Shortly after the fall of man in Chapter 3 of Genesis, we see the first murder committed.  The wickedness of the world continued, spiraling downward.  There was hope through God’s servant, Noah, who was considered the most righteous man of his time.  God showed His mercy by not wiping out all of mankind, His most beloved creation.  He told Noah to build an ark, and Noah, out of faith, followed God’s instruction.  Noah’s neighbors believed he was crazy.  A world-wide flood?  How could this ever be a valid statement?

Perhaps you are one who denies the validity of the great flood, but even the most inconceivable ideas must be met with a degree of faith in order to envision their true meaning.Out of Noah’s trust for God sprouted a covenant so important that God’s mercy, God’s grace, and God’s redemption may not exist without it.

God’s Covenant with Noah is the first real covenant of mercy in the Bible.  In those days, a covenant was a contract made between two people.  God gave Noah the vision of a rainbow, promising to never wipe out the human race again.  Steadfast, God remained faithful.  The brightness of a rainbow in the sky after a storm is in stark contrast to the darkness of a black cloud of a storm.  Perhaps you may use this image as a metaphor of God’s light, grace, and mercy against the ugliness of sin.

God’s Covenant was a foreshadow of the grace of God.  He took it upon Himself to forgive mankind for their hard hearts, ones that were always inclined to go against His will.  God never goes back on His promise.  He always keeps His side of the covenant.  Man is the one who breaks the union by exercising His free will against his creator.

Finally, the rainbow is the foreshadowing of Christ.  While the rainbow symbolizes God’s mercy, Christ embodies it.