God makes a covenant—the first formal covenant in Scripture—with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature. Never again will floodwaters destroy the earth. And the sign? A bow in the clouds. The Hebrew word qesheth means a battle bow, a weapon of war. After the battle, a warrior hangs up his bow. That’s the image: God disarming himself, pointing the weapon away from earth. But here’s what gets me—the rainbow is for God to see. “When the bow is in the clouds, I will look on it and remember.” God gives himself a reminder to be gracious. The covenant holds not because we’re faithful, but because he is.

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