Rainbow pavilion

Part 2 of 35 A promise from God

After the great flood in Noah's time, God said: "I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth" (Genesis 9:13). A covenant is a promise that will not be broken.

God made more promises. He told Abraham that "all the families of the earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3). Through his prophets, he promised to send a King who would bring peace: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given… And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). The prophet Micah even named the little town he would come from: Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

People waited hundreds of years for these promises to come true.

Imagined The pavilion

Under the arch of a rainbow, a white pavilion stands among flowers: a place to make promises and keep them.

Real world How rainbows form

A rainbow appears when sunlight shines into falling raindrops. Each drop bends the light, splits it into its colors, from red to violet, and reflects it back toward you. That is why you can only see a rainbow with the sun behind you and rain in front of you.

Think about it

1. Why might a rainbow be a good sign of a promise?
2. Which of God's promises in this part would you most like to remember?
3. Why does it matter to keep a promise?

Key words

Covenant

A solemn promise or agreement.

Prophet

A person who speaks God's messages.

Spectrum

The band of colors that white light splits into.