“I DO set my bow in the cloud,” God said, when He had brought the flood upon the earth, and destroyed all the people in it except Noah and those who had been with him in the ark. He now declared that there should not any more be “a flood to destroy the earth;” that, having set His bow in the cloud, He would “look upon it,” and remember His gracious promise. Noah, too, might look up to it, and remember what God had said to him about it, feeling quite sure that the waters would never again “become a flood,” from which he could only be saved by building another great ship.
How kind of God to give this “token” to us, and to assure us that, when it is there for us to see, He also will look upon it! and for this token to be above us, and outside of us; no change in its shape, or beauty, or its meaning, however we may change or even lose sight of it!
Is not this like the blessed Lord Jesus Christ whom God has “set,” not “in the clouds,” but “at His own right hand in the heavenly places?” (Eph. 1:2020Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:20)). His wrath against sin came upon this holy sin-bearer on the cross. He “once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,” but now His suffering is all over; and the One who was once on the cross, bearing sins and crowned with thorns, has “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” and is “crowned with glory and honor.” And the sinner who has learned in the presence of God what it is to be “verily guilty” before Him; who confesses his sins to the God whom he has offended by them, resting in simple trust upon the “precious blood” the Saviour shed upon the cross; such an one can look up and say, by faith I “see Jesus,” the One who took my place and suffered for my sins, crowned with glory. Like a beautiful rainbow set on high by God, who, as a Judge, dealt with sin at the cross, I look up to Jesus, and know that God also “looks upon” Him — is “well pleased” with Him, and will never again “forsake” Him, as He did when He had my iniquities laid upon Him (Isa. 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)). The fact of His being there gives me joy, because it was “when He had by Himself purged our sins,” that He went there. He is not now on the cross; the soldiers took Him down that they might bury Him “out of sight and out of mind.” Nor is He now in the grave; if I “go and search the tomb of Jesus,” I shall find “He is not there, for He is risen, as He said.” But He is on the throne of His Father, and as I look on Him there, remembering that, having been “made sin for us,” He could only now be on the throne as having fully put away the sins He bore, peace flows into my soul. The Lord Jesus becomes to me, as I see Him seated in heaven, what the rainbow in the cloud was to Noah, God’s “token” that His judgment is past and gone for me, and that He will not again smite any more as He has done. God has smitten once. The blessed Lord Jesus became the Substitute for every sinner who through grace believes on Him, and the stroke of God’s justice fell upon Him. God will no more smite Him, nor any who believe in Him.
But this same fact of Jesus being upon God’s throne, is also the “token” of another thing; a very solemn truth, spoken of in Acts 17:31,31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31) where we read that “God hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” Dear reader, do not forget this solemn side of the subject. The same truth as to the Lord Jesus being on high, like the rainbow set in the cloud, while it is the “token” to a believer that for him judgment is past, is the token to you that judgment is coming, if you are not cleansed by that precious blood. If the One whom man dishonored, murdered, and put out of sight, God has set in the very highest place in His universe, He is able to make all bow to Him; and He will do so (Phil. 2:9-119Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9‑11)), only if it is not as a Saviour now, it must be as a righteous Judge then. Consider, dear friend, young or old, how you are treating that blessed Jesus whom God has so “highly exalted.” If you are slighting Him, or neglecting His “great salvation,’’ depend upon it nothing could be a greater offense to God, who loves His Son, and will have Him honored by all (John 5:22, 2322For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. (John 5:22‑23)). Pray think of these things when you see God’s rainbow set in the clouds, and remember that soon it will be said of this same Jesus, “Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him” (Rev. 1:77Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)).
W. T.