"No promise is of private interpretation. Whatever God has said to any one saint He has said to all. When He opens a well for one it is that all may drink. When He opens a granary door to give out food, there may be some one starving man who is the occasion of its being opened, but all hungry saints may come and feed too." -Charles H. Spurgeon
Happy Monday to you, and welcome to "That's the Truth!" Did you know that a promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence?
In this week's Bible study, we'll see how God gave the rainbow as the sign of the covenant; a promise that the entire earth would never again flood; and a reminder that He can and will judge sin (2 Peter 2:5). May you grow in faith, knowledge, and God's love!
Topic: God Created an Everlasting Covenant - (Genesis 9:8-17)
Opening Prayer: God, you have made the heavens and the earth. You have revealed your beauty in creation and inspired the book that we are now about to study. Please help us now as we read together. Take us deeper into understanding more about you and your love for us. Amen.
“And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth” (Genesis 9:16 - KJV).
“When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth” (Genesis 9:16 - NRSV).
God promised He would remember His everlasting covenant when He saw the rainbow in the clouds, but God does not need a rainbow to aid His memory. Rather, every time we see a rainbow we need to remember that God will never forget to keep any of His promises. We can remember that God will never flood the entire earth again in order to separate those whose thoughts are “only evil continually” from those who follow God (Genesis 6:5).
The sign of the rainbow does not mean that God has resigned as the King of heaven and earth or quit as the Supreme Judge of the universe. God still judges every individual for their behavior. Jesus came to die and rise from the dead in order to save everyone who would believe in Him (see John 3:16). Before His resurrection from the dead, Jesus even visited those who had died in the great flood of Noah’s day (see 1 Peter 3:18-20).
However, not everyone will believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Lord over all until after He visibly returns to earth. The Judge of all will do right, and Jesus promised that on some future day He would come in His glory and separate those who want to live in disobedience and rebellion from those who want to obey God (see Matthew 25:31-46). Someday, God will make all things right again, and “in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home” (2 Peter 3:13).
Quick Study:
1. According to the Bible, why did God send the great flood upon the earth? According to the Bible, why did God save Noah and his family?
2. Do human beings need to do anything or stop doing something for God to keep His promise never to send a great flood again over all the earth?
3. Did God say that He would never judge or destroy the earth again as a just judgment for human evil and rebellion?
4. Why did God say that when He saw the rainbow that He would remember His covenant and promise?
5. Why do you think God emphasized repeatedly that when He saw the rainbow that He would remember His promise and covenant?
-a very special thank you to L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
May God bless you!
Riley
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