Sermon #1586[1] Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: “A Rainbow Round About The Throne”
Text: Revelation 4:3
Subject: The Meaning of The Rainbow
Date: Sunday Morning — September 19, 2004
Tape
# Y-41b
Reading: Revelation 4:1-5:14
Introduction:
This Monday I had the opportunity to take a raft trip
down the Missouri River. Bros. John Mitchell, Bruce Crabtree, and I spent the
day trout fishing with several of the men in the church at Great Falls. It
rained off and on all day, but it was a great day. As we were driving back into
Great Falls just before sunset we saw something none of us had ever seen
before. Setting against the backdrop of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever
seen, the Lord God set before our eyes a complete double rainbow. It was the
most spectacular scenery I’ve ever had the privilege of observing. We talked
about it all the way home.
Immediately, my heart began to reflect upon a
statement found in Revelation 4. I knew immediately what I had to preach to you
this morning. Turn with me to Revelation 4, and you will find both my text and
my subject. Let’s begin reading at verse 1.
(Revelation
4:1-3) “After this I looked, and,
behold, a door was
opened in
heaven: and the first voice which
I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
which said, Come up hither,
and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. (2) And immediately I was in the spirit;
and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. (3) And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and
a sardine stone: and there
was a rainbow round
about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”
The First Rainbow
After God destroyed the world with the waters of the
flood in his fierce anger, he promised Noah that he would never do so again. He
made a covenant with Noah, by which he assured him that he would never again
destroy the world with a flood. And as a perpetual reminder of that covenant,
God set a rainbow in the sky (Gen. 9:11-16).
(Genesis
9:11-16) “And I will establish my
covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of
a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. (12) And
God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and
you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual
generations: (13) I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a
token of a covenant between me and the earth. (14) And it shall come to
pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the
cloud: (15) And I will remember my covenant, which is between
me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more
become a flood to destroy all flesh. (16) And the bow shall be in the
cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting
covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon
the earth.”
Ever since the days of Noah, the rainbow has stood as
a perpetual reminder of God’s covenant. He declares, “This is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have
sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn
that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall
depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee,
neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath
mercy upon thee” (Isa. 54:9-10).
When Ezekiel describes his vision of God’s glory, he
tells us that he saw a rainbow, the symbol of the covenant, encircling God’s
glorious throne. — “As the appearance of the bow that is in the
cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezek.
1:28).
And when the apostle John was called up to heaven, to behold the throne of God, he tells us, “there
was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”
Proposition: As the
throne is a symbol of God’s sovereignty, the rainbow round about the throne is
a symbol of the covenant of grace.
John Gill wrote, “The rainbow is a reverberation, or a reflection of the beams of the
sun upon a thin watery cloud. And the covenant of grace is owing to Jesus
Christ, the Sun of righteousness.”
Christ God’s Covenant
It is Christ who made the covenant for us with the
Father. He fills the covenant with all the blessings of grace. Christ is the
Mediator of the covenant, the Surety of the covenant, and the Messenger of the
covenant.
In Revelation 10:1 John draws a picture of Christ as
One clothed with a cloud having a rainbow upon his head. The fact is the whole
of the covenant of grace is Jesus Christ himself. He is the Surety of the
covenant, the Ratifier of the covenant, the Blessing
of the covenant, and the Embodiment of the covenant. God the Father said to his
Son, “I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant of the people”
(Isa. 49:8).
(Isaiah
49:7-8) “Thus saith the LORD, the
Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth,
to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship,
because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he
shall choose thee. (8) Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I
heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve
thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to
cause to inherit the desolate heritages;”
(Isaiah
49:13) “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful,
O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted
his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.”
Did you hear what God declares? Christ is God’s covenant. Bro. Bruce Crabtree and I
were talking Tuesday morning about the rainbow we saw Monday and its spiritual,
gospel implications, and he made this statement. — “Anyone on the earth who
look upon that rainbow could be assured that God would never destroy him in a
flood, even old cursed Ham.”
Oh, sinner, will you hear me now, at the very outset of my message, I want every soul
here to hear this. — If you will but look to Christ, the Lord God himself
declares and you that he will never destroy you in the flood of his wrath, that
he has saved you his omnipotent grace (Isa. 45:22).
(Isaiah
45:20-25) “Assemble yourselves and come;
draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no
knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that
cannot save. (21) Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them
take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath
told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God
else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
(22) Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God,
and there is none else. (23) I have sworn by myself, the word is
gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto
me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (24) Surely, shall one
say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him
shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
(25) In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall
glory.”
