{"id":9931,"date":"2018-11-04T17:01:02","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T23:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reliefsocietywomen.com\/?p=9931"},"modified":"2018-11-04T17:01:02","modified_gmt":"2018-11-04T23:01:02","slug":"what-rainbows-really-symbolize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reliefsocietywomen.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/04\/what-rainbows-really-symbolize\/","title":{"rendered":"What Rainbows Really Symbolize"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was reading about Noah and rainbows the other day and saw the phrase perpetual generations. <\/em>I\u00a0wondered what it meant, so I went on a journey of discovery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rainbows mean something different today. I believe that the bible speaks truth and so I share what I learn from the scriptures.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Covenant<\/h2>\n

A rainbow in the sky is the token of a covenant Jehovah makes with the Israelites. He has just flooded the earth and all that remains is Noah and his family: Four couples and the animals, each male and female.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jehovah covenants that \u201cneither shall all flesh be cut off \u2026 neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth\u201d (Genesis 8:11<\/a>). He continues, \u201cI do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth\u201d (Genesis 8:13<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

So, the rainbow assures parents they can have and raise children on the earth. And the cloud covering is \u201cthe glory of the Lord\u201d (Exodus 40:34<\/a>) like what rests over the tabernacle when the Israelites wander in the wilderness with Moses, letting parents know God is with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

And to Noah, Jehovah explains that this covenant is \u201cfor perpetual generations<\/em>\u201d (Genesis 9:12<\/a>). This all hales back to the Plan of Salvation. Heavenly Father wants all of us to come down to the earth, to receive a body and experience life choices. Our salvation is Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice assuring those who know Him can return with Him to our eternal home.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t it interesting that Jehovah seems to take the blame for having to destroy the wicked people? It was the people who chose such vile wickedness that Jehovah literally had to start fresh with a new family; the family of a prophet who knows the importance of righteousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Part In the Covenant<\/h2>\n

So, my journey begins in the Topical Guide<\/a> where I learn that the word perpetual<\/em> is used four times in the Old Testament. This is where things get interesting.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Genesis, I am taken to Exodus 31, where the Israelites learn about the Sabbath Day. This appears to be our part of the covenant of perpetual generations.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever\u201d (Exodus 31:16-17<\/a>).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As we all know, a covenant is a two-way promise. Jehovah promised to never flood the earth again and we now covenant to observe the Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath Day is our sign to Jehovah that we will worship Him and teach our children to do the same. We can even understand further the importance of the Sacrament, which reminds us of Jesus Christ\u2019s Atonement for us, where we covenant \u201cto take upon [us] the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep His commandments \u2026 that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us]\u201d (D&C 20:77<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

And isn\u2019t that typical? Even though this is our covenant to Jesus Christ, He still manages to give us more in the bargain by always giving us His Spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Continuing on my little journey, I move onto the third reference. One thing we need to understand about the Israelites is that land was always very important to them\u00a0because they never really had any. They are the wanderers and the slaves taken to far away lands. When Jehovah blesses them with the Promised Land–their inheritance–this is a big deal. Once they are given land, it is important to keep the land. The land is figuratively their inheritance in the kingdom of God. So, Leviticus reminds us that the fields were never to be sold; \u201cfor it is their perpetual possession\u201d (Leviticus 25:34<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

The only way they can keep their land is to have children. And through the generations, the land will stay in the family.<\/span><\/p>\n

What I Learned<\/h2>\n

Finally, we got to the fourth reference of the phrase perpetual covenant<\/em> in Jeremiah.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jeremiah records how Babylon<\/em> is destroyed, and both Israel and Judah<\/em> are set free to once again be gathered<\/em> by the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n