God works in line with his character and principles—and he has made those clear to us, as we can see in this passage and in others. For example, there are consequences to sin and evil. When the earth was filled with wickedness, God made a clean slate by sending a flood (Genesis 6-8). And God chose Noah and his family to make a new start.

Yet as Noah and his family took tentative steps into this new beginning, God encouraged them by making a promise: “Never again will all life be destroyed by . . . a flood.” And this promise was not only for Noah’s family; it was for all future generations.

In this covenant, God does not rely on Noah and his descendants to keep from sinning. In fact, sin continues in the human story. The only way that this promise or covenant can be kept is if God is willing to step in and hold both ends of it. God notes also that the rainbow will be a sign of his enduring promise. The rainbow will be a reminder of his covenant with us and with “all living creatures of every kind.”

This story shows us a pattern that began to unfold early in our history: God is the covenant maker and the covenant keeper for us and for our salvation.