A Rainbow of Color: God’s Covenant

Today at Akron Alliance Fellowship Church’s Rainbow Tea 2009 celebration, the church was awash with the bright colors of a rainbow. Shades of purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Colors that are rich and vivid and yet symbolic of God’s covenant with His people. The first rainbow was created by God as a sign to Noah and his family and to all of mankind. “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth (Genesis 9:13, 16).” All of the descendants of Noah, including the people that live around the world today, are part of that covenant. In spite of the unrealiability of man and how we fall short, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23),” God does not fail to keep His promises (Joshua 23:14). The rainbow was a symbol of His promise to mankind, and not that God needed the reminder, but rather for us to see and remember how God has been and continues to be truly good to us. He had already seen and declared that man was wicked and that the earth was corrupt (Genesis 6:11-12). With that in mind, it is only God who determines our righteousness before Him. We cannot control or determine our own righteousness. Thanks be to God for the beauty of the rainbow and the richness of its color, a living symbol of the richness and beauty of His covenant that He keeps with us through His Son Jesus Christ. Noah was righteous in God’s eyes and was a testimony of Him before others, even in the midst of scorn and ridicule. Our righteousness comes from our obedience to God and His Word, no matter what others may say about us and without concern for the world’s troubles. We are to “be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6a).” God is still in control and His covenant is still in place. He is deliberate in His actions and is not slow in keeping His promise. He is very patient and has been very patient with each of us (2 Peter 3:9). The challenge to each of us is making the commitment to follow God. It starts with repentance, salvation through trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and it continues with your own testimony of God with worship, praise and obedience.