"The Warrior’s Bow: God’s Covenant of Mercy After Judgment"

"The Warrior’s Bow: God’s Covenant of Mercy After Judgment"

Text: *Genesis 9:8-17* (Key verse: "I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant..." —v. 13)

The Flood as Divine Warfare

The flood was not just a natural disaster but an act of divine judgment (Gen. 6:13, 17).

Genesis 6:17–18 HCSB

“Understand that I am bringing a flood—floodwaters on the earth to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will die. But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives.

Ancient Near Eastern cultures (e.g., Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh) depicted cosmic floods as battles between gods and chaos. Israel’s account is different but uses familiar imagery

Key element: Yahweh as the Divine Warrior (cf. Ps. 29:10; Hab. 3:8-15).

The flood reveals God’s hatred of sin but also His desire to restore humanity.

This also reveals what we in the Wesleyan tradition call Prevenient Grace -

that grace which is at work at all times and in all situations. Even judgment.

The flood echoes uncreation (Gen. 7:11, "windows of heaven opened"), reversing creation (Gen. 1), showing God’s authority over chaos.

Key Texts to illustrate this

Genesis 6:7 HCSB

Then the Lord said, “I will wipe off from the face of the earth mankind, whom I created, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky—for I regret that I made them.”

Genesis 6:8 HCSB

Noah, however, found favor in the sight of the Lord.

*Genesis 6:5-8* – God grieves over human wickedness but finds grace in Noah.

1 Peter 3:20 HCSB

who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people —were saved through water.

(Wesleyans highlight God’s longsuffering mercy).

Preaching Angle:

The flood was not just punitive but redemptive—a reset for humanity.

Like Noah, we are called to respond to God’s grace (free will in action).

The Rainbow as God’s ‘Hanging Up’ His Bow

All battles, historically, have an “end.” Some type of marker or location signifying that the spot or symbol to remember the fighting. The Bible is full of these images - altars sometimes.

Genesis 8:1 HCSB

God remembered Noah, as well as all the wildlife and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to subside.

If you read through chapter 6 - God

The subsiding marks the beginning of the end of this divine warfare which takes place all through chapter 8. As we arrive at chapter 9, we see the specifics of the Noahic Covenant.

First, there is a call to stewardship in 9:1 and 7

Genesis 9:1 HCSB

God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

This echoes the covenantal call from God to Adam and Eve in the Garden and now it is repeated.

The Hebrew word for rainbow (qešet) is the same as the word for a warrior’s bow (e.g., 2 Sam. 22:35; Ps. 7:12).

קֶשֶׁת

In ancient symbolism, a hanging bow signified the end of battle (cf. God as a warrior in Ex. 15:3; Is. 42:13).

Theological point: 

The rainbow is not just a promise but a trophy of victory—God has conquered sin’s chaos (for now) and suspended His wrath.

Wesleyan Focus: The rainbow is a symbol of God’s prevenient grace—extending mercy to all, even after judgment.

Acts 17:30 – "God commands all people everywhere to repent."

Preaching Angle:

The rainbow is God’s pledge to restrain wrath—giving humanity space to repent (Wesley’s "gracious delay").

Unlike pagan gods who acted capriciously, Yahweh binds Himself to mercy—a Wesleyan emphasis on God’s relational faithfulness.

God’s covenant with Noah is unilateral—He binds Himself, not requiring human terms (Gen. 9:9, "I establish my covenant...").

The Gospel Connection: From Noah’s Bow to Christ’s Cross

The flood prefigures final judgment (Matt. 24:37-39; 1 Pet. 3:20-21), but the rainbow points to mercy.

In Christ, God’s justice and mercy meet—the Warrior takes judgment upon Himself (Col. 2:14-15).

The cross is the greater bow: God’s wrath fully spent, His covenant of peace secured (Is. 54:9-10; Rom. 5:9).

Isaiah 54:9–10 HCSB

“For this is like the days of Noah to Me: when I swore that the waters of Noah would never flood the earth again, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you. Though the mountains move and the hills shake, My love will not be removed from you and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says your compassionate Lord.

Romans 5:9 HCSB

Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.

God’s covenant requires human cooperation—Noah obeyed in building the ark; we must respond to God’s grace daily.

Are you living in light of God’s patience, sharing the gospel before the final Day of the Lord?

The rainbow reminds us:

God hates sin (He judged it fiercely).

God keeps His word (His bow is still hung).

Our hope is in His mercy (pointing to Christ).

The rainbow is both a promise and a warning—grace is free but not cheap.

Preaching Angle:

Just as God restrained judgment with Noah, He now restrains final wrath—giving time for repentance and holiness.

The rainbow reminds us that God’s grace leads us to sanctification—not just forgiveness, but transformation.

Practical Application: Living in the Light of the Rainbow (Holiness & Mission)

Wesleyan Focus: The covenant is not just theological—it demands holy living and evangelism.

Key Applications:

Holiness: If God has "hung up His bow," we must "lay aside every weight of sin" (Heb. 12:1).

"If God has withheld judgment, how much more should we pursue sanctification?"

Mission: The rainbow is a sign of hope for all nations (Gen. 9:19)—We should be passionate about evangelism.

Noah as a Preacher of Righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5) – Noah didn’t just build an ark; he called people to repentance. Are we eager to share in our immediate context? In our immediate neighborhoods and towns? How about in our building?

Assurance: The rainbow is a visible pledge—like Wesley’s "warmed heart," we can have assurance of God’s faithfulness.

A Bow No Longer Aimed at Us – Imagine an archer lowering his bow—this is God’s mercy. But one day, His justice will be fulfilled (Wesleyans balance grace and final judgment).

Closing Wesleyan Appeal

Invitation to Repentance: "The rainbow is God’s mercy extended—will you respond?"