Spurgeon: August PM
* 08/12/PM
"The bow shall be seen in the cloud."
--Genesis 9:14
The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, is typical
of our Lord Jesus, who is the Lord's witness to the people. When
may we expect to see the token of the covenant ? The rainbow
is only to be seen painted upon a cloud . When the sinner's
conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin,
and mourneth and lamenteth before God, Jesus Christ is revealed
to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues
of the divine character and betokening peace. To the believer,
when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to
behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ--to see Him bleeding,
living, rising, and pleading for us. God's rainbow is hung over
the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, and our woes, to prophesy
deliverance. Nor does a cloud alone give a rainbow, there must
be the crystal drops to reflect the light of the sun. So, our
sorrows must not only threaten, but they must really fall upon
us. There had been no Christ for us if the vengeance of God had
been merely a threatening cloud: punishment must fall in
terrible drops upon the Surety. Until there is a real anguish
in the sinner's conscience, there is no Christ for him; until
the chastisement which he feels becomes grievous, he cannot see
Jesus. But there must also be a sun; for clouds and drops of
rain make not rainbows unless the sun shineth. Beloved, our
God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, but we do not
always see Him--clouds hide His face; but no matter what drops
may be falling, or what clouds may be threatening, if He does
but shine there will be a rainbow at once. It is said that when
we see the rainbow the shower is over. Certain it is, that when
Christ comes, our troubles remove; when we behold Jesus, our
sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks
the waters of the sea, how profound the calm!