“GOD’S COVENANT AND REDEMPTION: FROM THE RAINBOW OF NOAH TO THE CROSS OF CHRIST”

“God’s Covenant and Redemption: From the Rainbow of Noah to the Cross of Christ”

God’s Redemption Plan: From Noah to Jesus

God’s redemption plan unfolds through Noah, Abraham, and ultimately Jesus Christ. From covenant promises to salvation, Scripture reveals His eternal plan for humanity.

Why God Chose Noah | God’s Covenant with Noah

When the earth was filled with violence and corruption, God decided to cleanse it with a great flood. Yet He preserved Noah, his family, and pairs of every creature (Genesis 6:9–22). Noah’s obedience became a testimony of faith, making him central to God’s covenant with Noah.

Still, this judgment grieved the Lord, for He had to destroy His creation. Out of mercy, He established a covenant never again to destroy humanity by a flood. The sign of that covenant was the rainbow:

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:13)

The rainbow covenant is a reminder of God’s promise and faithfulness.

God’s Covenant with Abraham | The Promise of a Nation

Generations after Noah, humanity once again turned to idolatry and sin. Instead of destruction, God revealed His redemption plan through Abraham — a man of faith who trusted God’s promises.

“Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

Through the covenant with Abraham, God promised to make him into a great nation and bless the world through his descendants:

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2–3)

This covenant pointed to Jesus Christ, the descendant of Abraham, through whom redemption and salvation would come to all nations.

Redemption Through Jesus Christ

As humanity once again fell into sin, God fulfilled His ultimate plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. God sent His Son not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:16–17).

Jesus revealed the true living God to a generation blinded by Satan and enslaved by false gods. Though He was rejected and crucified, His sacrifice became the atonement for sin:

“The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus triumphed over sin and Satan, opening the way for eternal life in the eternal Kingdom of God. Whoever believes in Him will be saved (Romans 10:9–10).

Israel, the Gentiles, and Salvation for All

God’s promises to Israel were never meant to excuse sin. In fact, when Israel turned away, blessings overflowed to the Gentiles. This was part of God’s plan of salvation — that both Jews and Gentiles could receive eternal life through Christ (Romans 11:11–12).

Jesus hinted at this when He said:

“It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26)

By faith, even Gentiles became God’s children, grafted into the promises made to Israel. Yet the covenant blessings for Israel remain. Scripture reminds us:

• “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” (Genesis 12:3)

• “Like a lion they crouch and lie down… may those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!” (Numbers 24:9)

This truth shows why blessing Israel is essential to receiving God’s blessing.

Why Bless Israel | God’s Eternal Promise

Jerusalem is not just another city — it is the footstool of Jesus and central to God’s eternal Kingdom (Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 5:35). To attack Jerusalem or curse Israel is to resist the return of Christ and God’s redemption plan.

Those who bless Israel and pray for Jerusalem’s peace will be blessed:

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure.’” (Psalm 122:6)

But those who curse Israel align themselves with Satan and will face God’s judgment.

Conclusion: Choose Christ, Choose Life

From Noah’s ark to Abraham’s covenant, and from the cross to the resurrection, God’s redemption plan has always been about saving mankind.

God calls both Jews and Gentiles to:

• Believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

• Bless Israel and stand with God’s chosen people.

• Prepare for the eternal Kingdom of God.

The choice is clear:

• To side with Christ is to receive eternal life.

• To side with Satan is to face eternal destruction.

Be wise. Be discerning. Bless Israel. Believe in Jesus. And you will share in the eternal glory of God’s kingdom.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

For further understanding and inspiration, please read:

 http://www.whyisrael.org/…/26/the-law-of-blessing-and-curse/

By DS Jan van Barneveld

Blessing and curse in the Bible:

There are many examples of this law put into practice in the Bible. Here are just a few:

• The Pharaoh of Egypt repressed the Jews and refused to let them go. His empire was destroyed, and he was drowned in the Red Sea together with his army.

• The Assyrian and Babylonian empires destroyed Israel and, as a result, were diminished. The Bible says: Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria” (Jeremiah 50:18).

In 586 B.C. the Babylonians ravaged the temple in Jerusalem. After that, the Medes devastated Babel. The prophet says the following about that: ‘The Lord will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple’ (Jeremiah 51:11).

Besides examples of curses, there are also examples of blessings.

• Moses’ father-in-law was a priest of a heathen nomad tribe called the Kenites. They supported Israel and were blessed for generations. A part of that tribe was even included in Israel.

• In Canaan, there was a city that found a sneaky way to make peace with Joshua’s army. That city, Gibeon, was spared when God’s wrath poured over that godless region.

Throughout history, following these biblical examples, we will name just a few of the dozens of examples from ‘regular’ history that illustrate the law of blessing and curse:

• Charles the Great (768-814) stood up for the persecuted Jews. Despite warnings from the Roman Catholic Church, he appointed them into high positions in trade and the government. He and his countries were blessed. He brought order, peace, and justice to his large empire and had his subjects educated. Unfortunately, his son Louis the Pious discontinued such politics, and before long things started to get worse.

• At the beginning of the 5th century, the Jews in Spain were doing well. And, therefore, so was Spain. Two centuries later, horrendous persecution started (against Jews) and so judgment followed. In 711 the Muslims of North Africa walked right over Spain.

• When the Jews were exiled from Spain and Portugal at the end of the 15th century, many of them found a haven in Turkey. At that time, Turkey left its primitive past behind it and developed into a world empire. The sultan knew what he was doing. He noted that it was foolish of the king of Spain to chase out the Jews because it would turn out to be a blessing for Turkey.

• In 1580, Amsterdam lovingly took persecuted Jews in, and it soon became a large, powerful city. The Jews even called Amsterdam the Jerusalem of the West. Unfortunately, not much of that remains nowadays.

Today

Let’s just look at England and the United States.

In the second half of the 13th century, the Jews in England suffered severe persecution and were even banned from England in 1290. It was not until 1657 that the Protestant leader of England, Oliver Cromwell, allowed the Jews to return. England immediately prospered as a nation. The pro-Jewish politics were set forth by the Dutch stadtholder William III, who then became king of England. England then grew into one of the most powerful kingdoms the world has ever known. At the height of its power, in 1917, England gave the Jews the right to return to the Promised Land, which at that time was called Palestine. That right was later officially recognized by the League of Nations and the United Nations.

However, a few years later, England betrayed the Jews by choosing sides with the hostile Arabs. As a result, England went downhill fast and in 1956 the British prime minister signed “Over to you” to the President of the United States. Since then, the United States has become the most powerful country in the world. To a certain extent, they have defended tiny Israel from the rage of the surrounding Arab countries. But the U.S. has received many warnings from above. A researcher discovered more than twenty cases in which a disaster in the United States coincided with American pressure on Israel to give land to the Arabs. “I will bless those that bless you and curse those that curse you” is a historical pattern that continues today.

The anti-Israel sentiment in the world does not predict good things! The rising anti-Semitism could just be the last drop when it comes to God’s anger about all the injustice and sin in the world.

For a deeper understanding, you may read:

http://www.ariel.org/dlc/dlc-sma-32.htm