Fully Devoted: The FallUzorak

Noah and the Flood, Part 2

After flooding the earth to rid the world of the violence, corruption, and evil that had been unleashed, God began again. Throughout Genesis 8, the author references the creation story of Genesis 1 and 2 with examples like the wind blowing over the waters, the dove flying out, God’s command to be fruitful and multiply, and more.

The story of Noah and the flood might be familiar to us, but remember: This illustrates the escalating nature of sin, the corruption that it breeds, and God’s refusal to abandon His creation—no matter how messy things may get.

As God recreated the world, He initiated a new covenant with Noah, his family, and all creation:

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: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Genesis 9:12-13 NIV

God promised to never send a flood to destroy the earth again. And as a sign of this covenant, He placed a rainbow in the sky as an everlasting reminder.

This is more than an explanation of how or why rainbows appear. In the original language, the word translated as “rainbow” is the same word used for a “bow,” like a bow and arrow. God is placing His bow in the clouds. So now, every time we see a rainbow, we are meant to imagine a giant bow and arrow in the sky. A bow that is pointing up, away from the earth and toward the heavens—away from humanity, and toward God.

This seemingly insignificant detail is a sign pointing toward the day when God would once again “recreate” and “flood” the world through an act of divine justice and mercy. We see this when, on the cross, God, in the person of Jesus, became sin for us so that through Him we might have the righteousness of God. It was there that God took the full weight of human violence upon Himself and unleashed a flood of grace and forgiveness that would transform the world. And, it was through His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection from the grave that God would establish a new covenant built on even better promises than the ones that came before.

So even as violence escalated to the degree where every thought in the human heart was evil, God was looking ahead to the day when He would flood the earth with His love—the only force that can truly change the human heart. In Jesus, God took the violence of sin on Himself and unleashed the power of grace into the world.

Journaling Questions

• What stands out to you the most from today’s reading? Write the verses down in your journal.
• Glance back at chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis. What parallels do you see with today’s passages? Write them in your journal.
• What does this story tell you about God?

Memory Verse

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NIV