Daily Bible Portion (Sunday)
Daily Bible Portion - 1 of 7
"NOAH"
(Weekly Reading>>Genesis 6:9-11:32, Isaiah 54:1-10, Numbers 28:1-15, Matthew 24:36-44, 1 Peter 3:18-22)
The Local Synagogue
In my early years of studying scripture from a Hebraic perspective, I responded to a public invitation given by the neighborhood synagogue to meet their new Rabbi and join a lunch time study group. It was the beginning of the Torah cycle in the Fall and I thought what an incredible opportunity to learn. In the first five minutes of the study we were informed that the ten generations from Adam, up to and including Noah, were all just a fable. At this everyone in attendance laughed in agreement. I have since found that there are many, including believers today, who consider the biblical story of Noah and the flood to be a legend - an allegorical story.
As I drove home that day, I was reminded of Yahweh’s factual, not fictional, sign of the rainbow that is still with us today. It is the first physical sign of the Covenant Yahweh gave to Noah, his family and the generations that were to follow. It assured them of Yahweh’s faithfulness and promised Redemption. To this day whenever I pass by the synagogue I am reminded to pray for our brothers that our Redeemer be revealed to them in new and mighty ways.
Noah a Righteous Man
Noah is a true story that foreshadows future events. Yeshua confirms this with His disciples in Matthew.
These life accounts in Genesis are stories within stories on physical and spiritual levels. Thus the study of Torah is very descriptive and illuminating for all in pursuit of their Messiah. He is revealed in every story, and this story of Noah and his family is without exception.
What is a righteous man? According to Ezekiel a righteous man is one who walks in the right ways of Yahweh.
How did Noah know to walk in Yahweh’s ways, the laws that create righteousness acts? In the last study "In the Beginning", we learned that the Word was also called the gospel or the wisdom of Yeshua. The gospel, the spoken word, created and upheld the universe. Thus Noah walked within the boundaries of the gospel, the natural laws of the universe in Yahweh’s kingdom. The gospel had been proclaimed throughout each generation before him. This is how Noah learned to walk with God; therefore he was declared a righteous man.
How did Noah stay true to Yahweh amidst a wicked and evil generation? We learned last week that Noah’s predecessors lived hundreds of years, and knew and walked with God. Noah’s father Lamech was fifty-six years old when Adam died, a hundred and eleven years old when Enoch was no more, and a hundred and sixty-eight years old when Seth passed away. Lamech was taught by these men and would have met with them throughout the year to celebrate Yahweh’s Feast Days/moadim. During these family occasions Lamech would have heard about the Garden and what it was like to walk in the Presence physically with Yahweh/Elohim. These historical family memories Lamech passed on to his son Noah. Noah knew what was right in Yahweh’s eyes and chose to walk in the gospel because he had been taught by those who had eyewitness accounts of the Living Torah, Yeshua, the Tree of Life. In this way walking in the ways and presence of Torah was natural to Noah. This kept Noah and his family safe in the days when man’s ways were corrupt upon the earth. The gospel will also keep us safe in perilous times (Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 19:7; 1 Peter 1:10-11).
The Ark – The Olam Haba
Noah was commanded to make the ark according to the pattern Yahweh gave him. We find this "pattern" of redemption all through scripture. It is based on clean and unclean, holy and unholy. The ark was to be a set-apart place; a light that shines in darkness; a shelter to bring comfort and a safe haven; a place of refuge and rest; a covering and a life source; a place where no sickness, disease or disorder resides; where heaven meets earth - Malchut Shamayim - and the place where Yeshua, the living Torah dwells (Ezekiel 44: 23-24).
A deeper look at the understandings of Torah (Five Books of Moses) can also reveal that God taught Noah (a reference to believers) to set-apart from the common unbelieving lifestyle found in the world around him, called in Hebrew the Olam Hazeh, through the building process of the ark. This world is in a constant state of decay and destruction because of the ruler of this world – Satan.
continues tomorrow...
