loud enough in the jungle and the message is very clear to every living creature in the Jungle

• The faithful love of the Lord never ends![a] His mercies never cease.23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning – Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) 

• What is our response? 

• • Chapter after chapter in the Bible, God has put guard rails, promises, covenant to draw us to Him and He has guarded those by His Word!

• Jeremiah 31:31-34- 31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord. 33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

• • This covenant: 
    • I will write my instruction on their heart – Change from the inside out 
    • I will be their God, and they will be my people – Not just rules but relationship 
    • “I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”- Permanent forgiveness, not repeated sacrifices
  • This evening, I want to remind you that you don’t have what it takes to stay grounded in Christ 

• As it is written in Zechariah 4:6 …. Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
  Says the Lord of hosts.

• • We have one in Heaven that is willing to do whatever it takes to keep us in relationship with Him – God our father 

• John 3:16 (AMP)- For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.

• • Family, we have an enemy who wants you to question every promise given to you, every covenant put in place for you – every guard rail that has been put in place for your benefit
  • The same tactic as in the garden of Eden – Did God really say?
  • We see this in courts, in politics, with people and sadly even in church – it’s no longer about the truth 
  • It more like, If I can destroy the person character – then everyone else is blind to the truth 
  • Satan did exactly this – destroy the character of God to Eve – He doesn’t mean what He says – He is not truthful, He doesn’t keep His word, He is not clear on what he said- let me give you another version that I have crafted

• Its deception – The first step of destruction 

• • And this is the same thing that is happening with the story of the rainbow today– The world wants us to look at the rainbow and think – equality, inclusiveness, unfair treatment e.t.c 
  • Forget Mercy, forget grace, forget our sin and to forget a God who does not give us what we deserve – “Did God really say” making deception louder than the truth so that what we focus on expands 
  • This word is a reminder that it doesn’t matter what “truth:” you are being fed, this Covenant covers everyone even those who don’t believe it – because it’s not dependent on us but entirely on God 

• Ephesians 2:4–5 (AMP)- But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).

• An everlasting covenant 

• • Did you know that the rainbow appears in only 3 places in the Bible 
  • Genesis 9:12-17 – Then God said, ‘I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.’”
    • Given to all living creatures, not just humans
    • A sign of mercy and restraint of judgment
    • A covenant that lasts for all generations

• Ezekiel 1:28 (AMP) 28 As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory and brilliance of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell face downward and I heard a voice of One speaking.

• • • Ezekiel is shown a vision of heaven and right there in the presence of God was the rainbow 
    • The rainbow surrounds God’s glory in heaven 
    • There is a direct link of covenant mercy with holiness and majesty

• God is saying– I have not forgotten my covenant and my judgment never operates outside mercy

• Revelation 10:1 (NLT) Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. 2 And in his hand was a small scroll[a] that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3 And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered

• • Here before the final trumpet – the rainbow appears for the last time 
  • Even in Judgement, God still remembers His covenant 
  • God judges righteously, but He always surrounds judgment with mercy

Closing: 

• • Look at how faithful our God is ..He is not like man and His promises are yes and amen 
  • Meaning – Yes, what He said He will do – He does and Amen- Let it be so!
  • Here is a great promise: John 1:12 (NLT) But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

• Romans 10:8–14 (NLT) In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[b] 12 Jew and Gentile[c] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 
• If you don’t know God as a father – His love – Today is a great day to do that