Rainbows
Photo by Emily Warren
My Christian friend took a picture of a beautiful rainbow while she was on vacation in Hawaii. She showed me the picture without comment, yet we shared a silent understanding that it was a message from God. Genesis 9 tells the story of God making a covenant with Noah that would extend to all his descendants and everything on the planet. A rainbow symbolizes that God promised never to destroy the earth with a worldwide flood again. God told Noah that He (God) would remember the covenant whenever He (God) saw the rainbow. It should also remind us of God’s promise, and who doesn’t pause to admire a rainbow in the sky? However, twice He states that it will remind Him of His promise. That is significant. I can also see a little humor in it. I wonder if He needs to be reminded of His promise because He is going to want to destroy this sinful world again and again.
I’ve had and heard many conversations about the symbolization of the rainbow in our culture. I’ve heard people say that the gender movement hijacked it. I suggest the enemy has hijacked it and reassigned a counterfeit meaning.
The rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant with Noah not to flood the world again. However, reading the whole text is necessary when exegeting the Bible. When studying the surrounding verses (and chapters) we gain further insight into why God made the covenant. In the affiliate scriptures, God blessed Noah and his sons and told them to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” in Genesis 9:1. God actually states it twice. It appears again in v.7 “Be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it.”
God commands us to reproduce and fill the earth. What does this new gender movement hinder? Reproduction. God assigned a rainbow as a reminder of a covenant He made with the inhabitants of the whole earth in connection to His command to reproduce. To spite God, the enemy hijacked the rainbow to signify approval of the very thing that hinders God’s command.
A country founded on Christianity is the target of Satan, our true enemy. He infiltrates our cities and entices our citizens away to his underground city of hedonism. One city has become hundreds of cities where autonomy has replaced God, and His commands have been discarded or scoffed at. Therefore, the enemy openly walks the streets with a permit to steal, kill and destroy. Lies are his calling card, and there is no truth in him. In spite of God’s warning, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). Satan twists the truth to deceive many. He does it all in the name of love, a counterfeit love that doesn’t sustain. Because it isn’t actually love.
In these new cities, Satan steals the notion of love and corrupts its true meaning. We are coerced by the deceived to approve and celebrate things God disapproves of and says are detestable. The enemy and his followers call this new twist love. But true “Love finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). The enemy has a counterfeit love celebrated with the hijacked rainbow.
It’s time to take back our cities and underpin them in their original foundation of Christian values. We must move forward with Godly motives and love the citizens Satan is trying to steal. They aren’t evil; they’ve been lied to and misled. Division and hatred are the enemy's tactics to steer all parties toward his domain. Christians, we can’t let him gain a foothold. “Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but agains the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).
For this reason, God calls us to love others, not some others but all others. It’s our job to be like Christ and help our neighbors escape this despicable battle. And now, there will be a new type of PTSD we have to understand in our brothers and sisters. It will require gentle spirits and kind words to tend and heal. So today, triage requires a fresh anointing of Christ’s disciples so that they may have an abundant outpouring of love and compassion toward those caught in snares.
It will be tempting for Christians to cast judgments. So, put on your football helmet and pads and block that temptation. There is no need to judge those who are victims of the enemy’s schemes. The Bible warns us to be careful when restoring others because we could also fall into sin. Paul writes to the Galatians about this very thing: “Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).
Furthermore, Peter warns, “Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The Devil doesn’t care if he devours you or the brother that needs your help; he is looking for anyone he can manipulate or deceive.
I paused while writing this challenging post. Why? Because it confronts an alluring fortress of lies built around valuable people. I want to come against the fortress the enemy encamps on without injuring those behind its walls. It’s not a war but a rescue mission. Jesus already won the war, and now we bring the Gospel so He can set the captives free. Hallelujah!
