Genesis 9: Hijacked!

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You will find more and see more than I could ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter and today's chapter is Genesis 9. Hijacked was not a word in our culture's vocabulary for decades until the fateful day all Americans know is 9/11. I grew up at a time that a hijacked plane was not out of the ordinary. Between 1968 and 1972, hijackings reached the peak with over 300 and five incidents recorded globally within those five years. With heightened security all over the world since 9/11, it has become almost impossible and we thank God for that. The definition of hijacking is important. It means to unlawfully see something. Could be an aircraft, a ship or even a vehicle that's in transit and then force it to go to a different destination or use it for one's own purposes. Each one of those phrases in the definition are important to remember. Unlawfully sees, taking what didn't belong to you. Force it to go into a different destination. You take it off course. And finally, use it for one's own purpose. That means the original intention is stolen. How does Genesis 9 and hijacking have any similarities? A global reminder comes from God. The day the flood waters receded. Noah has three important interactions from God in his Genesis story. Noah's biography is centered around Noah's relationship with God. Each of his chapters start with an important phrase. Genesis 7, 8, and 9 start with a God and Noah interaction. Listen to it. Genesis 7, 1 says, God said to Noah. Genesis 8, 1 says, God remembered Noah. And Genesis 9, 1 says, God blessed Noah. These God and Noah relationship phrases are the key to Noah's life. God's voice is what guided Noah during a dark time on the planet. God's memory is what protected Noah from the judgment of God. And finally in Genesis 9, it is the blessing of God and Noah that not only he experienced, but all of humanity received. Humanity for thousands of years got to experience a word and a symbol that has introduced to us in this chapter of Genesis. We hear of the word covenant in the Bible for the very first time. The word is going to be so important in the days to come as God unfolds His ultimate intention with a new covenant. Here in Genesis 9, we read the word covenant. The blessing of God has to do with the covenant of God. The word covenant is mentioned seven times in just nine verses. God was saying, this is important. You need to listen. Here it is, verses 8 through 17, that God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, now behold, I myself do establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you. And with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, every beast of the earth with you, of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth, I will establish my covenant with you and all flesh will never again be cut off by the water of the flood. Neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth. God said, this is the sign of the covenant, which I'm making between me and you and every living creature that is with you for all successive generations. I set my bow in the cloud. And it shall be a sign of my covenant between me and the earth. It shall come about when I bring a cloud over the earth that the bow will be seen in the cloud. And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it to remember the ever-lasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. And God said to Noah, this is the sign of the covenant, which I have established between me and all that is on the earth. Over and over again, heaven emphasizes the importance of covenant. God will call it my covenant, an ever-lasting covenant. In the Bible, a covenant is a promise between God and individuals, sometimes groups or nations establishing a deep kinship relationship. God made a promise to the world, a covenant with the planet that he would not destroy it ever again with flood waters. His signature on the dotted line of this covenant would be a multi-colored pen. It would be the rainbow in the clouds. The rainbow was God's promise, God's idea, and God's miracle. Every time there is rain and sun at the same time. But then it got hijacked. Remember the definition of hijacked. Unlawfully seizing something in transit and forced it to go to a different destination or use it for one's own purposes. That's what's happened. The rainbow became the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community in 1978 when artist Gilbert Baker was commissioned by activist Harvey Milk to design the first rainbow flag to represent gay pride. Baker chose the rainbow because it is a symbol of diversity found in nature and designed it with eight colors. They decided to give meaning to the colors. And some of those are pink as sex and turquoise as magic and art. The rainbow has been hijacked. It doesn't belong to a community expressing their sexual preference and freedom belongs to God. And it's his gift to humanity, reminding them of his covenant of love and about a God that keeps his promises. I'm so saddened when people think of a rainbow today. They think of pride. Pride. Pride is sin that God hates. Proverbs 6, 17. My caution is to be careful of parading pride. It's not something God takes kindly to. Our hearts no longer go back to Genesis 9, but to the pride of men and women around the world. Finally, I wonder if this has any significance. The word for rainbow here in Genesis 9 is the word for a weapon. It's used 77 times in this fashion throughout the Bible. It's used for a bow and an arrow and something that is used to defend and attack. I think the rainbow is not just a miracle to be an awe when I see it, but it's also a weapon against the enemy's lives. Knowing this meaning helps me to be an awe of a rainbow's beauty and to fight for God's original intention. Thank you for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book, The Bible, the Word of God, seven minutes a day, and seven days a week. We'll see you tomorrow.