Election

Moses asked to see the personal glory of the LORD. How would the LORD answer Moses' prayer, while keeping him alive, "...for no man shall see Me and live."? According to what we read in this account, the LORD protected Moses through His power of election: The LORD said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD (YHWH - the Hebrew pictographic letters meaning: "Behold the hand, behold the nail") before you. I will be gracious (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega/Jesus: Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13) to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion/mercy on (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega/Jesus) whom I will have compassion/mercy." (Ex. 33:19-20). The apostle Paul wrote of this same event with Moses as he explained the election of God: "...so then it is not of him who wills (in this case referring to Moses), nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy...Therefore, He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills, he hardens." (Rom. 9:11-18). This election pertains to whom God chooses to show mercy (example given: Jacob, Moses), and of whom He chooses not to show mercy, and to harden in heart instead (example given: Esau, Pharaoh)..."(...that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him who calls." (Rom. 9:11). So the election of God is to accomplish His purpose. The Concordance defines "election", the Greek word ekloge/eklogemai, as meaning: "the decree made from choice by which God determined to bless certain persons through Christ by grace alone; of the act of God's free will by which before the foundations of the world He decreed His blessings to certain persons". As we can see in the above encounter with Moses, God marks those whom He chooses to show grace and mercy with the Hebrew letters aleph-tav, the title of Christ revealed in the Book of Revelation. We will see that the Hebrew letters that form the words "grace" and "mercy", the components of election as mentioned, also contain the identity of the Son of God. As Paul pointed out, the election is not according to our works (we cannot earn it), but the will of God as He executes His plan for the earth. We will see much more about grace and mercy, and their involvement in the election of God, during this Sabbath reading portion titled No'ach, meaning "rest/resting place". This is the name of Noah, who is first seen in Gen. 5:29, so named because he would be a comfort to the difficult toil of man in the midst of the earth, which the LORD had cursed as a result of the sin and fall of man (see Gen. 3:17-19). The Noach Sabbath reading is found in Gen. chapters 6 through 11. We will see the election of God run through the account of Noah and his sons. Out of all of the people of the earth, only Noah was elected to find (masa - find out, meet, get, secure, detect, be recognised) grace in the eyes of the LORD. Grace, one of the components of election, recognised Noah. The word "grace" used in this verse is the Hebrew word hen, meaning "grace, favor, pleased, precious, acceptance, elegance, kindness, beauty, good will, supplication, prayer". The pictographic Hebrew letters of the word hen, or grace, can mean "Behold, the Son, the Heir to the throne". We are familiar with the story of Noah. The spiritual condition of the hearts of the people of the earth were filled with violence and evil continually. God would judge and cleanse the earth with a flood of waters (Gen. 6:5-7). The LORD instructed Noah to build an ark according to His specifications that would hold all of Noah's family, including three sons and their wives (Gen. 6:17-19), and male and female animals living on earth, both clean and unclean animals. This was a covenant of safety in the aleph-tav ark (which is a picture of Christ), high and lifted up above the waters, sealed in by God Himself, that the LORD made with His elect, Noah, and all of us who will receive it. The same waters that flooded the earth in judgment, caused the ark to be lifted up above the judgment: "Now the flood was on the earth forty (arbaim - fourth, forty, four-fold, to square, four-sided, a doorway) days. The waters increased and lifted up the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega/Jesus) ark, and it rose high above the earth." (Gen. 7:17). As the flood waters receded, and the dry ground appeared, as a sign of His everlasting covenant promise to Noah, His elected, to never flood the earth with water again, the LORD established the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega/Jesus) rainbow in the sky (Gen. 9:12-17). This is a good time to learn what the Hebrew word for "rainbow", or "bow", qeset/qasa/qas, means: "bending an archer's bow, shooting arrows/harden, stiff-necked, grievous, struggle against/to lay a snare, to lay bait, to set a trap". This should have a particular warning for the times in which we live. Be careful with the signs of God, or you will fall into the trap that has been set for the grievous, the stubborn and the rebellious. As we look at the election of Noah, after whom this Sabbath reading portion is named, we can see some interesting details: "This is the genealogy/generations (toldot/yalad - generations, birth, course of history, account of men and their descendants, begetting or account of heaven/bring forth, travail, to act as midwife) of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect (tamin/tamam - without blemish, complete, perfect, without spot, whole, blameless/end, finished, perfect, done, completely, crossed over, destroy uncleanness, accomplish) in his generations (dor/dur - generation, many, all, an age, the period, the circuit, ages to come/to move in a circle, go around, to remain, inhabit). Noah walked with (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega/Jesus) God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, Japheth." (Gen. 6:9-10). The LORD is making much of the importance of Noah's generations. Two different Hebrew words are used to describe the generations in the above verse, and both of those Hebrew words mean much more than "descendants". Something would be accomplished, completed, in the ages to come. Noah was described as "perfect". We can see in