Free Bible Commentary
“Genesis 9:8-17”
Categories: Genesis“Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, ‘Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.’ God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ And God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.’”
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James Burton Coffman had this to say about God’s post-flood covenant: “This is not the same covenant mentioned in Gen. 6:18. That covenant was conditional, requiring that Noah should build an ark according to God's directions, and then enter it with his family and all the other creatures as God directed. This covenant is absolutely unconditional. That covenant regarded the safety of Noah and those with him on the ark through the impending disaster of the Flood. This one regards absence of any other universal flood unto perpetual generations. No token was given of that covenant, but the rainbow was given as the token of this.”
Of course, it is possible that God could have been speaking of His covenant in future terms in Genesis 6:18 where He said, “I will establish My covenant with you…” But either way you look at it, it is because of Noah and his faithfulness that this covenant exists with mankind today. Never again will the Lord destroy all creatures on earth who breathe the breath of life by a universal flood. “The promise was not that never again would the earth be destroyed, but that it would not be done a second time by means of a flood. The N.T. is explicit, as also the Minor Prophets, that another total destruction of the earth will yet occur, by means of fire, at or near the time of the Great Assize. (See 2 Pet. 3; Zech. 12:9).” (James Burton Coffman)
“The sign of the covenant” is the “bow in the cloud,” or the rainbow (verses 12-13). But is this the rainbow’s first appearance or was it prevalent prior to the flood and before this covenant? Those who think it first appeared after the flood claim that the earth’s atmosphere must have undergone drastic changes after the floodgates of the sky were opened up, and also surmise that it likely never rained prior to the downpour of the great deluge. Those who believe that rainbows were common before the flood simply see God giving the beautiful phenomenon newfound meaning and symbolic significance.
The “bow” was a weapon used repeatedly in ancient, pagan mythology as an emblem for war and conquest. But the God of the Bible chose the bow as a symbol of hope and promise for all living creatures of the earth. As Satan flings his “flaming arrows” of temptation and adversity at us (Ephesians 6:16), we can take comfort in knowing that God uses His “bow in the cloud” as an instrument of splendor and optimism. “The thicker the cloud, the brighter the bow in the cloud. Thus, as threatening afflictions abound, encouraging consolations much more abound…A bow speaks terror, but this has neither string nor arrow; and a bow alone will do little hurt.” (Matthew Henry Concise Commentary)
The prophet Ezekiel was shown the rainbow as a symbol for the radiance and glory of the presence of God in his fantastic vision of chapter 1. “As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.” (Ezekiel 1:28) Friends, no matter what other thoughts and emotions the appearance of the magnificent rainbow may evoke within us, the one constant notice it should always call to mind is that there is a Great and Awesome Creator in heaven who loves us, provides for us and protects us.
Please read Genesis 9:18-28 for tomorrow.
Have a wonderful day!
- Louie Taylor
