Here, God reiterates the central promise of the Noahic covenant: He will never again destroy all life with a flood. The rainbow is established as the "sign" of this "everlasting covenant." This is a moment of supreme grace and theological importance. It is a unilateral promise from God to all creation (including "every living creature"), not contingent on human behavior. It signifies a shift in God's relationship with humanity; rather than responding to sin with annihilation, He commits to a path of patience and preservation, despite knowing humanity's inherent sinfulness ("for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth,