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Morning and Evening

August 12, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"The bow shall be seen in the cloud." — Genesis 9:14 · KJV

The rainbow, the token of the covenant with Noah, is a type of our Lord Jesus, the Lord's witness to the people. When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is seen only painted upon a cloud. When the sinner's conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin and mourns before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and promising peace. To the believer, when trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ — to see Him bleeding, living, rising, and pleading for us. God's rainbow is hung over the cloud of our sins and sorrows to foretell deliverance. Yet a cloud alone gives no rainbow; there must be the crystal raindrops to reflect the light of the sun. So our sorrows must not only threaten but actually fall upon us. There would have been no Christ for us if the vengeance of God had remained a mere threatening cloud: the punishment had to fall in terrible drops upon the Surety. Until there is real anguish in the sinner's conscience, there is no Christ for him; until the chastisement he feels grows grievous, he cannot see Jesus. But there must also be a sun, for clouds and raindrops make no rainbow unless the sun shines. Beloved, our God, who is our sun, always shines, though we do not always see Him — clouds hide His face; but whatever drops may fall, whatever clouds may threaten, if only He shines, there will be a rainbow at once. It is said that when we see the rainbow, the shower is over. Certainly, when Christ comes, our troubles depart; when we behold Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks the waters of the sea, how deep the calm!