the Hebrew word and root that a description is given that could only depict Jesus Christ. This shouldn't surprise us because Noah walked with the Aleph-Tav/Alpha and Omega/Jesus God, before the Aleph-Tav Christ was physically born. Then in the verse, we are immediately pointed to Noah's three sons. In fact, the setting of end time events was "established and completed" through the "generations" of Noah: his three sons. Scripture says that all of the people of the earth are descended from Noah and his three sons after the flood (see Gen. 9:18-19). The name of Noah's first son, Shem, means "name, famous, conspicuous position, mark with a sign, the celebrated name of God {HaShem}, to call on the name Jehovah (YHWH - meaning "Behold the Hand, Behold the Nail"). From Shem's descendants, came the Hebrews (Eber), Abraham, Judah, David and others, which are all included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Gen. 11:10-32, and see Lk. 3:33-36). Ham/hamam, whose name means "hot, heat, enflaming, inflame oneself, hot and burning with lust", is also the name by which the Egyptians refer to themselves. Canaan, and all of the tribes thereof, Sodom and Gomorrah, Gaza, Assyria and Nineveh, Cush (Ethiopia) nd Put (Libya) (see Ezek. 38:5), Nimrod in Babel and Shinar, are also descendants of Ham (Gen. 10:6-12), and have been, and in the end times, will be aggressors against Israel. Ham, as we know, was cursed by his father, Noah, because he scorned his father, who had found grace in the eyes of the LORD, and His election (see Gen. 9:20-27). This had nothing to do with the color of Ham's skin, or the races of some of his descendants. That is a man-made lie, and it never came out of the mouth of God. These descendants of the cursed Ham became the enemies or oppressors of the people of Israel. The last mentioned son, Japheth, is very interesting. His descendants spread northward to eventually populate Europe and parts of Asia. Japheth's (yepet/pata) name means: "entice, deceive, persuade, flatter (see Dan. 11:29-32), allure, silly one, gullible, seduce, delude". His descendants include: Gomer, Magog, Tubal, Meshech, Togarmah. These nations and peoples constitute Russia, parts of Asia Minor, and areas of central Europe, and are mentioned specifically as those nations who, according to the prophecy in Ezek. 38:1-6, 8-9, will be drawn by God as into a trap, in a massive invasion and war against Isreal in the end times.The scenario for the end times was set in place by God's election of Noah. Jesus connected the events and signs of the end times before His return to "the days of Noah" (Mt. 24:36-37). Again, the election of God, whether for His favor, or for the hardening of hearts, is not haphazzard nor arbitrary. Election is used to further the strategic plan of God for His creation, including man. I have often wondered why God selected Noah, but now I can see more clearly the hidden plan of God for the end times in the generations of Noah. You can't out-plan God! Often, we are preoccupied with the cares of the moment, or of the day to come, while God has already planned out eternity. Also included in this Sabbath's reading portion, is an event in which people tried to attain the election of God through their own will and strength. The descendants of Ham (see above), who dwelled in the plains of Shinar, said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name (Shem, same as above) for ourselves, lest we be scattered (pus - scatter, disperse, break to pieces in order to scatter into dust, shake to pieces, dash to pieces) abroad over the face of the whole earth." (Gen. 11:1-4). They wanted to make themselves a name (Shem) of the elect of God in order to avoid the consequences of being the unelected. Their efforts were not successful (see verses 7-9). The LORD has made a way for anyone who so chooses, by the drawing or leading of the Father and the Holy Spirit (Jn. 6:43-45, 1 Cor. 12:3), to become part of "the elect" of God, as we will see, but it isn't by our own strength and plans. The LORD sovereignly rules over His election of men. In another reading from this Sabbath's portion, Noach, the LORD assured those whom He described as a barren woman, of His eternal election. He said that He has called them, and with great mercies and everlasting kindness He will gather them and have everlasting mercy on them: "My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, 'who has mercy on you." (Isa. 54:1-10). Here is our second component of election, as we saw with Moses' encounter with God, above: mercy (raham - mercy, compassion, love, pity, to fondle, tender affection, gentle emotion, cherishing, soothing). This chapter of Isaiah comes immediately after the suffering Messiah/Servant, who was sacrificed for our sins, was revealed in Isaiah chapters 52 and 53. Of course, according to scripture, this Servant Messiah of God is His "Elect One" (Isa. 42:1, 1 Pet. 2:6), and we who believe take part in Christ's election through God's abundant mercy (1 Pet. 2:6, 1 Pet. 1:2, 3-5). As referred to in Isa. 45:4, and Isa. 65:9-10, Israel is named as God's elect, in addition to being descendants of Shem. Our election by grace and mercy is through the Elect One, Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice made for us. As the elect in Christ, Paul wrote about what our conduct and character should be: "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another...even as Christ forgave you....but above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Col. 3:12-16). This is how we show forth our gracious and merciful election through Christ. If you would like to learn more about the election of God, you can pray with me: "Father, through Your beloved and elect Son, Jesus, You have made me part of Your elect. I thank You for the grace and mercy that You extended to me. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can exhibit Your election of me as Paul described. I pray for any and all others who would seek Your election, salvation, and deliverance through Jesus. Noah walked with Aleph-Tav God, and was a man through whom You could accomplish Your purpose in the earth, even through many generations. I pray the same for my life as well. I ask these things in Jesus' name, AMEN."