"Noah the righteous" in a generation of pure evil; Gen 6:9-11:32

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

PARASHAH; “Noach” GENESIS 6:9-11:32


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.

The name “Noach” in Hebrew only has 2 letters. The “Nun” and the “Chet” if the name is reversed, putting the “Chet” first and then the “Nun” we get the word “Chen” which means “grace” The name “Noach” sums “58” in gematria, so does the phrase “Yah Gadol” (Great is God) So we have the “God who is Great” who shows “grace” to Noah, who is righteous in the face of a corrupt, fallen world of evil men, women, and giants.

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, 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.

Now, we can see something else in these numbers. The “area” of the ark, using the original Biblical measurement of the cubit would be 300 x 50 x30 = 450,000 square cubits in area. We see the numbers 4, 5, and 0. If we look at the symbolism of these numbers, we see 4 (earth) 5 (grace), and 0 (eternity). Is it possible that Adonai is saying, through these measurements, that despite earth’s judgment (through the flood) grace will be given (to Noach) because he is a “Tzadik” a righteous man? Grace is indeed “eternal”

He also says to seal it within and without with “pitch” or “tar” which would make it water-proof. Interestingly, 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 ark was a haven for Noach and his family, as YESHUA is our “ark of safety” and we are “sealed” with his Ruach HaKodesh. Outside, the world is judged, yet we are safe inside the love and shalom of Yeshua

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”.

The only other place in the Torah where the word “Teivah” appears is in Exodus 2:3 when Miriam, the sister of Moshe, makes an “ark” (Teivah) and places Moshe inside the ark and places it in the Nile River. There is a parallelism between Moshe and Noach! Both were placed inside “Teivot” (arks) which were simply rectangular boxes made to float on water. Both were guided by HaShem and brought to a specific place. Moshe was brought to the palace steps to be received by the pharaoh’s daughter. Noach was brought to the mountains of Ararat (in Turkey). Moshe was a righteous man as well as Noach. Moshe was the redeemer of the Jewish people in Egypt and led them out of slavery. Noach redeemed ALL of mankind through his DNA, thus preserving the human race.

Inside the ark, the DNA of 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 also must realize that Noah and his family were saved from destruction not only because they were a righteous family, but also, because the Messianic prophecy must be fulfilled through humankind, the "Seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent (Satan)

Another thing we can note about the ark is that was divided into three parts. The bottom deck (where probably all the heavier animals were kept) the middle deck and the top deck (where Noach and his family probably lived). The Tabernacle was also divided into three parts, the outer court, the inner court, and the Holy of Holies, where the “Ark of the Covenant was kept”

We can also see three parts of the “Ark of the Covenant” (the outside, the inside, and the cover) “Elohim” is “Three” the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Av, Ben, Ruach HaKodesh. The Spirit of Elohim lived within the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, and of course was with Noach and his family, inside the ark.

There were two Tzadikim (righteous men) mentioned in the first few chapters of Genesis. Enoch and Noah. Both men have the letters "Nun" (n) and "Chet' (ch) in their names. Life is within the fence. If we are to be "tzadikim" (righteous men and women) our lives must be lived within the "fence" or "surroundings" of the Torah (God's WORD).
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 modern, hundreds of years ago, 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 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. It is interesting to see that the name of God up to this point is “Elohim” but now, the letters YHVH are used to indicate that the loving nature of Adonai, in his perfect and holy name, secures Noah and his family inside HIS ark of safety.

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, and 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 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. (water seeks its own level) 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 what the pre-diluvian earth looked like, but after the flood, Noach and his family stepped out into a strange and different world. It was on the 1st Day of Nisan, "New Year's Day" Happy New Year to a new earth.

The floodwaters 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 claim to have found the ark halfway sticking out of an ice glacier on Mt. Ararat. But the Hebrew scriptures state; "Harei Ararat" (the mountains of Ararat) It is not in the singular, it's plural. So, there must have been a "mountain chain called Ararat" (more than one mountain) the word "Ararat" means "The curse reversed"
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, God permitted us to eat the flesh of clean animals, before, mankind was vegetarian. Yes, Noah was a Tzadik, a righteous man yet he still had his sinful 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. Perhaps he made fun of him which is a lack of respect toward a parent. The result is that Noah was angry and curses “Canaan” Ham’s son. Why not curse Ham? Ham was already blessed like his brothers.
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 has become 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 who 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 in different directions to repopulate the earth, so that is how languages started. They were complete with grammar, and syntax, many even with written words.

Today, there are a 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.

 

"And I will set my bow in the clouds as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth..." (Gen 9:13)