A Rainbow in the Sky

Genesis 8:13-19

“13 In the six hundred first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked and saw that the face of the ground was drying. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 And every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the ark by families.”

Noah, his family, and the animals on board the ark survived the flood.  The waters receded and the earth became dry.  Try to imagine, if you can, the silence that surrounded them.

I am sure that they were excited to leave the ark, but also I imagine that there was a sense of fear and dread of what they would find.  After all, entire cities were wiped away and populations of people had died.  Did they have survivors’ remorse?  Did they, in some way, feel responsible for this great tragedy?

They were surrounded by death, yet also by rebirth.  With the receding of the flood, and the release of the people and animals from the ark, the earth was reborn.

God’s covenant with Noah began.  

A rainbow shown in the sky.

The first day of a new world had begun.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)