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he is yours, the
covenant of God and all the blessings of grace, salvation, and eternal life
promised in the covenant are made sure to your soul. — “He that believeth on the Son of God hath
everlasting life!”
Divisions: I am going to show you five things about this rainbow,
the symbol of God’s covenant.
1. The Rainbow Is An Emblem of Mercy And Peace.
2. The Rainbow Is The Security of The World.
3. The Rainbow Completely Encompasses God’s Throne.
4. The Rainbow Is Emerald Green In Color.
5. The Rainbow Is Designed To Be A Reminder.
Emblem of Mercy
I.
The rainbow is an emblem of
mercy and peace.
It is an emblem of the covenant of grace. The rainbow
we saw yesterday spread before us all its’ colors brilliantly. I thought to
myself, “How magnificently those colors remind me of all the fulness of God’s
promises to my soul in his covenant!” As each color must have the other, so
each promise of God in the covenant must have the other.
The covenant symbolized by the rainbow is the
everlasting covenant of grace
(Jer. 31:3, 31-34; 32:37-40; Heb. 8:8-13; 10:16-17; Ps. 89:19-37).
(Jeremiah
31:3) “The LORD hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
(Jeremiah
31:31-34) “Behold, the days come, saith
the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with
the house of Judah: (32) Not according to the covenant that I made with
their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out
of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband
unto them, saith the LORD: (33) But this shall be the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I
will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will
be their God, and they shall be my people. (34) And they shall teach no
more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD:
for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,
saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their
sin no more.”
(Jeremiah
32:37-40) “Behold, I will gather them
out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury,
and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will
cause them to dwell safely: (38) And they shall be my people, and I will
be their God: (39) And I will give them one heart, and one way, that
they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after
them: (40) And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I
will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their
hearts, that they shall not depart from me.”
(Hebrews
8:8-13) “For finding fault with them, he
saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (9) Not according
to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by
the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in
my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. (10) For this is
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their
hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: (11) And
they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,
saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
(12) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and
their iniquities will I remember no more. (13) In that he saith, A new covenant,
he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth
and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
(Hebrews
10:16-17) “This is the covenant
that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws
into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their
sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
(Psalms
89:19-37) “Then thou spakest in vision
to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I
have exalted one chosen out of the people. (20) I have found
David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: (21) With whom
my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. (22) The
enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. (23) And
I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.
(24) But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my
name shall his horn be exalted. (25) I will set his hand also in the
sea, and his right hand in the rivers. (26) He shall cry unto me, Thou art
my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. (27) Also I will
make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. (28) My
mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with
him. (29) His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his
throne as the days of heaven. (30) If his children forsake my law, and
walk not in my judgments; (31) If they break my statutes, and keep not
my commandments; (32) Then will I visit their transgression with the
rod, and their iniquity with stripes. (33) Nevertheless my
lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to
fail. (34) My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is
gone out of my lips. (35) Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will
not lie unto David. (36) His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne
as the sun before me. (37) It shall be established for ever as the moon,
and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.”
A.
This covenant of
grace was made between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
before the world was made.
B.
Our Surety and
Representative in the Covenant was the Lord Jesus Christ. (Heb. 7:22; Gen.
43:8-9).
C.
In this
everlasting covenant of grace, the salvation of God’s elect was agreed upon,
wrought out, and accomplished in the oath and purpose of God. (1 Pet. 1:18-20;
Rev. 13:8; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; Job 33:24).
(Job
33:24) “Then he is gracious unto him,
and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.”
(Romans
8:28-31) “And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
(2
Timothy 1:9-10) “Who hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began, (10) But is now made manifest by the appearing
of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel:”
(1
Peter 1:18-20) “Forasmuch as ye know
that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,
from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
(19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot: (20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”
(Revelation
13:8) “And all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world.”
D. In time this covenant of grace, made in God’s eternal
purpose, was ratified and fulfilled by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ in
the place of his people. (Heb. 9:15-17).
E.
And the blessings
and promises of the covenant are sealed to the hearts of God’s elect by the
Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:13-17; Eph. 1:13-14).
(Galatians
3:13-17) “Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is
every one that hangeth on a tree: (14) That the blessing of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith. (15) Brethren, I speak after the
manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed,
no man disannulleth, or addeth
thereto. (16) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith
not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
(17) And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of
God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot
disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.”
(Ephesians
1:13-14) “In whom ye also trusted, after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
As the rainbow is the emblem of mercy, peace, and
reconciliation in God toward man, after he had destroyed the world by the
flood, so the covenant of grace is a covenant of mercy and peace. It comes from
God’s mercy. It is full of God’s mercy. And it provides abundant mercy, peace,
and reconciliation for sinners through the blood of Christ.
