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The rainbow is God’s symbol of forgiveness, not acceptance
Christian Post ^ | 06/07/2023 | Kelly Williams

Posted on 06/07/2023 7:27:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

June is gay pride month. The homosexual community has adopted the rainbow as their symbol of God’s acceptance of their actions and lifestyle. But what does the Bible say about this?

The only place in the Bible that addresses the rainbow is in Genesis 9 after the Noahic flood that destroyed the earth because the world had become so violent and sexually promiscuous in Genesis 6.

After the flood, God re-established his covenant with humanity through Noah and his family. The Message Bible says it like this,

Genesis 9:1-4 God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature — birds, animals, fish — will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You’re responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else…

The Noahic covenant consisted of the following: 1. Prosperity, 2. Reproduction, 3. Dominion, and 4. Diet Expansion

God reiterates and emphasizes components of the covenant again in Genesis 9:6-7,

Whoever sheds human blood, by humans let his blood be shed, Because God made humans in his image reflecting God’s very nature. You’re here to bear fruit, reproduce, lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!”

He reminds humanity again He wants us to bear fruit and reproduce. Something two homosexual people cannot due apart from a heterosexual design, component or practice being involved in some capacity.

Heterosexual reproduction is God’s plan. Without it, humanity goes extinct.

God also addresses murder in this passage because the world had not only become sexually promiscuous but extremely violent. Interestingly enough, these two components seem to always go hand in hand throughout Scripture and these two components can be seen sadly increasing at alarming rates in our society and world today. When we don’t abide by God’s moral code for sexuality, our propensity as a people for violence increases too. When we throw off restraints from our sexual expression, we then feel greater freedom to do the same as a society in the areas of violence as well.

God then re-establishes His covenant with humanity and says to Noah and his family in Genesis 9:8-16,

Then God spoke to Noah and his sons: “I’m setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you, along with everything alive around you—birds, farm animals, wild animals—that came out of the ship with you. I’m setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth.”

God continued, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you … I’m putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth. From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth.”

The rainbow is the reminder of God’s eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth, human, and animal. It is His reminder to Himself and to us that He forgives sin. It is a reminder that God will not again destroy the whole earth due to sexual sin and violence. He will remember His covenant with us. He will remember His love for us despite our sins. He will remember His goodness to us despite our wickedness. This is the promise that He won’t destroy the whole world just because of a people group’s sinfulness. This is encouraging to know God is not going to look at the world and judge everyone because one group believes it is okay to violate God’s covenant.

Sadly, there is a massively growing trend in our evangelical Christian world to look at same-sex attraction as something God accepts, and the rainbow is used as the symbol to justify this. I understand that many in the same-sex attraction movement care little for Jesus, but I am addressing the many evangelical Christians who see homosexuality as an acceptable means of love for two humans.

Nowhere in Scripture does God give a positive example of homosexuality.

Marriage between two humans is intended to model the relationship that Jesus shares with His bride, the Church. The Apostle Paul tells us this in Ephesians 5.

Sadly, I see evangelical Christians and Christian leaders who want to be loving, turning a blind eye to the scriptural prohibition of same-sex marriage. They must ignore the Bible and change what the rainbow represents.

The use of God’s symbols to promote a nonbiblical world agenda will not end well for Christians.

I realize in my own life and in those I lead that this is a very difficult tightrope to walk because we love our friends and family who see it differently. We want a real relationship with them, but if we are not careful, it will be at the expense of a real relationship with Jesus who died so that we could be forgiven; not so that our sins could be accepted.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the eternal rainbow covenant. He came to satisfy the wrath of God against our sins. In Him, all sin is forgiven, not accepted. The love of Jesus for us is born out of forgiveness first and acceptance second.

Every time I see a rainbow, I think of God’s forgiveness for my sin fulfilled through Jesus. Embracing my sin is not an option.

We as Christians can change the symbols of God to make them mean what we want them to mean to us, but we can never change God’s mind. Be careful in accepting and forgiving that which you don’t have the authority to accept and forgive.

The next time you see a rainbow flag say, “Thank you Jesus for your forgiveness of my sin that makes me accepted by God the Father.”


Kelly Williams is co-founder and senior pastor of Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His books include: The Good Pastor, The Mystery of 23, Friend of Sinners and Real Marriage. He also maintains a blog.



