Suzerain | Reflections on Genesis 6 to 9

Lyrics
[Verse 1]
In the summer sun, we raise our hands high,
Dancing in the light, beneath the vast blue sky,
A promise painted bright, in every shade and hue,
God's love surrounds us, forever pure and true.
He’s the suzerain, with justice in His heart.
[Chorus]
A suzerain God who says,
"When I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow appears in the clouds,
I will remember my covenant between me and you",
You set yourself different from all the false gods.
[Verse 2]
With every step we take, with every song we sing,
His covenant's the joy that only He can bring,
The clouds start to gather, a divine show in view,
A rainbow shines above, reminding us, it’s true.
Oh, He remembers, His promise is life-giving strength.
[Chorus]
A suzerain God who says,
When I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow appears in the clouds,
I will remember my covenant between me and you,
You set yourself different from all the false gods.
With faith in our hearts, we will dance everyday,
A loving God above, lighting up our way.
BACKGROUND
Flood stories are not unique to the Biblical tradition. In fact, many flood stories predate the Genesis account. One popular example is the Epic of Gilgamesh, where Utnaprishtim heard the god's plan of destroying the earth, so he made an ark. It’s fascinating to understand what the Genesis writers were trying to accomplish: they were retelling the story to emphasize that God, our God, was the one who ordered man to create the ark. No man can outsmart him. he does not destroy for the sake of destorying. He is a God who knows when to stop creating (Genesis 1) and when to stop destroying (Genesis 6 to 9) (Side note: Epic of Gilgamesh is from Mesopotamia where Abraham came from; and where the Genesis writer came from)
Why Suzerain is striking here
In the ancient world, in making a suzerain-vassal treaty, the vassal (the lower status group of people) usually asks for a sign/treaty so the suzerain (the king, the larger kingdom) can remember the agreement. Of course, the vassals wanted to be "safe and secure". However, in Genesis, it is the suzerain (God) who sets up the covenant and creates the sign (the rainbow) Himself to remind Himself of His promise, showing His desire not to forget what He vowed. We did not have to remember His promises. Again, the Genesis story is trying to show why God, our God, is different here.