Rainbows and Rest
It was a beautiful conspiracy of rain and sun – the sun retreating west, the rain drifting east. Where they collided, a rainbow fell to earth. A rainbow is much more than the refraction of light through droplets of water. It is a potent symbol.
For some a rainbow represents diversity, where the power of the sum is greater than its multi-cultural parts. For others it is a mark of pride, audaciously proclaiming an alternative orientation to life. For the naïve it is not a symbol; it is simply pretty. But, for its Creator it pictures grace.
Our world is desperate for rest. We are barraged with dire news of Covid-19, a tanking global economy, chronic injustice, and societal unrest. Frustration and hopelessness erupt, fueling protests and for some, violence. Countless families are wrapped in grief over lost loved ones, and lost jobs. This grueling season of isolation and uncertainty has us gasping for rest.
In Parasha Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32, the weekly Torah reading called “Noah”) we see a world like ours desperate for rest, rest from the painful effects of mankind’s rebellion against our creator. When the heart is corrupt, everything suffers, and death results. Noach’s message is bleak – even after the cleansing of a global flood and a fresh start, rest still escaped us. As light rushes into a black hole, humanity continued rushing into death. We hoped for rest in Noah (whose name means “rest”), but God made it clear that rest could not be found in mere human flesh.
Thankfully, God does not leave Noah or us in the lightless vacuum of ourselves, and the threat of watery judgment. He leaves us with a rainbow – a conspiracy of rain and sun reflecting His grace toward us who are so desperate for rest.
The next time you see a rainbow, regardless of how restless people try to bend it to their will, remember who created it and what it means. Let it remind you we have a message of hope to share, not based on the promise of a vaccine, or man’s best efforts to repair the decay and brokenness caused by sin. Rest cannot spring from restless humanity, but only from the one perfect Man, the Prince of Peace, in whose earthly descent, by God’s faithfulness, rest can be found.
Speaking to restless Israel, the prophet Isaiah, ca 740 BCE, spoke of one to come who would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” During His reign ‘There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace…’” (Isaiah 9:6-7). Yeshua of Nazareth, seed of the woman, descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Judah, through the line of King David is this giver of rest.
As this uncertain season exposes our need for rest, may the sight of a rainbow, even the ones bent to man’s restless will, draw us deeper into the Rest provided by God’s grace. May we love the rest-less around us graciously pointing them to the rest for which they long, our Messiah Yeshua.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28)
Written by Dan Strull, LIFE Board Chair
Are you among the “weary and heavy-laden,” worn down by the circumstances of life? Burdened with care, shouldering the uncertainty of the future? Yeshua’s welcoming words, “Come to Me,” are followed by His promise: “I will give you rest.”
If you’d like prayer for those concerns or need help in knowing how to “Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7), please give us a call at 708-418-0020 or write office@lifeinmessiah.org. We’d love to encourage you in your walk with “the Creator of rainbows.”