Day: June 14, 2024

Friday, June 14, 2024

“And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:…” (Genesis 9:12 KJV).

What are “tokens” in Scripture?

In ordinary life, we think of tokens as coins used to operate machines. Yet, depending on the context, the word can carry other meanings. The way we grow and develop is to recognize the limitations of our knowledge and make an effort to discover whatever we are unfamiliar with. It is easy to complain about how we do not understand this Bible word or that Bible word, but the mature response is to study like an adult to obtain an answer. For example, the first case of “token” in the Holy Bible is today’s Scripture, and it concerns the LORD’S promise to Noah and the rest of mankind.

Read this “Noahic Covenant” as it is found in today’s Scripture and its context: “[12] And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: [13] I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. [14] And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: [15] 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. [16] And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. [17] And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”

Of course, God’s promise never to flood the world again was invisible, but its representation, sign, or symbol could be seen—a rainbow. Here we take our first steps in learning what the Bible says about “tokens….”