The First Rainbow

DO YOU know the first thing Noah did when he and his family came out of the ark? He made an offering or a gift to God. You can see him doing this in the picture below. Noah offered this gift of animals to thank God for saving his family from the great flood.

Do you think Jehovah was pleased with the gift? Yes, he was. And so he promised Noah that he would never destroy the world again by a flood.

Soon the land was all dried off, and Noah and his family began a new life outside the ark. God blessed them and told them: ‘You must have many children. You must increase in numbers until people live all over the earth.’

But later, when people would hear about the great flood, they might be afraid that a flood like that would happen again. So God gave something that would remind people of his promise never to flood the whole earth again. Do you know what he gave to remind them? It was a rainbow.

A rainbow is often seen in the sky when the sun shines after it has rained. Rainbows may have many beautiful colors. Have you ever seen one? Do you see the one in the picture?

This is what God said: ‘I promise that never again will all people and animals be destroyed by a flood. I am putting my rainbow in the clouds. And when the rainbow appears, I will see it and remember this promise of mine.’

So when you see a rainbow, what should it remind you of? Yes, God’s promise that he will never destroy the world again by a great flood.

Genesis 8:18-22; 9:9-17.