God’s Covenant with Noah Sealed in the Rainbow

Text: Genesis 9:1-17

Reflection and Question: The ordeal of the great flood is over. All animal life has been destroyed except for the life preserved by Noah in the ark. And now God makes a covenant with Noah in which God promises never again to destroy the earth by flood. God seals the promise with the rainbow in the sky when rain clouds gather. From Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition in 1988 to the rainbow flag symbolizing GLBT equality, God’s rainbow has inspired those who know defeat and destruction to reach for the promise God gives to all. Is the rainbow a partisan or a universal symbol for you? Why?

Prayer: Most Powerful God, we thank You for the promise that all life will never again be destroyed by water, and for providing for the renewal of life through Noah and the ark. We trust in Your promise in the rainbow to help all life flourish. Amen.

This meditation is based on the Daily Lectionary Year 2 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).