Article January 25, 1919 Issue

The Bow in the Cloud

ALMA LUTZ

At this time when the world seems just emerging from a flood of hatred, strife, and destruction, a study of the story of Noah and the ark is most helpful. We read in the sixth chapter of Genesis that "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." There was one man, however, who "walked with God," as Enoch had before him. This man was Noah. In spite of all the corruption and violence on the earth he was able to keep his thought so pure that he could hear the voice of Truth. It was inevitable that such a preponderance of evil as existed in the earth should destroy itself in a spectacular manner. The voice of Truth warned Noah of a flood and counseled the building of an ark, and according to the record Noah followed the instructions of infinite wisdom implicitly in building the ark. Now ark is defined by Mrs. Eddy on page 581 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" as "safety; the idea, or reflection, of Truth, proved to be as immortal as its Principle; the understanding of Spirit, destroying belief in matter." The ark, then, signified to Noah his knowledge of God's unfailing law of protection, and naturally his understanding of man's at-one-ment with God was that which kept the waters of mortal mind from making their way into his consciousness, thus to invade his right thinking.

The Bible narrative gives no account of the comments of Noah's contemporaries, although the building of the ark must have assumed sufficiently large proportions to attract attention and comment. Mortal mind undoubtedly suggested the foolishness of the undertaking, or better ways of accomplishing it; nevertheless we know that the patriarch did not hearken to any but the voice of Truth, and did "according to all that God commanded him." When the ark was completed Noah entered it with his family and the animals, as he was directed, but for seven days no rain fell. This was another testing time for him, and doubtless mortal mind was busy with ridicule and insinuations as to the futility of the undertaking. Once more, however, we read that Noah did "according to all that God commanded him." His was a consciousness deeply intrenched in Truth. Then came the flood, and the whole earth seemed engulfed; but Noah was safe in the ark. When patience had had her perfect work, the rain ceased, the waters abated, and the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. Then when the voice of Truth prompted him, he went forth from the ark with his family and the creatures that were with them, and in his way offered thanks to God.

Thereupon God made a covenant with Noah and every living creature for "perpetual generations," saying: "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.... This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh."

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