God's Bow in the Clouds: Reflections on Genesis 9:8-17

And second, the sign of the end of floods is both beautiful and richly symbolic. "I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh" (Gen. 9:13-15). The "bow" is precisely the word for the bow of war, notched with the arrows of killing. But now YHWH hangs the war bow in the clouds as a sign that the covenant between YHWH and the earth is still in force. This charming image is apparently borrowed from their Canaanite neighbors, since in their mythology, the God Baal hangs his war bow in the clouds after the earth's creation. For the Hebrews, however, the hanging up of God's war bow is more, nothing less than a sign of the end of YHWH's reaction of rage against human sin.

The third thing to note is that the cloud bow is not finally for us to see. Oh, we can look at it if we like, and it will help us remember the covenant that YHWH has offered, not to mention that it is a lovely sign of the end of nearly every rainstorm. But in fact the bow is for YHWH to remember! It says that no fewer than three times in this text. The cloud bow is the string tied around God's divine finger. When God sees the bow, God will be reminded that floods for human sin are no longer an option; God's main role now is sustenance for every creature of God, both human and animal. In short, YHWH is now madly in love with all that YHWH has made and will strive with every divine nerve to make a way for all creatures to thrive in the cosmos.

And, of course, that is where we come in, we humans. We, too, must love the cosmos in order that all of God's creatures, every whirring, clacking, and singing one of them, might have places in which to thrive. Since we humans are primarily the cause of the planet's potential failure and collapse, so we must dedicate ourselves to its success and ultimate livability for all. One could easily say that Genesis 9:8-17 is the quintessential biblical passage for a full and rich environmental theology: God loves the cosmos and works for its ongoing success and bids all those who love God to love the cosmos, too, and to join God in that good environmental work. Well, what do you say? Shall we join?