“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply ...” (v1). God did not simply rescue Noah’s family from the flood; when it was over, He blessed them. He reissued the command to “be fruitful and multiply”, and the rainbow became a sign of His continuing mercy (v13). On this earth, He commanded humans to respect all life (v4), especially human life (v5-6). Humans would only flourish when they followed God’s ways, as Noah’s sons immediately discovered (v22-27).

The rainbow is a sign of God’s commitment to His creation - “the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh” (16). His desire is for us to know Him, follow His ways, and experience blessing.