Security
II.
The rainbow
is the security of the world.
When God set his bow in the sky, he promised that he
would never again destroy the world by a flood.
Illustration: The First Thunderstorm
A. It is God’s covenant that holds back the hand of his
justice, and keeps him from destroying this earth and its inhabitants.
Had it not been for the covenant of grace, God would
have destroyed the human race when Adam sinned in the garden. And were it not
for that same, unalterable covenant, God would not allow the wicked to live
today (2 Pet. 3:9).
(2
Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.”
(2
Peter 3:15) “And account that the
longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul
also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;”
B.
Above all
else, it is the firm and everlasting covenant of grace that secures the eternal
salvation of God’s elect (2 Sam.
23:5).
(2
Samuel 23:5) “Although my house be not
so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire,
although he make it not to grow.”
We believe in eternal security, because we believe in
the immutability of God’s covenant. God is faithful to his covenant. God will
honor his covenant. God will keep his covenant. And God’s faithfulness to
his covenant is not in anyway dependent upon the faithfulness of his people
(Ps. 89:28, 34; Ezek. 16:60-62).
Do you remember what we read back in Genesis 9:16? — The Lord God said, “The bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look
upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every
living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” His covenant with us
in Christ has a direct bearing upon all the earth (Hos. 2:18; Rom. 8:28).
(Hosea
2:18) “And in that day will I make a
covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven,
and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and
the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down
safely.”
(Romans
8:28) “And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose.”
(Psalms
89:28) “My mercy will I keep for him for
evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.”
(Psalms
89:34) “My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.”
(Ezekiel
16:60-62) “Nevertheless I will remember
my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee
an everlasting covenant. (61) Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be
ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and
I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. (62) And
I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the
LORD:”
Rainbow About The Throne
III.
The rainbow
completely encompasses God’s throne. — John saw “a rainbow
round about the throne.”
The throne, remember, is the emblem of God’s
sovereignty, his dominion, and his power. The “rainbow round about the
throne” tells us that God’s sovereignty is bound, hedged about, and limited
by his covenant. In others words, God cannot and will not do anything
contrary to or inconsistent with his covenant (Heb. 6:13-20). He
has bound himself to his covenant.
(Hebrews
6:13-20) “For when God made promise to
Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, (14) Saying,
Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
(15) And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
(16) For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is
to them an end of all strife. (17) Wherein God, willing more
abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel,
confirmed it by an oath: (18) That by two immutable things, in
which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
(19) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into
that within the veil; (20) Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even
Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”
Three Blessed Facts
The fact that this rainbow, the covenant of grace,
completely encircles the throne of God signifies three blessed facts.
A. God is always mindful of his covenant.
The Psalmist said, “He will ever be mindful of his
covenant” (Ps. 111:5). No matter which way he turns, the covenant is always
before his eyes. He constantly remembers it for the good of his people. He
faithfully keeps his covenant. No matter how he comes to his people, he comes
to us by way of the covenant. No matter what God does, he is fulfilling his
covenant.
B. The fact that this rainbow encircles the throne also
suggests that no man can come to God, except through the covenant.
Strip the throne of this rainbow, and there is the
august, sparkling majesty of God, a consuming fire, which no man dare approach.
But that same throne, encircled with a rainbow, is inviting (Heb. 4:16).
Sinners may approach the God of the covenant by a new and living way, by the
blood of the everlasting covenant. And when we approach the throne of God by
the blood of Christ, we may do so in full assurance of faith (Heb. 10:19-22).
Blessed be God! There is a Door open in heaven and sinners on earth are bidden,
“Come up hither,” by him who sits upon the throne!
(Revelation
4:1-3) “After this I looked, and,
behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was
as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I
will show thee things which must be hereafter. (2) And immediately I was
in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on
the throne. (3) And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a
sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight
like unto an emerald.”
(Hebrews
4:16) “Let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time
of need.”
(Hebrews
10:19-22) “Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new
and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to
say, his flesh; (21) And having an high priest over the house of
God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water.”
1.
We cannot draw
near to God with our works – (Cain).
2.
We cannot draw
near to God with the strange fire of our own religious deeds and sacrifices.
3.
But we can
draw near to God on the basis of the covenant pleading the merits of Christ’
righteousness and shed blood. We come to God in the covenant name –
Jesus Christ. The pass-word to God’s throne is Christ.
·
We pray in
Christ’s Name – (John 15:16).
