No Flood Ever Again

[God said,] “I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth.”

Isaiah 54:9

AT ONE TIME, God became so angry with humanity’s sin and rebellion against him that he decided to start over. He conscripted Noah, a righteous man and a believer, to be part of the greatest disciplinary action ever. Over the next hundred years, Noah preached of the coming judgment. No one believed, though, and the flood that followed wiped out all humanity except Noah and his family.

But God is not a God who exhibits anger meaninglessly. He sent Noah a sign in the sky that would be a reminder of his promise: a rainbow. It was meant to assure the world that another worldwide flood would never occur.

Why did God use the rainbow? How many times have you seen one? While most people today don’t connect it to the truth of God’s commitment never to flood the world again, it was a powerful reminder to those who lived shortly after the Flood. Imagine the fear and worry they must have felt whenever it started to rain. God gave them that promise not only to assure them of his love but also to move them to have true faith in him.

We can recognize God’s love in the rainbow too. While we’re not so afraid of another flood, it’s one more reminder that God is here and is still ruling in the world of men. We can trust him about everything, even when it rains and we worry about the possibility of flooding. It’s still a promise that he will not harm us but will exercise his mercy and patience—and that’s lasted thousands of years beyond the rainbow!