挪亚和他的家人经历了洪水淹没全地。当他们离开方舟后，必定仍然心有余悸，唯恐还有另一次的洪水会临到他们。因此，神就与他们立约，告诉他们：“我与你们，并你们这里的各样活物所立的永约，是有记号的。我把虹放在云彩中，这就可作我与地立约的记号了。我使云彩盖地的时候，必有虹现在云彩中；我便记念我与你们，和各样有血肉的活物所立的约，水就再不泛滥毁坏一切有血肉的物了。…这就是我与地上一切有血肉之物立约的记号了。”神用云中的彩虹作约的记号，保证绝不再用洪水毁灭人类（创九8-17）。
神与挪亚、他的后代并各样的活物立约。这约主要的内容，就是神绝不再借死水的审判，让死亡临到他们。这主要预表在教会生活中，不再有死亡，只有生命。虽然我们已经得救，并进入教会生活；但看见今天社会败坏的情形：绑架、杀人、勒索、抢劫、窃盗的事件不断，我们仍然觉得受到死亡的威胁。同时我们也被容易犯的罪，或可能发的脾气所威胁。然而，这里有一节圣经作活的应许，使我们得倚靠，并凭此而活。我们不该被自己的定罪、感觉和环境等乌云所威胁或恐吓。因为我们是在神的约下，完全在祂的祝福下。在这约底下，不再有定罪、审判和咒诅，死已经被废去。在教会中我们不断地享受生命，一切都是生命。不要被黑暗或消极的事物所威胁，我们是有约的人。我们必须站在约下，不信任何的失败、软弱、黑暗、或消极的事物。我们的定命是在宝血所洒过的约下。教会生活就是这样的生活，活在教会中，就是活在约底下。在这约底下，我们在教会生活中可以放心，可以平安，因为神应许我们，不再有死亡了。在基督里就没有定罪，不再有死水了。
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God Set the Rainbow as the Sign of His Convent – Gen. 9:16
Noah and his family had passed through the flood that covered the whole earth. After they left the ark, they surely still felt frightened, afraid that another flood might come. Therefore, God made a covenant with them, telling them, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you…I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth…when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud…and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh”. God used the rainbow in the cloud as the sign of His covenant, guaranteeing that He would never again destroy mankind with a flood (Gen. 9:8–17).
God established a covenant with Noah, all his successive generations, and all living creatures. The main point of the covenant is that God would never again allow the judgment of the dead waters to bring death upon them. This signifies that in the church life there is no more death — only life. Although we are saved and have entered the church life, we still see today’s corrupt society — kidnapping, murder, robbery, extortion and theft — constantly happening, and we still feel threatened by death. We are also threatened by sins easily committed or by our temper that may flare. Yet here is a living promise in the Bible on which we may rely and by which we may live. We should not be threatened or intimidated by the dark clouds of self-condemnation, feelings or environment. We are under God’s covenant and fully under His blessing. Under this covenant, there is no more condemnation, judgment or curse — death has been abolished. In the church, we continually enjoy life; everything is life. We should not be threatened by darkness or negative things — we are people of the covenant. We need to stand under this covenant, refusing to believe in any failure, weakness, darkness or negativity. Our destiny is under the covenant sprinkled with the blood. The church life is such a life; to live in the church is to live under the covenant. Under this covenant, we may rest securely, because God promised that there is no more death. In Christ there is no condemnation; there are no more waters of death.