From Gary... The God of goodness

This looks like a rainbow to me, so I will consider it one. If not, I am quite sure someone will show me my error.  Years ago, before I ever thought of doing a blog, I always enjoyed rainbows, but now I appreciate them more and more as the years pass. And as I consider them, they remind me that God makes promises for my good. Today, this lovely picture led me to consider three passages of Scripture, each with its own angle on the goodness of God.

Genesis, Chapter 9 (WEB)

 8  God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,  9 “As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,  10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.  11 I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth.”  12 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 set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.  14 When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will 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 will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.  16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”  17 God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Luke, Chapter 20 (WEB)

 26  They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent.  27 Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection. 28 They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up children for his brother.  29 There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless. 30 The second took her as wife, and he died childless.  31 The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died.  33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.” 

  34  Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry, and are given in marriage.   35  But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.   36  For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels, and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.  37  But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’   38  Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”  

2 Corinthians, Chapter 1 (WEB)

18 But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”  19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”  20 For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.

In Genesis, God promises not to destroy the earth with water and the rainbow is his sign.  Its display in heaven is reassurance that God plans good towards us and not evil. God created life and wants eternal life (Luke passage above) for us; now and in heaven. Lastly, God sent Jesus to be the fulfilment of his promise of redemption for all those who obey him. (just think about the importance of the word "yes" above, for a few moments. Three passages, one perfect God of GOODNESS.

PS. and the rainbow isn't bad either!!!!