What Does the Rainbow Symbolize in Genesis 9:13?

   Although Noah lived in an evil age, he received grace and walked with God.   And because of that, God could entrust him with the job of building the ark.  Man had become so corrupted, God didn't have any other options except to start over again.  For 120 years Noah and his family worked on that ark.  During that time Noah warned everyone that God was going to destroy the earth with a flood (Genesis 6:17).  

Picture I took while vacationing on Whidbey Island

     Undoubtedly many people scorned and laughed at him because it had never rained before. The Bible says the earth was watered by a mist that came up from the ground (Gen. 2:6).  But Noah and his family kept building and preparing food for all the animals (Gen. 6:21).

    When the day of the flood arrived, sorry to say, only Noah's family--just 8 people--went into the ark.  In chapter 32 of the Life-Study of Genesis, Witness Lee talks about how probably after the flood was over, whenever Noah's family saw any clouds, they might have felt a bit fearful. Here's the covenant God made with them:

     And I establish My covenant with you, that never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again will there a flood to destroy the earth. 
    And God said, This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living animal that is with you, for perpetual generations: 
      I set My bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.   Genesis 9:11-13

   This covenant is very special because ever since then rainbows often appear after a storm.  I learned from this chapter that rainbows also symbolize God's faithfulness to keep His word. These excerpts on pages 436-437 encouraged me a lot:

A picture a friend took.

God's covenant declares that whenever the sky is cloudy, God will send a rainbow….you can say, "…The sky is dark and the cloud is great, but a colorful rainbow is coming. Look at the rainbow. When you say this, you call not being as being through faith...The covenant is simply God's word.  God is faithful to whatever He says.  This is the rainbow.  Whenever a cloud comes, you must call God's faithfulness to come. That means that you call out the rainbow.  Whenever you feel that you are weak, you must call for God's faithfulness, saying, 'O God, You are faithful. I am weak, but You must make me strong according to Your Word.….There is a verse for every circumstance that you face. If you hold on to God's covenant, I can promise you that regardless of what happens to you, there is a verse as a living promise for you to rely upon and live by. We all need to learn how to live under God's covenant (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Genesis.  Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry. 1974, Print). 

You can  also listen to live excerpts from these messages on  Genesis on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.  

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Genesis:

From the Life-Study of Genesis - What is the Focus of the Bible?
What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?
Why Did God Create Man in Genesis 1:26?
Why Did God Create Man With 3 Parts in Genesis 2:7?
Why Did God Put Man in Front of the Two Trees in Genesis 2?
Seeing God's Purpose of Life & Building in the Book of Genesis
What is the Story Behind the Story of Cain & Abel?
What Did Enosh Learn to Do in Genesis 4:26?
How Did Enoch Escape Death in Genesis 5:24?
Why Did Noah Need to Find Grace in Genesis 6:8?
What Does the Rainbow Symbolize in Genesis 9:13?
How Did God Call Abraham in Genesis 12:1?
How Did God Fulfill the Birth of Isaac in Genesis 12:7?
What Does the Marriage of Isaac & Rebekah Show in Genesis 24?
How Does the Story of Jacob Show God's Selection in Genesis 25?
Why Did Jacob Dream About a Ladder in Genesis 28:12?
Seeing Our Spiritual Journey in the Lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph
Why Did Jacob Call theTwo Altars in Genesis 33 & 35 By Different Names?
How Do the Stories of Jacob & Joseph Mirror God's Purpose in Genesis 1:26?
How Did Joseph's Dreams Really Get Fulfilled in Genesis 41?