< Genesis 9 >

Leaving the ark, Noah was blessed by God and was told that a change would then take place in the animal population. Whereas previously these creatures had all eaten “the herb of the field” as their food, and Noah provided these herbs for all of them in the ark, now many species, including man, would become carnivorous. Interestingly, God also says he will reverse this change among the animals when Christ reigns on the earth (Isaiah 65:25).Isaiah 65:25XWaiting for response

As a token of his covenant with Noah, God produced a rainbow in the sky. This event suggests that no rainbow had been seen previously and therefore there had been no rain before the flood. This is consistent with the detail given in the beginning: “But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground” Genesis 2:6.Genesis 2:6XWaiting for response The rainbow was thereafter used by God as a symbol of the fulfilment of his covenant, e.g. in vision Jesus was seen sitting on his future throne with a rainbow encircling it. We know the conditions that produce a rainbow, requiring both sunshine and rain, and figuratively these conditions will prevail when Jesus rises as the sun and reigns: “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth after rain... This is all my salvation, and all my desire” 2 Samuel 23:3-5.2 Samuel 23:3-5XWaiting for response