Noach (Noah) Beresheit (Genesis) 6:-11:32

Shalom and welcome to Hungry for Torah. This week’s portion Noach is one of the most exciting portions in all of Torah. Yeshua said that the days that precede His coming will be similar to how things were in the days of Noach.

“And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3)

Yeshua explained to them the answer to their question and in the midst of the explanation He said;

As it was for our Fathers, so shall it be

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no man knows, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noach were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noach entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Matthew 24:35-40)

The Other Rapture

One of the ideas that stems from the above verses is that of a rapture. “Two will be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left.” The ‘taken one’ is considered ‘raptured’ according to an idea that cropped up in the 1800’s. But if we look at what Yeshua says, “The flood came and took them all away,” the taken one is taken by the flood. The taking, according to what these verses indicate is not a good thing. The flood didn’t deliver or save anyone, it killed them.

Since Yeshua paralleled His coming to the days of Noach, we can learn what to expect in the future by looking at what happened in the past. In this sense, our portion contains prophetic insight that we can mine.

The Unexpected Rest

To begin, let’s take a quick peek at last week’s portion to discover the meaning of Noach’s name. When Noach is born his father Lamech named him. In the Scriptures, the name given is sometimes followed by the definition of the name, the definition given by someone who knows their intent. Lamech said he named Noach because, “This one will provide us relief from our work.” (Beresheit 5:29)

Elohim cursed the ground when Adam ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Lamech believed that in Noach’s day, this curse would end, and people would no longer have to work so hard for food. The genealogy suggests that Noach was the first generation born after Adam’s death. Since the curse came upon the ground because of Adam, it made sense that after Adam died, the curse would be lifted.

There is a correlation here between then and now. As Lamech thought Noach would provide relief, so today many believe that this generation will witness relief from our work. People see signs that Messiah’s coming is near.

Whose Timeline?

I have heard many ‘prophecies’ about what is going to happen in our generation. When we look at Noach, we can see two things right off, the ‘rest’ Lamech prophesied didn’t come for six-hundred years, and it wasn’t what he expected.

I’m not saying that I know anything about what’s going to occur between now and Messiah’s return, or that those who prophecy about the end are incorrect, just that historically and Scripturally, end-time events don’t always play out the way we think we understand they will.

Almost every generation has believed they were the last one, and Yeshua would return in their day. There are indications in the New Testament that the disciples thought it would happen in their day. I do not believe, nor say, that all things continue as they have from the beginning, or that Yeshua delays His coming. I think He’s right on time, but that we as humans tend to misinterpret the Scriptures because we try to fit them into our timeline instead of Elohim’s.

Bottom line, Yeshua could return while we are alive. He might not. What do we do about it? Live Torah. What if He comes in 2015, what should we do now to prepare? Live Torah! What if our timelines are off by a hundred or five hundred years, and Yeshua won’t come back until 2115 or 2500 then what do we do? Live Torah.

We are not the first generation to look at world events and see what appears to be the fulfillment of end-times prophecies. Many preachers and teachers have built empires on prophesying when the end will come. But so far...they’ve all been wrong.

Don’t be deceived, and don’t be caught unaware, don’t let it sneak up on you like a thief in the night. Be prepared. How? Live Torah!

It's all about Love

When someone tells me “Nobody can keep all those Old Testament laws,” I realize they haven’t begun at the beginning. Yes, the instructions are difficult to keep in this age, and when we first start and are unfamiliar with them. But the beginning is found in the Shema (Devarim 6:4) “You shall love Yehovah your Elohim with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your strength.” When we have that, then the rest becomes easier.

It is when we are divided, and love earthly things that the instructions in the Torah become difficult. I talked with a person once who told me, “I could never keep all those food laws, I love bacon too much.” ?? There’s the problem. Divided love instead of loving Elohim with all your heart.

Shades of Gray

One of the first things we learn in our Torah portion Noach is that the earth was corrupted and filled with violence (chamas). I don’t think it is simply coincidence that one of the most violent Muhammadan groups calls itself hamas/chamas.

How often do we see in the news another incident of corruption? The reported incidents are just the ones that affect many people. How much corruption is going on that is not reported either because nobody knows about it, or it isn’t sensational enough?

Has corruption been going on before this age? Absolutely. The difference is that it used to be done in secret. Now much of it is openly displayed with a, “What are you going to do about it,” attitude. One that comes to mind is the, “We’re here and we’re queer,” blatantly open displays of what Elohim declares is an abomination punishable by death.

Elohim instructs Noach exactly how to build the ark. Perhaps we can glean some instructions on preparing for our time from them.

Noach's Box

Noach is to build an ark (taybaht, box). Although the English word, ark, is the same as the housing that Moshe has built for the Torah, the Hebrew is not the same. The ‘ark’ that housed the Torah is an aron, not a taybaht. It was also a taybaht that Moshe’s mother put him into to hide him when she set him afloat in the river so he could escape Pharaoh’s death decree for all Hebrew male infants.

Noach’s taybaht was to be constructed of gopher wood, and covered, Kaphar, with pitch, Kopher. All of the words associated with the taybaht are related. There is a sense of covering for protection. The ‘mercy seat’ in the tabernacle where Elohim met with Moshe and later the high priests is the Kapporet, the covering, also from the same root.

The aron with the kapporet that sat in the tabernacle (mishkan) provided a protective covering for all Israel. It still does. The word translated as tabernacle, mishkan, means ‘from dwelling.’ The mishkan was the dwelling place of the shekinyah, the dwelling of Yehovah. Literally, the tabernacle was the dwelling place of Yehovah on the earth.

We have Noach building the covering for those who would be delivered from death when the flood came to snatch up and take away all the wicked.

On one hand, we can look at the flood and see that only eight souls were saved from death. A small number. On the other hand, we can look at those eight and consider that in their loins were all the people who ever lived after the flood. A much larger number. That is the way Abraham was depicted, as the father of all who would come through his physical lineage and his spiritual lineage.

Fist, Second and Last Adam

In a way, Noach was the second Adam. He was the father of all who are alive today. He was righteous (tzadik) and perfect (tamim). If you were with me in earlier Torah portions, you will know that tamim doesn’t mean flawless perfection, but lacking prominent distinguishable defects and damage. In this picture, Noach foreshadows the Messiah whom Paul referred to as the last Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45)

When we look at the shadow, we can see that all those who cling to their father will be rescued, and those who scoff and deride and carry on with all the prevalent sins will be taken away by the destruction to come.

Got a Light?

Elohim promised He would never again destroy all life with water, and Yochanan (John the baptizer) prophesied that Yeshua would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matthew 3:11). The next scheduled cleansing may be by fire, just as Kepha (Peter) prophesied.

“But the day of Yehovah will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)

How can we prepare to be among those who are rescued if the destruction comes in the form of fire? Keep Torah, "These are not idle words, they are your life." "Your word is a light to my path."

There is so much more in this portion, but I’ve kept you long enough. Until we meet again next week for portion Lech Lecha, stay hungry for Torah and share your insights in the comments section below. Shalom and blessings.