Parasha "Noach" (Genesis 6:9-11:32)

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

 

 

PARASHAH; “Noach”

 

GENESIS 6:9-11:32…………………. ISAIAH 54:1-55:5………………...MATT 3:1-4:25

 

     The Torah says; “Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with Elohim”

Noah was a “Tzadik” a righteous man.  This is a powerful statement since, in his days, the whole populated earth was corrupt, yet he and his family decided against “going with the flow” and decided to follow YHVH in His ways. 

     We know the story, it is one of the most popular stories from the Bible.  Elohim decides to destroy the world with a flood of waters, saving only Noah and his family, and representatives of the animal kinds.  He is commanded to build an ark, a “floating barge” a rectangular box-car type of vessel.  In feet, it measured 450 feet long, by 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.  It had rooms or animal stalls, three floors, a door in the side, and ventilation all around. 

     Using biblical measurements, it was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.  A cubit is about 18 inches, it would be from a man’s elbow to the tip of his middle finger (more or less).  The total was 380 cubits, length + width + height = 380.  In Hebrew letters, this sum would equal “Sheen + Pey” with the symbolism of “The all-consuming fire speaks” Elohim is about to judge and tear up the world with a watery judgment, and he speaks to Noah, who is the only one faithful to HIM. 

     He also says to seal it within and without with “pitch” or “tar” which would make it water-proof.  It is interesting that the Hebrew word is “K’fer” very similar to “Kafar” which is “covering” this word is used during “Yom Kippur”.  During Yom Kippur, the blood of the animals “covered” the sins of the people for one year.  This “covering” on the ark would also “seal” Noah and his family inside the ark for the same amount of time, for a year. 

     The world would perish under the water judgment, yet YHVH would make a “brit” (covenant) with Noach and his family.  They would be safe and sound, and of course dry inside the ark for a year.  The word for “ark” in Hebrew is “Teivah” it has three Hebrew letters; “Tav” “Beit” and “Hey”.  The ancient Hebrew meaning of these letters together would be “behold the house of the covenant” The ark would be their house for one year a temporary house that was under God’s “covenant”. 

     Inside the ark, the DNA for all humankind would be safe.  Had not YHVH chosen to save Noah and his family, and instead, destroy all of humankind, today, we would probably be plants, trees, or flowers.  Also remember that in the days before the flood, it never rained from the sky, but from under the ground.  When the rains finally came, the people outside the ark probably freaked out big time!

     We read that animal representatives of each animal kind entered the ark.  Two of each “unclean” kind came into the ark, and fourteen of the “clean” animals, such as sheep, goats, cows, bulls, buffalo, deer, moose, elk, etc.  or seven pairs of each.  Later on, we find out why? They would be used for eating purposes and for sacrifices, so, there would have to be a lot of them on the earth.  Dinosaurs? Yes, they came on board, probably the young ones that were still babies.  The word “dinosaur” is a modern word, back then the word “dragon” was used for dinos.

     We read that when Noah finished building the ark, which took 120 years, he took enough food to last a year, and when the animals got on board they settled down.  Some might have gone into hibernation status. Then, after a period of seven days of waiting, 7:16 says “and YHVH shut him in” This means that “God himself shut the outside door”.  The period of grace was over, death and judgment would begin. 

     Every human being on this earth is under a period of grace when we can come into the presence of Adonai and enter into the “ark of salvation” which is Yeshua.  After our physical death, our fate is sealed, judgment will fall.  Eternal condemnation in the lake of fire for the lost, and for believers, our “works” will be judged where we will either receive or lose rewards, yet we ourselves will inherit eternal life with the King of Kings, and LORD of Lords.

     The WORD says that it rained for 40 days and nights. “40” is the number of “judgment and testing,” it says that the waters rose above the highest mountains 22 feet.  This proves that it was a “universal flood” not a local flood.  During this time, there was a lot of seismic activity, shifting of the earth's continents, creating new mountain chains and ridges.  We have no idea how the pre-diluvian earth looked like, but after the flood, Noach and his family stepped out into a strange and different world. 

     The flood waters were upon the earth for a year, and the Word says that in the seventh month and on the seventeenth day of that month (Tishrei) the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat.  Isn’t it surprising that the ark came to rest on dry land during the third day of Sukkot!  Noah’s “Sukkah” received “shalom” and on the first day of the first month “Nissan” “New Year’s Day” the waters had completely dried up on the earth.

     This is very significant because the whole earth is starting anew, a new year for a renewed earth. So, Noah and his family leave the ark and start life anew.  About 4000 years later, a Turkish countryman and his son, and later the Tzar’s army soldiers found the ark halfway sticking out of an ice glacier on Mt. Ararat.  They took measurements and explored it, so, Yes, it was found.

     Noah and his family left the ark, and the first thing Noah did was to build an altar and sacrifice clean animals.  Here again is the burnt offering to remind us of our sin nature. After the flood was when God gave permission to eat the flesh of clean animals, before, mankind was vegetarian.  Yes, Noah was a Tzadik, a righteous man yet he still had his sin nature.  He planted a vineyard and got drunk from the wine he made. 

