Genesis 8:20-9:17

Summary: Imagine the fear and uncertainty with which Noah and his family would have had to live had God not made the promise he does in this text. Could another flood come at any moment and wipe us out…maybe this time for good? But here after the flood we see what becomes the backbone of the rest of the story of scripture: that God is a promise-making and a promise-keeping (i.e. covenant) God. Every ounce of hope and security we have in this world is tied to that fact. God’s covenant with Noah ensures his enduring patience until the day when there will be a new and saving covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ. Rainbows serve as powerful reminders to God’s covenant people of His enduring faithfulness…and of our responsibility to be similarly dependable in our speech and in all our other interactions with others.