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Someone has defined a contract as an agreement between two or more parties to protect the interests of each party. By contrast, a covenant is a solemn agreement between two parties, but in which both sides look out for their own interests as well as the interests of the other party, such as a marriage covenant. Based on His own purpose and love for people, God makes covenants with us. Some of them are unilateral—they do not depend on us doing anything. An example of this kind of covenant is the one God made with Noah after the flood. We read this in Genesis 9:11: “I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth. I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all the creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures.” God makes and keeps covenants with us. The rainbow reminds us that God will not destroy the earth again with a flood. That same rainbow reminds us that God always keeps His word about anything. It is why we have placed our confidence in Him.