     Ham, one of the sons of Noah saw his father naked inside his tent.  We do not know what happened, if he just saw him naked, or…perhaps…committed some kind of perverse sexual thing on Noah, we only know that the Torah says that when Noah awakened from his drunkenness he discovered what his son had “done unto him”(9:24) implying that something was “done” Ham did not just “see” his father naked.  The result is that Noah was angry and cursed “Canaan” Ham’s son.

     Now, we don’t understand why the grandson had to suffer for what his father had done.  Doesn’t seem fair, well, life ISN’T fair. It never has been.  We’re living in a lost and dying world, a world that is going down the tubes.  One thing is that Noah had already blessed his sons, and being blessed, you cannot take the blessing from them.  Are there any Canaanites alive today? I would say not.  They ended up being a perverse, vial people.

     Now the world becomes populated again.  People start moving around from the three sons of Noah; Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  From these three sons, we get the three main people groups of the world.  “Shem” the Semites, “Ham” the Hamites which went down toward Africa, and “Japheth” who brought about the European peoples.  One of the popular names from Japheth is “Ashkenaz” who was the father, one could say, of the Ashkenazim East European Jews later on. “Tubal” = Tobolsk (in Russia) “Meshek” = Moscow (Russia)

    Another name is “Nimrod” who came from “Ham” and also “Mizraim” (Egypt) and “Cush” (Ethiopia, Sudan) Nimrod founded Babylon.  From here we get the division of the world languages.  At that time, the descendants of Noah spoke only one language, probably Hebrew, The people under Nimrod contracted a bad disease, namely “US-itess”  “Let US build US a city let US make US a name least WE be scattered abroad the earth” (11:4) the direct opposite of what YHVH ordered them to do, to “multiply and fill the earth again with people! The flood taught them nothing! They continued to rebel. 

     The Torah says that YHVH gave them new languages.  According to scholars, from one language came 70 languages then, and 70 people groups. So, they left Babel and went off into different directions to repopulate the earth, so that is how languages started.  They were complete with grammar, syntax, many even with written words.

     Today, there are lot more than 70 languages, but no matter what language a person speaks, YHVH knows his name in ALL languages, and ALL who call upon the NAME of the LORD will be saved!  When a person prays to receive Yeshua as LORD and Savior, no matter what the language is, HE will HEAR and come into that person’s life! Remember, HE is the author of ALL languages of the world.

 

ISAIAH 54:1-55:5

 

     Am Yisrael is compared to the “sands of the sea” and the “dust of the earth” and the “Stars of heaven” The prophet Yeshayahu in these verses are comforting Israel that they will be blessed, with descendants, even though at the time they might be going through some rough times, always, when people go away from the LORD and follow other gods, then judgment will follow, and suffering will follow, however, YHVH will never reject his people…and…He will increase their numbers.

     In spite of HaSatan trying to wipe the Jewish people from existence through the Holocaust, pogroms, etc.  The people will continue to exist.  Why is Israel compared to the “sands of the sea?” because who can count each and every grain of sand?  Why is Israel compared to the “dust of the earth?” One walks on the dust, and Israel has been trampled on, like dust, but dust is enduring.  Leave a car outside in the desert, in the dust, for perhaps one-hundred years.  In the end, the car will no longer exist, it will have been wasted away, yet the dust will continue to exist, forever.

     Why “the stars of heaven?” because Israel will “shine” like the stars, because, the Mashiach came from Israel, and He shines, as everlasting light.  Israel will be a light to the nations and will teach the nations of ONE GOD “Echad”

 

MATTHEW 3:1-4:25

 

     Yochanan the Baptizer is in the Jordan, baptizing the people, getting them ready to meet their Mashiach, his cousin, his LORD.  We need to get our hearts and minds right, a need to change is necessary, to leave the lost world behind and embrace the things of the LORD. 

     Yeshua is baptized, goes into the wilderness, fasts for 40 days, getting ready for his ministry and teaching, healing, and finally, dying for our sins.  40 is the number for testing and judgment.  “Man shall not live by bread alone, but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of Adonai”.  Yes, physical food is necessary, and it feeds the physical body, yet the WORD of God feeds our spirit man/woman.  There needs to be a balance between the two.  Good, healthy, kosher food which Adonai gave us, and HIS WORD, which is the living manna. 

     Yeshua settles in Capernaum, or in Hebrew “K’far Naum” the “Covering of Naum”.  I have been there, to Capernaum, and the synagogue that Yeshua visited is still there, although it was torn down a rebuilt a few times, the floor is the same.  It was an honor to physically “walk” where Yeshua walked and taught Torah.  The remains of Peter’s house is also there. 

     Let’s walk the way Yeshua walked, let’s keep on preparing our hearts, and minds, and our lives. The Kingdom of Heaven IS here, it IS at hand.  The “Kingdom of God” is HIS activity here on earth.  

 

Shabbat Shalom…………. Rabbi Ben Avraham