This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled No'ach, which refers to the man named "Noah." Most of us are familiar with the story of the great universal flood that covered the whole earth. The LORD spoke to Noah, saying: "The end (qes/qasas - end, border, extremity, end of time/cut off, utmost, chop off, amputate) of all flesh has come before Me, for the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) earth is filled with violence (hamas/hamas - violence, cruelty, wrong, false, damage, injustice, oppressor, unrighteous, unjust gain, harsh treatment, injurious language/violated, wrongfully imagine, violently taken away, made bare, to tear a covering away violently) through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth." (Gen. 6:13). Prior to this point, the scriptures say: "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) man on the earth, and He was grieved (asab - to be grieved, displease, to hurt, cause pain, vex, tortured, to suffer, afflict with pain or grief) in His heart." (v. 5-6).
The LORD looked ahead to the end (see meaning above) of time and saw the extremity of the age of mankind, and the horrible violence that would worsen to its ultimate conclusion. The whole earth would be corrupted by it. He had to cut it off.
The LORD told Noah what He would do (v. 13 above) and commanded Noah to build an (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) ark (v. 14). The LORD had previously said this about the birth of Noah: "Lamech (meaning "powerful"...had a son. And he called his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) name Noah (noah/nuah - rest/resting place, quiet, set down, remain, drawing breath) saying, 'This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed." (Gen. 5:28-29). So Noah was set apart with purpose from his birth.
In the LORD's instructions regarding the ark that Noah was to build, the LORD added a seemingly odd detail: "You shall make a window for the ark...from above..." (Gen. 6:16). Why was it important that the ark have a window? The Hebrew word for window here is sohar/sahar, meaning "noon, day, midday, "double light", as bright, blessing, window/to squeeze or to press oil, to glisten, to shine." One of the darkest periods of man was about to begin, but there would be a provision of double light to brighten the ark, like the shining brightness of the anointing oil of olives. We associate light, brightness and the anointing with the Messiah/Christ Jesus.
Jesus also described the darkness and terror of the days before His return, which He also described as being like the days of Noah. It would be a time more terrible than man had ever known before (Mt. 24:21-22, 29, Lk. 21:25-27). Then Jesus said, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Lk. 21:28). While others are fainting with terror, that is our signal to look up and see Jesus coming near. In the same way, I believe, the LORD gave Noah a window of double light like the middle of the day, to "look up" and see the glistening with oil of the Anointed One, Noah's redemption, Messiah/Christ, while the earth was in the middle of darkness and terror.
We see this return of "light" in another reading portion from this "No'ach" Sabbath. Isaiah wrote of the LORD's returning mercy towards His people: "For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer (ga'al - redeem, act as kinsman, revenger, avenger, ransom, deliver, redeem from slavery/bondage/death, buy back) is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the LORD has called you...For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,' says the LORD your Redeemer. 'For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth (see Gen. 9:12-17), so I have sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you." (Isa. 54:5-9). The LORD goes on to promise: "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD. (v. 17).
These promises of everlasting kindness were not given because His people earned them with their own righteousness- quite the opposite. The promises were given because the LORD is the Redeemer of His people, buying back their freedom and lives that they had forfeited in their unrighteousness. In the process of this redemption, the souls of the people are changed. Jesus said above to look for the redemption, Himself, that draws near in the time of darkness and terror. This is a soul-changing moment as we can imagine. What can we say to unmerited favor and rescue from earned destruction but "Thank You, Lord"?
From another reading portion of this No'ach Sabbath, the LORD identifies Himself as the One who will redeem Israel: "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.' For the LORD has redeemed (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Jacob, and ransomed (see ga'al, above) him from the hand of one stronger than he. Therefore they shall come, and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the LORD...Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all." (Jer. 31:10-12). The LORD also promises to bring a new covenant to His people, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel and Judah. In this covenant, the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) law of the LORD will be placed in their minds and hearts, and they will know the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD: "...for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them', says the LORD. 'For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer. 31:31-34, excerpt).
