The Noah story shows up repeatedly in Scripture as an archetype of God’s power to give fresh starts, to bring hope and salvation in what seem to be utterly hopeless situations. Isaiah drew on Noah’s story to say Israel could depend on God’s mercy even on the far side of their painful exile in Babylon. Drawing on the most beautiful image in Noah’s story, Revelation pictured a rainbow circling God’s throne in the very heart of heaven.

• Science can explain rainbows: raindrops disperse light, making the many colors in the spectrum appear. But science cannot fully explain why we find that dispersed light so beautiful, or why we tend to feel joy, hope and a desire to share the beauty when we see a rainbow. The lyrical archetypes in the Genesis Flood story speak to dimensions of life beyond history and science. What have you learned about your Creator in this story? How can you allow the peace and hope the rainbow symbolized to fill your life?