TOPICS: History; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics; Theology
KEYWORDS: gaypride; noah; rainbow
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1 posted on 06/07/2023 7:27:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

2 posted on 06/07/2023 7:29:47 AM PDT by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Travis McGee

3 posted on 06/07/2023 7:33:20 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: FreedomPoster

God will not be mocked. Maranatha!!


4 posted on 06/07/2023 7:38:37 AM PDT by FES0844
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To: FES0844

Amen 🙏🏻!!!!


5 posted on 06/07/2023 7:45:41 AM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: SeekAndFind

Yes, God does indeed love us all, but He doesn’t love some of the things we do!! And there will be day of judgement.


6 posted on 06/07/2023 7:51:07 AM PDT by elpadre (nd )
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To: FreedomPoster

The rainbow is a reminder that God promised not to use a flood to destroy the world. The next time, God will use fire.


7 posted on 06/07/2023 7:53:14 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Did the index of refraction of water change after Noah’s landing?


8 posted on 06/07/2023 7:53:19 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: SeekAndFind
God's rainbow in the sky has seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This is the natural, normal, and perfect rainbow.

The imperfect rainbow, created by sinister forces, has six colors. This is not natural. It conflicts with God's rainbow; it rejects God's plan. That is why is was created.

Don't be fooled by the un-natural rainbow that is being promoted today. I hate to be persistent but it is not natural.

9 posted on 06/07/2023 8:04:54 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: jeffersondem

RE: The imperfect rainbow, created by sinister forces, has six colors.

Hmmm... what color is missing from the Pride rainbow?


10 posted on 06/07/2023 8:05:53 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: GingisK

“Did the index of refraction of water change after Noah’s landing?”

This is unknown and unknowable.

If you are asking for opinions, mine is yes; the amount of moisture in the atmosphere probably changed after the flood.


11 posted on 06/07/2023 8:08:18 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: Tell It Right
The rainbow is a reminder that God promised not to use a flood to destroy the world. The next time, God will use fire.

GMTA

12 posted on 06/07/2023 8:11:10 AM PDT by rllngrk33 (The soap box and ballot box have failed, it might be time for the bullet box.)
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To: SeekAndFind
“Hmmm... what color is missing from the Pride rainbow?”

The un-natural rainbow has neither indigo or violet.

Its sixth color is purple.

13 posted on 06/07/2023 8:12:27 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: jeffersondem
I don't think so. That would have been noticed. Index of refraction isn't related to the amount of moisture in the air. It is a property of the water itself. Spear fishermen would notice something right away, as would people who caught fish by hand. Rainbows also appear near waterfalls.

Rainbows were there all along, they merely became the symbol of God's promise following the landing.

14 posted on 06/07/2023 8:15:35 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: jeffersondem

Affectionately known as ROY G BEV.


15 posted on 06/07/2023 8:16:37 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: SeekAndFind

It will all be sorted out on Judgement Day. Trannies, bring clothing for very warm weather.


16 posted on 06/07/2023 8:23:50 AM PDT by duckman ( Not tired of winning!)
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To: GingisK
“Rainbows were there all along, they merely became the symbol of God's promise following the landing.”

As indicated earlier: I don't know.

But scripture says (Genesis Chapter 9): “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.”

This was a new covenant. And because it was a new covenant I'm guessing the rainbow was a new symbol. But I'm guessing.

I suppose God could have recycled the same-old same-old familiar symbol to draw attention to his new covenant; but I doubt it.

I think recycling an off-piste symbol of God's rainbow for some new purpose was done by a sinister force.

17 posted on 06/07/2023 8:44:53 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: FreedomPoster

“God gave Noah the rainbow sign.
No more water
THE FIRE NEXT TIME.”


18 posted on 06/07/2023 8:47:14 AM PDT by Kozak (Слава Україні Герояам Слава. RuZZia is a terrorist state.)
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To: SeekAndFind

“The homosexual community has adopted the rainbow as their symbol of God’s acceptance of their actions and lifestyle.”

HYPOCRITES. God also said that men shall not lay with men, and women shall not lay with women.


19 posted on 06/07/2023 8:53:56 AM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: SeekAndFind

The symbol of a rainbow being a promise and covenant from GOD, is forever gone. It has been intentionally perverted and defiled, it belongs to THEM.


20 posted on 06/07/2023 9:04:46 AM PDT by Toespi
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