God created the rainbow. God gave humanity the rainbow. He defines the meaning of the rainbow. The rainbow is a solemn reminder of God’s severe judgment on a world that had rebelled against Him and a beautiful symbol of God’s mercy and grace in delaying judgment on our current world.
Our world today is no less deserving of complete destruction than the rebellious world of Noah’s day. Yet, in mercy God allows us to live. We should not mistake that God’s delay in judging sin is an approval of sin. That was a dangerous mistake made by some in the First Century. Peter spoke to that distorted thinking:
2Pet. 3:1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
In God’s wise and sovereign plan, He will one day destroy this rebellious world, not by water, but by fire. It is ironic that the rainbow is usurped as a symbol of gay pride, when in reality it is a warning of judgment and an offer of mercy. God’s patience and mercy is evident in that He allows those in rebellion against Him to claim the rainbow as the symbol of their diverse sins. Nevertheless, the rainbow remains as His warning of judgment and His present offer of mercy.
When Jesus returns and judges this world, the rainbow will be gone along with gay pride. God’s offer of mercy will be retracted. Today, when you see the rainbow, fear God’s severe judgment and accept His offer of mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pet. 3:8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.