Again we see that these promises are made regarding the Redeemer, who is identified in the above verses with the *Aleph-tav/the Alpha and Omega law (Word), and the LORD (yod-hey-vaw-hey: "Behold the hand; Behold the nail"), and His people are united together with this identity. Scripture identifies Jesus as the Redeemer (see Eph. 1:7-10, Gal. 3:13-14). Jesus also pointed out that those who recognize and love their Redeemer are forgiven much (see Lk. 7:44-50, see also 1 Pet. 4:8).
This No'ach reading portion is also connected to something called "Rosh Chodesh Heshvan/Chesvan", which takes place on this Sabbath. This marks the new moon that begins the second month of the civil year. Each month's beginning is timed to begin with the new moon, so why is this second month of Heshvan singled out in this way? Prophetically speaking, we should note that the waters of the Genesis flood began in this second month: "In the sixth hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up (baqa - cleave, divide, break through, breach, rend, asunder, burst, break open, rip up, cut to pieces), and the windows (aruba - sluice, window, lattice, chimney opening, flood gates of heaven) of heaven were opened. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights." (Gen. 7:11-12).
Israel connects this second month of Heshvan with bitterness because it was the beginning of the flood waters as noted above, and also it is the month when the rainy season would begin in Israel, and much of the normal daily activities would cease or change because of it. In history, some dark events are also associated with this second month. In 1995, the prime minister, Yitzak Rabin was assassinated. Also in 1938, this second month was the month of Kristallnacht when 1400 synagogues and many copies of the Tanakh (Old Testament) were burned in Nazi Germany. It is believed that both Rachel and Sarah of the scriptures died in this second month of Heshvan according to Jewish tradition.
However, while the new moon marking the beginning of the second month (Rosh Chodesh Heshvan) is traditionally associated with bitterness and darkness, by placing that "double light", bright as day, shining with the anointing oil window in Noah's ark (see above), the LORD promised to redeem the day of bitterness and darkness. In fact, after the flood waters slowly receded, the earth began to dry out. A little more than a year to the day that the flood waters broke open in the previous second month we read: "And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 'Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you...so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." (Gen. 8:14-17). In the second month of the civil year, life began to inhabit the earth again.
This week's Sabbath reading portion recognizes God's mercy and redemption by assigning Isaiah 66 to be read, which makes promises to those of His people who are of a humble and contrite spirit: "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,' says the LORD, 'So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,' says the LORD." (v. 2, 22-23). These promises are to the ones who are redeemed out of the darkness and terror, although they will see the destruction of those who chose not to be redeemed, whose end is not by flood, as the LORD promised Noah long ago, but by fire (v. 24).
How did Noah feel at the presence of His Messiah/Christ Redeemer who was with Him in "double light" and the shining oil of anointing throughout the judgment of the flood? This assuring presence could not be bought with money or the power of men and must have provided Noah's soul with great "rest". How do we feel towards our Redeemer, Jesus Messiah/Christ, who has redeemed us with His own life and blood, from the judgment days of darkness and terror for the ungodly, and from the place of death? Are we finding that same reassuring presence and rest for our souls from anxiety and fears at the unfolding events of the world? Or are we caught up in them because we do not understand the miraculous redemption work of Christ?
If you would like to know about God's redeeming mercy and grace, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father of Lights, You sent Your Son to comfort and assure Noah of His presence with him during the judgment of the world and its inhabitants. You have redeemed those who are called by Your Aleph-Tav/Alpha and Omega name. Your Son, Jesus, was sent to redeem me from death, hell and the grave with His own blood. You have set me apart from Your wrath to come against wickedness in all its forms. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and Your living Word, so I can walk in the great love for You, my Redeemer, that You have shown for me. Let my love for You shine with a brilliant light for all to see, so that many others may receive Your redemption. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."
*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.
