Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 20: Rainbow Promise

Key Verse

When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. Genesis 9:13-16 WEB

Lesson

What is the symbol seen in the sky after a rainstorm? A rainbow of course. A rainbow is a beautiful phenomenon. The word describes what we see. A bow is the shape of the arch of colors that appear after it rains – in other words a rainbow. Whenever it rains or there is water in the atmosphere, light is separated into all the colors of the spectrum of visible light. The sun must be behind you to be able to see one. The sunlight reflects off the droplets of water and separates the light into colors.²

After God sent a flood over the earth to cleans it, he chose the rainbow as a symbol of the covenant between him and us. God promised not to destroy the world again through a flood. He chose the rainbow because it appears when the rain threatens to overwhelm. However, the rain never does completely overwhelm, it passes away and we see the rainbow as a reminder of God’s promise to not let the rain flood the whole earth again.¹

Rainbows are not always seen high in the sky after it rains. They can be seen in the mist from falling water, or when water droplets accumulate in the air. Rainbows can be made from other sources of light too such as streetlights or flashlights. Rainbows can even be seen at night caused from moonlight.²

Wherever we see a rainbow we are reminded of God’s promise in Genesis 9:13-16 to each one of us not to flood the earth again. God said the promise is between him and you personally. This is incredible because each of us see our very own rainbow. When we see a rainbow, the light is reflected at a very specific angle. So even when two people are looking at a rainbow in the same direction, they see light reflected off of different water droplets. The rainbows they see may be close to each other, but are not the same. So no two people look at the same rainbow.³ God made a promise to you and he makes a rainbow just for you to look at. The rainbow is a constant reminder that God keeps all his promises.

Questions

Do you believe God keeps his promises?

How do you feel now that you know God makes a rainbow only you can see?

What other promises has God made in his word for us?

Sources

¹ http://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/genesis/9.htm

² http://eo.ucar.edu/rainbows/

³ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/31/facts-about-rainbows_n_3779801.html

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 15: Tent Stakes At Stake

Key Verse

Look at Zion the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor any of its cords be broken. Isaiah 33:20 WEB

Lesson

Tent stakes are a small piece of gear. But if you have ever spent a night without them you know how big of a difference they can make. They have a very big job. Tent stakes are used to anchor tents to the ground in one place. In the past, tents could not even stay erect without the stake to hold the fabric tight. Today a tent can be set up with out stakes but they are still necessary to make the tent secure.

Tent stake are great because they can turn almost any type of ground into a place to call home. Without this key part, the tent may not be much good. Stakes can make the difference between an enjoyable night and a miserable one. In severe weather they can even save your life. When you purchase a new tent, they come with instructions warning that the tent is not secure unless it is staked down.

In Isaiah 33:20 we read a promise God is making to the Children of Israel. He says that Jerusalem, their capital city and the place where God’s temple is, will never be removed. It will be like a tent with stakes they can never be plucked up. However, this promise is conditional. In verse 15 we see that the promise is conditional on the Children of Israel keeping their end of the covenant—they must stay faithful to God.

Throughout the bible we find instructions on how we are to keep our end of the covenant God made with us by sending his Son to die for our sins. We must follow the 10 Commandments and we should worship Him. But this is not enough. We must also love our enemies; we must show mercy to those who don’t deserve it. We must be willing to sacrifice everything to follow God. Only then will we be sure that our salvation is secure as a staked tent in a storm.

Tent stakes might make your tent look complete but don’t do much good if they are not used. Likewise, if we appear to have a relationship with God outwardly by doing all the right things, but don’t use God’s word to change our inward character, those outward actions don’t really do us much good. Tent stakes work best when used properly.


Questions

What other instructions does the Bible provide for us to keep our covenant with God?

How does a relationship with God change us on the inside?

What keys does the Bible provide to know when we are being changed by God? (Think Galatians 5:22-23)

Written by David F. Garner
Photo Credit: Jan Uthoff via commons.wikimedia.org under a CC 3.0 License.