"NOAH"
(Weekly Reading>>Genesis 6:9-11:32, Isaiah 54:1-10, Numbers 28:1-15, Matthew 24:36-44, 1 Peter 3:18-22)
The Local Synagogue
In my early years of studying scripture from a Hebraic perspective, I responded to a public invitation given by the neighborhood synagogue to meet their new Rabbi and join a lunch time study group. It was the beginning of the Torah cycle in the Fall and I thought what an incredible opportunity to learn. In the first five minutes of the study we were informed that the ten generations from Adam, up to and including Noah, were all just a fable. At this everyone in attendance laughed in agreement. I have since found that there are many, including believers today, who consider the biblical story of Noah and the flood to be a legend - an allegorical story.
As I drove home that day, I was reminded of Yahweh’s factual, not fictional, sign of the rainbow that is still with us today. It is the first physical sign of the Covenant Yahweh gave to Noah, his family and the generations that were to follow. It assured them of Yahweh’s faithfulness and promised Redemption. To this day whenever I pass by the synagogue I am reminded to pray for our brothers that our Redeemer be revealed to them in new and mighty ways.
Psalm 29:10 “Yahweh sat enthroned at the Flood, and Yahweh sits as King forever. Yahweh will give strength to His people; Yahweh will bless His people with peace.”
Noah a Righteous Man
Noah is a true story that foreshadows future events. Yeshua confirms this with His disciples in Matthew.
Matthew 24:37-39 “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
These life accounts in Genesis are stories within stories on physical and spiritual levels. Thus the study of Torah is very descriptive and illuminating for all in pursuit of their Messiah. He is revealed in every story, and this story of Noah and his family is without exception.
Genesis 6:7-9 “So Yahweh said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found grace in the eyes of Yahweh. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect [righteous - תָּמִים tamîm] in his generations. Noah walked with God.”
What is a righteous man? According to Ezekiel a righteous man is one who walks in the right ways of Yahweh.
“They [those who are doers of the word are complete, entirely in accord with truth and fact] shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths” (Ezekiel 44:23-24).
How did Noah know to walk in Yahweh’s ways, the laws that create righteousness acts? In the last study "In the Beginning", we learned that the Word was also called the gospel or the wisdom of Yeshua. The gospel, the spoken word, created and upheld the universe. Thus Noah walked within the boundaries of the gospel, the natural laws of the universe in Yahweh’s kingdom. The gospel had been proclaimed throughout each generation before him. This is how Noah learned to walk with God; therefore he was declared a righteous man.
Genesis 7:5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.
How did Noah stay true to Yahweh amidst a wicked and evil generation? We learned last week that Noah’s predecessors lived hundreds of years, and knew and walked with God. Noah’s father Lamech was fifty-six years old when Adam died, a hundred and eleven years old when Enoch was no more, and a hundred and sixty-eight years old when Seth passed away. Lamech was taught by these men and would have met with them throughout the year to celebrate Yahweh’s Feast Days/moadim. During these family occasions Lamech would have heard about the Garden and what it was like to walk in the Presence physically with Yahweh/Elohim. These historical family memories Lamech passed on to his son Noah. Noah knew what was right in Yahweh’s eyes and chose to walk in the gospel because he had been taught by those who had eyewitness accounts of the Living Torah, Yeshua, the Tree of Life. In this way walking in the ways and presence of Torah was natural to Noah. This kept Noah and his family safe in the days when man’s ways were corrupt upon the earth. The gospel will also keep us safe in perilous times (Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 19:7; 1 Peter 1:10-11).
The Ark – The Olam Haba
“And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks’” (Genesis 6:13-16).
Noah was commanded to make the ark according to the pattern Yahweh gave him. We find this "pattern" of redemption all through scripture. It is based on clean and unclean, holy and unholy. The ark was to be a set-apart place; a light that shines in darkness; a shelter to bring comfort and a safe haven; a place of refuge and rest; a covering and a life source; a place where no sickness, disease or disorder resides; where heaven meets earth - Malchut Shamayim - and the place where Yeshua, the living Torah dwells (Ezekiel 44: 23-24).
A deeper look at the understandings of Torah (Five Books of Moses) can also reveal that God taught Noah (a reference to believers) to set-apart from the common unbelieving lifestyle found in the world around him, called in Hebrew the Olam Hazeh, through the building process of the ark. This world is in a constant state of decay and destruction because of the ruler of this world – Satan.
continues tomorrow...