·
We worship in
Christ’s Name – (Matt. 18:20).
·
We are saved in
Christ’s Name – (Acts 4:12).
C.
And the fact that
this rainbow encircles the throne of God tells us that – God’s government
of this world is determined by and in exact agreement with the covenant of
grace (Rom. 8:28-31).
(Romans
8:28-31) “And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
God always has respect to the covenant. He does
everything for the fulfillment of the covenant.
1.
In all the great
events of providence, God is simply fulfilling his covenant.
As you read the Scriptures, you will notice that
everything was done to suit God’s purpose for his chosen nation Egypt comes
across the stage, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome. But all these nations are
just background settings. Their pomp, grandeur, and wealth are just
accessories. They rise and fall, they come and go with insignificance. The
central figure is Israel, the elect nation, the church of God. The rest of the
nations are nothing more than props, scaffolding, and gardeners for the Lord’s
vineyard. God has chosen Jacob for his portion. He is only concerned with
Jacob. He does everything for Jacob.
I fully agree with C.H. Spurgeon who said, “I believe
that when kings and potentates meet in the cabinet chamber and consult together
according to their ambition, a Counselor whom they never see pulls the strings,
and they are only his puppets.”
The ultimate end of all the events of providence is
the salvation of God’s elect, the gathering of his redeemed ones, the calling
of his church. God rules this world for his elect, covenant people. By secret,
almighty, irresistible force, God works all things together for the good of his
elect.
2.
As this is true
in all the great, momentous events of providence, it is equally true of
all the small minute matters of daily life.
The promise of the covenant is, “Surely blessing I
will bless thee” (Heb. 8:14). And he always does! “Although my house be
not so with God, yet” I am blessed of God according to the tenor of the
covenant.
There is a rainbow round about the throne. Let that
throne decree what it may, the decree shall never run contrary to the covenant
of love. Even when I am most distressed, and the circumstances of my life are
most painful, yet I know of a certainty, and testify gladly, “Truly God is
good to Israel” (Ps. 73:1). The fact is, the fact is, you will never see
the rainbow without first passing throw a storm; and the darker the clouds of
the storm are, the brighter the rainbow will be when “the storm passes over and
the thunder sounds no more, when the clouds roll forever from the sky.”
Emerald Green
IV.
The rainbow, round about the throne,
is emerald green in color. — It was “in sight like unto an emerald.”
The rainbow has many colors. But the dominant,
prevailing color is green. This is the color of life, peace, tranquility, and
joy. And truly, the most delightful, enlivening, peaceful sight in all the
world is the covenant of God’s grace. What is more cheering, than to see God as
our covenant God, Christ as our covenant Surety, and all the blessings and
promises of the covenant made sure to us in him? And the covenant of grace,
like the emerald, is ever green. It is always new. Its promises are always
fresh. And its blessings shall endure forever.
A Reminder
V.
The rainbow
is designed to be a reminder.
Though God does not need anything to bring things to
his remembrance, yet he condescends to set the rainbow in the sky, so that he
might look at it and remember his everlasting covenant. And he allows us to put
him in remembrance of his covenant, pleading the promises of the covenant with
him in prayer (Isa. 43:25-26).
(Isaiah
43:25-26) “I, even I, am he
that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember
thy sins. (26) Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare
thou, that thou mayest be justified.”
As we
put him in remembrance of his covenant, the Lord God promises to remember his
covenant (Lev. 26:45).
(Genesis
9:15) “And I will remember my covenant,
which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and
the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”
(Leviticus
26:45) “But I will for their sakes
remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land
of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the
LORD.”
(Leviticus
26:42) “Then will I remember my covenant
with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham
will I remember; and I will remember the land.”
(Ezekiel
16:60) “Nevertheless I will remember my
covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an
everlasting covenant.”
Application:
Let me tell you one more thing we saw Monday. At a
distance, where the sky was almost clear, we saw a third bow, but it had no
arch. By comparison, it seemed to rise but a few feet from the ground. It was
colorful, but the colors were indistinct and faded. Yet, it the westward sky,
the clouds were still thick from the storms of the day.
You see, you can never see the beauty of a complete
rainbow without a storm, without clouds, and without the sun shining through
the mists. So it is with God’s covenant, the rainbow that encircles his throne.
— We can never see its beauty, splendor, and majesty, except as we pass through
the dark storm. Then, as the storm passes over and the Sun of Righteousness
shines through the midst, we see that which causes our hearts to dance with joy
before our God.
(2
Samuel 23:5) “Although my house be not
so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire,
although he make it not to grow.”
Amen.