The rainbow stretched from Kilsyth to Lilydale (both suburbs of Melbourne’s outer east).
The original story is complicated. This little tale of how it intersects with the life of an ordinary Australian woman today is a tad convoluted too. I hope you enjoy it and find it thought-provoking, just the same.
Perseverance
Two days ago, I taught a lesson about Noah to a class of English language learners. My aim was that these theology students from Asia would grasp vocabulary specific to that story and which is also applicable to church settings in Australia in which they currently serve. Such words included ‘righteousness’, ‘deliverance’ and ‘covenant’.
I have been challenged yet again recently to persevere with the dream of writing, but struggle to make time for writing a priority. This blog post on Noah, for example, was outlined yesterday but then I ran out of time to write it up. I then planned to write it up early this afternoon after a morning full of activities, but again, the time slipped away.
It was late afternoon and time to head out and meet a friend for a walk. I got in the car, looked up at the black sky, and went back inside for an umbrella.
Umbrella by my side, I got into the car, backed out of the carport and drove towards Lilydale, a neighbouring suburb.
Halfway there, mulling over Noah’s story, this rainbow (pictured) appeared in the sky. The photo doesn’t do it justice. It was a brilliant full rainbow with a second arc faintly visible above it. I pulled up for a photo but was not in a position, quite literally, to capture in all in one shot.
It’s not all about me, I know. But, from my perspective, the rainbow suggested a divine prompt that it is time for me to write up a few thoughts about Noah.
Looking Back
Rainbows are a sign of the covenant God made with the earth. Never again will our Creator destroy the earth by flood.
The earth was a wicked place back then. We think it’s a mess now, and in many ways it is, but that’s nothing new. Back in Noah’s day, God’s heart was grieved. My English language students wrote down the noun ‘grief’ and the verb ‘to grieve’. They could be useful words in pastoral work.
As an aside, I wonder what I do … what we do … that grieves God today? Ephesians 4 (particularly the second half of the chapter) suggests that we grieve his spirit whenever we live in ways which are not not right in his eyes.
To be fair, the depravity of Noah’s generation wasn’t entirely their fault, as I understand Genesis 6. Beings from the spirit world had intermarried with humans. Their descendants were giants and heroes of the day – people to be admired. (‘Descendants’ was another new word for my students.)
In that context of wickedness, we meet Noah, ‘a preacher of righteousness’ according to 2 Peter 2:5.
‘Righteousness’ is a rather important word for theological students. I told them that Noah kept urging his peers, “Do what is RIGHT!” Right – righteous – righteousness … breaking words down to their roots is a helpful strategy for English language students.
Noah’s peers did not listen. And they were judged. ‘To judge’ (verb), ‘a judge’ (noun) and ‘judgement’ (noun) were added to the list of new vocabulary, the latter somewhat complicated by different spelling conventions in British and American English.
The rain poured down and underground waters gushed up. The verbs ‘to pour’ and ‘to gush’ were added to the list of new words in our lesson. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out.
‘Wiped out’? Most students were familiar with the verb ‘to wipe’. But, they asked, what is the difference between ‘to wipe out’, ‘to wipe on’, ’to wipe off’, ’to wipe away’, ‘to wipe up’ and just plain old ‘to wipe’?
Birds – a potential tangle for translators
I had the students tell me the story of Noah’s ark before I taught what I expected would be new to them. I wanted to see what English words they already knew and I wanted them to genuinely need the vocabulary they were about to learn.
To my surprise, the students informed me that, after the floodwaters began to recede, Noah first sent out a crow, then later a pigeon. I tried to gently correct the students.
“He sent a raven first – a big black bird.”
“No, it was a crow.” The students were adamant.
It turns out that, in the Chinese version of this tale, the word used – 乌鸦 – can be translated as both ‘crow’ and ‘raven’. Some of the students were familiar with the English word ‘crow’, but none had yet come across the word ‘raven’.
Being a bird that eats dead creatures as well as being a bird of prey, I tend to think negatively of ravens. In Tibetan culture, however, both crows and ravens symbolise good luck. I wonder what connotations, if any, ravens had in Noah’s day. That train of thought is a rabbit trail not to be pursued in an English lesson, fascinating though it be.
As for pigeons and doves, I have encountered this confusion before. Again, in Chinese, the one word 鸽子 refers to both pigeons and doves. Having had a flying pigeon do its business right over my head in a city square in Sydney, I think of pigeons as dirty little creatures. In Chinese cities twenty or thirty years ago, ‘Flying Pigeon’ bicycles were ubiquitous. I suspect that the name ‘Flying Pigeon’ was intended to bring to mind an image of graceful birds swooping about town. Though I rode a Flying Pigeon bicycle for years, that imagery never worked for me.
These tangents weren’t relevant in the English lesson but they are important for translators of the Bible to consider. What a challenging but purposeful role Bible translators have.
A Sign and a Cycle
The story of Noah finishes with hope and a future.
After surviving cramped conditions for over a year, some animals were finally released only to be sacrificed by Noah as burnt offerings. And God was pleased. He made a covenant (yes ‘covenant’ was a new word for the students) with Noah, his descendants and the earth.
The rainbow image was a lovely way to finish this story. Yet it was not just an end but also also a beginning. Sadly, in just this first post-flood generation alone, sin would again tarnish God’s creation. Down, down, down humanity would spiral … again.
The story of Noah illustrates a pattern repeated over and over in Scripture. It is a pattern of judgement, mercy and deliverance. ‘Deliverance’, a new word for most students, comes from the verb ‘to deliver’, a word with which the students are more familiar. Australia Post delivers parcels … sometimes. Mothers deliver babies. Something is taken from one setting to another and given a new start. Noah’s family were delivered. We enjoy deliverance too if we trust Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Ultimately the story of Noah points to Jesus. He not only delivers us for a season, but he will restore all creation, including things on earth and in the heavens. The apostle Peter has some interesting points to make about just how the story of Noah pointed to Jesus. Turn to 1 Peter 3:1 8-22 and 2 Peter 2:5 if you are interested. I am fascinated by it, but glad that, as a mere English language teacher, I am not expected to understand it fully, let alone explain it. Next week, we will consider English vocabulary related to the rite of baptism. It is a natural segue since Peter likens the floodwaters of Noah’s day to the waters of baptism.
Today, as I admired the gorgeous double rainbow, I was reminded afresh of the fact that, like Noah, we serve a powerful God who is holy and pure and yet still perseveres with us.
And that, in any language, is amazing.