“Thus also said God to Noe, and to his sons with him, ‘Behold I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you: and with every living soul that is with you, as well in all birds as in cattle and beasts of the earth, that are come forth out of the ark, and in all the beasts of the earth. I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth.’ And God said: ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I give between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations. I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me, and between the earth. And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds: and I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the clouds, and I shall see it, and shall remember the everlasting covenant, that was made between God and every living soul of all flesh which is upon the earth.’ And God said to Noe: ‘This shall be the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh upon the earth.’”
God then establishes a covenant with Noah, washing away all sin out of love, but wanting Noah to never be afraid, and be comfortable in his journey with God: “My breasts,” the love of God and neighbor in the heart, “are as a tower since I am become in his presence as one finding peace” (Canticle 8:10), God guarantees that the flood will not come again, for fear is a horrible binding upon the hands that keeps one from living a full Christian life: “Fear not, for I am with thee: turn not aside for I am thy God: I have strengthened thee, and have helped thee, and the right hand of my just one hath upheld thee” (Isaias 41:10). It is a covenant that God will not crush the earth with wrath, but rather looks after each creature with love and care: “Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26), with the eventual misfortunes of life being designed to provide opportunities for conversion: “And there went out another horse that was red: and to him that sat thereon, it was given that he should take peace from the earth” (Apocalypse 6:4), growth: “We glory also in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience trial; and trial hope; and hope confoundeth not: because the love of God is poured forth into our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us” (Romans 5:3-5), or for the salvation of souls: “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24). Thus the covenant is put in place between God and all His creatures, that there may be peace between God, man, and creation, for there is to be a covenant of love between God and man, that then elevates creation to being reminders of the Beloved and therefore enjoyed: “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, let the sea be moved, and the fulness thereof: the fields and all things that are in them shall be joyful” (Psalm 95:11-12). While the covenant between God and man here is imperfect and doesn’t go to the extraordinary depth of the new covenant: “’Take ye, and eat. This is my body.’ And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: ‘Drink ye all of this. For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins’” (Matthew 26:26-28), it still shows God’s faithfulness and a glimpse into what He will call His people into later. The symbol of the covenant here is the rainbow, which gains its beauty from the sun shining upon the clouds, and so too does the rainbow of the variety of saints gain its magnificence from the love of God, taking a great variety of colors based on the different ways in which love is expressed: “And he that sat, was to the sight like the jasper and the sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald” (Apocalypse 4:3). The term for the rainbow is the same term used for a hunting or military bow: “He hath bent his bow as an enemy, he hath fixed his right hand as an adversary: and he hath killed all that was fair to behold in the tabernacle of the daughter of Sion, he hath poured out his indignation like fire” (Lamentations 2:4), and it is retired, that He may draw man more by His beauty: “Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art exceedingly great. Thou hast put on praise and beauty: and art clothed with light as with a garment” (Psalm 103:1-2), rather than intimidating by His power, with this attribute now being something on which you can rely rather than fear: “Thine, O Lord, is magnificence, and power, and glory, and victory: and to thee is praise: for all that is in heaven, and in earth, is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art above all princes” (1 Paralipomenon 29:11). The Noahic covenant is then set to remain as long as the earth remains, that while “The Lord is the God to whom revenge belongeth” (Psalm 93:1), you may look to Him instead as your Father, your Beloved, and your Spirit of Love, realizing that He will rise up for you rather than against you: “The Lord of armies is with us: the God of Jacob is our protector” (Psalm 45:8).