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Fun Bible Trivia Part 6!
Apr. 6th, 2009 10:52 pmA quickie today. I've missed so many. ;)
The story of Noah - God floods the earth, kills almost everyone, then at the end he feels bad and promises he'll never flood the earth again? (If you ask me, he's being a bit tricky there - we might all be set on fire or something, so watch out.)
Anyway, he says, in Genesis 9: 12-16 (typed up from my NRSV HCSB):
. . ."This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creatures of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."
Now, apart from being a fascinating example of an unconditional covenant, this story is also the etiology of the rainbow, yes? Etiologies pop up in the bible where you aren't expecting them. Anyway, fun fact - the reason it's a rainbow is that it's a bow as in "bow and arrows". The way they arc, they're pointing up, aiming at the sky - at God. So what God is basically promising is that he's going to threaten to fire arrows at himself if he ever tries to flood the earth again. "Oh, crap, there's a bow pointed at me. Better not destroy everything."
Note ironical icon.
The story of Noah - God floods the earth, kills almost everyone, then at the end he feels bad and promises he'll never flood the earth again? (If you ask me, he's being a bit tricky there - we might all be set on fire or something, so watch out.)
Anyway, he says, in Genesis 9: 12-16 (typed up from my NRSV HCSB):
. . ."This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creatures of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."
Now, apart from being a fascinating example of an unconditional covenant, this story is also the etiology of the rainbow, yes? Etiologies pop up in the bible where you aren't expecting them. Anyway, fun fact - the reason it's a rainbow is that it's a bow as in "bow and arrows". The way they arc, they're pointing up, aiming at the sky - at God. So what God is basically promising is that he's going to threaten to fire arrows at himself if he ever tries to flood the earth again. "Oh, crap, there's a bow pointed at me. Better not destroy everything."
Note ironical icon.
