“The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5 NIV)

This verse explains the reason God destroyed the world with a flood. Humans were continually thinking evil, creating evil, and plotting evil in their hearts – all the time. God was grieved and decided to destroy what he had created – everyone except Noah and his family and a remnant of animals.

The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air…” (Genesis 6:6-7 NIV)

God fulfilled his promise and sent a flood that lasted for 40 days, erasing everything that he himself had created. What a huge tragedy! How much pain and how much sadness!

Our little flood

About a week before these words are being written, the “early rain” – the first Autumn rain – came down here in Israel. We were not at home at the time. Everyone was busy out and about. When Aviel returned home, he found the balcony flooded to a height of about 15 cm (6 inches). He saw the dogs on the balcony running around looking for a dry spot. The drains were clogged full of leaves, so the water had no where to go, and started filling up the balcony. The rain was heavy and lasted for about an hour. If Aviel had not arrived in time, the water would have poured into the house and caused much more damage. But even as it was, it made a big impression.

Now imagine a deluge falling on the entire world, with great intensity and without a break for 40 days. What happened to Noah and his family when they heard the cries outside? What emotions did they experience? How they must have been afraid! And after the rain stopped, and everything calmed down, it must have literally felt like starting all over again, creating a better world.

This is the hope in Noah’s story. He and his family came out of the ark, and immediately sacrificed burnt offerings to God on an altar in recognition for being saved from the fate that had befallen the whole world. And God smelled the aroma of the offerings, and he decided to never again bring such a tragedy upon the world.

The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” (Genesis 8:21)

And in order for this to take effect, God makes a covenant with humanity, and the symbol of this covenant is the rainbow in the cloud.

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures, all flesh. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all flesh.” (Genesis 9:13-15)

A rainbow. Almost every child in kindergarten learns to draw it. The rainbow is so idyllic. It gives us such a good feeling – a connection with the very nature of perfection. Full of colors and shades, it is one of the most beautiful of natural wonders.

But, in fact, if we delve deeper into this covenant that was given to us, we will understand that the rainbow is just a reminder! It is a reminder that God remembers his covenant. It is a reminder that God sees into our hearts and hears our thoughts, just like in the opening verse of this article.

God hears and sees the evil that exists in the world. And surely thoughts again arise in his mind concerning “how great man’s wickedness on the earth has become.” And maybe a thought even “crosses his mind” that he should wipe man off the face of the earth, due to the atrocities that are being done in the world all the time.

And then God remembers the covenant he made and he “tries” to keep his word. So he takes out the rainbow to remind him and us of the covenant that was made. If we think deeply, we will realize that the rainbow is not only a reminder, it is also a kind of warning.

The rainbow warns us of the evil that exists in the world due to men’s thoughts. Our thoughts bear fruit in actions that eventually come to light:

• Between a person and himself,
• Between a person and his fellow man,
• Between leaders and their people,
• Between leaders and other nations.

The world is full of evil, cruelty, slaughter, corruption. The world is full of destructive egos. And the beautiful rainbow seen in the sky actually reminds us, or at least should remind us, of exactly this evil due to which Adam’s world became “extinct.” It’s as if the rainbow is saying:

• “Caution, you have been forewarned!”
• “Be careful, you have been reminded!”
• “Change your ways!”

Let’s not be like the generation of the flood that perished. If you want the earth to be a better place, make every effort to do good, and ask for God’s grace to make up the difference.