13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
This verse is the central verse in this section found in 9:8-17 which is tied together with a beautiful literary structure called a chiasm. Look at verses 9 & 17. They both talk about establishing a covenant. Verses 10 & 16 talk about all the animals. Verses 11 & 15 talk about destroying all life. This paralleling of material points to the central focus of the passage, our text today. Some people teach that the Bible is just a bunch of myths thrown together for political purposes without any Author’s involvement. They say it is simply a human book. But structures like this point to the unity of the material and the message of God. Some of these structures cover several books and help explain some of the “difficult” passages like the Flood and the Fall. So as you read, have confidence that what you are reading is God’s message for you today. We can trust it. If you have more questions about these types of structures, feel free to ask me. I will be glad to point you in the right direction.
The Arnold Journey 