Safety

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is No'ach (Noah), meaning "Rest", and also "resting place, quiet, to let remain, set down, cause to alight," taken from Genesis Chapters 9-11. The Hebrew letters that make up the word No'ach are nun and cheth and they look like this נֹחַ. 

     The meanings of these two Hebrew letters when combined together can mean: "The Heir to the Throne of life and faithfulness separates and protects in an inner chamber."-

     All of these meanings above are reflected perfectly in the account of the preservation of Noah, his family and, as we know, selections from all of the animals, and all of the food that would be needed for Noah and the animals, during the judgment by flood waters that would come over the whole earth. The rain and fountains of water lasted for forty days, but it took months for the flood waters that covered the mountain tops to recede. We, who are believers in Messiah/Christ, understand that the phrase used above, "the Heir to the Throne", refers to the Son of God, Jesus (see Heb. 1:1-4, Eph. 1:18-23, Rev. 11:15, Rom. 8:16-17). How can we recognize Jesus in the account of Noah? 

     Our first hint comes in the verse: "But Noah found (masa' - to find, to meet, to encounter, to detect, to light upon, to discover, to attain to, to come upon, to reach one, to present an offering) grace (hen/hanan - grace, favor, gracious, beauty, precious, elegance, acceptance, good-will/mercy, gracious, pity, favor, stoop in kindness to an inferior) in the eyes ('ayin - eye, fountain, countenance, knowledge, resemblance) of the LORD (יְהֹוָה/yod-hey-vaw-hey: 'Behold the hand, behold the nail')." (Gen. 6:8). Noah didn't find something, but he met/encountered/discovered/reached for Someone who was Grace. The Gospel of John reveals that Jesus as the Word of God: "...became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth...And of His fulness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (Jn. 1:14, 16-17). Jesus is the fulness of grace. (see also Titus 3:4-7, 2 Pet. 3:18, Rev. 22:21).

     Noah lived in dangerous and violent times when men's hearts had become full of evil. (Gen. 6:5-7). Man had become so perversely wicked and corrupt that God would have to destroy all life that He had created and loved. Where would Noah turn in this terrible time? There was only One who could preserve and save him and his family.

     At the end of the flood account, the three sons of Noah were to form separate nations: "...according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations...These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood." (Gen. 10:5, 20, 31-32). Acts 17:26-27 gives us even more revelation of why the LORD wanted to divide nations by boundaries: "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."

     Remember how Noah "found", encountered, met, discovered, attained to the Grace of God mentioned above? The LORD divided the people into nations so that they might be more likely to seek and find Him according to Acts 17, above.

     The separation into even smaller groups and separate languages for each son of Noah (see above verses) also leads us into an interesting connection. The Hebrew word used for "languages" in these verses is the word lason/lasan, which means, "tongue, language, talkers, tongue of fire." Later, in the New Testament on the Feast of Pentecost/Weeks, the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples as "tongues of fire", and the "wonderful works of God" was heard spoken of in all of the different languages of the world. This was an important confirming sign of the Gospel of salvation. (see Acts 2:1-11).

     However, immediately after the account of Noah, we read in another part of the Sabbath portion of a people that chose another way to preserve themselves.

     From Genesis 11, we read about these mysterious people: "Now the whole earth had one language (sapa - border, brink, boundary, speech, language, lips) and one speech (dabar - word, speech, utterance, language, decree, reason). And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the earth." (Gen. 11:1-4).

     These people came from the east and found a plain in Shinar, which is near Babylonia/Chaldea. They had not divided into nations, as the LORD had mentioned in Gen. 10:32 above, but had one border or edge. So they came from further east than even Babylon originally. "East" is the Hebrew word qedem, which means "east, eastward, old, ancient, before, ancient time, eternal, antiquity, earliest time, everlasting,"

     They desired to make fired bricks to build a city and a tower. Bricks that have been fired go through a chemical process called vitrification that changes their characteristics. The clay brick becomes solid and non-absorbent, increased in strength and density with decreased water absorption. Not only did they fire the bricks, but they mortared and covered them with asphalt (hemar/hamar/homer - asphalt, bitumen which rises to the surface of a slime pit/cover over or smear with asphalt, red, glow with redness/asphalt smear that turns red in sunlight). Noah, on the other hand, had covered (kapar - atonement covering, cover with pitch, atonement for forgiveness of sins) the ark inside and outside with pitch, which made the ark waterproof, and was a prophecy of Messiah/Christ sent by God to be our atonement covering. These ancient people who settled in Shinar mortared and smeared their bricks with asphalt that takes on a red appearance in sunlight, and also creates an impervious surface that prevents water from penetrating. This was a manmade or counterfeit atonement covering.

     The tower that they intend to build will have a top that will reach into heaven. If the tower were that high, it would be higher than the previous flood waters. While some speculate that the tower was used for astrology and star-worshipping purposes, which was true with some ziggurat structures later found in the area and may be true here also, we cannot ignore the hints that these people also wanted to preserve themselves from any future flood. Also, the Hebrew word migdal (see below) is used for "tower", having a specific meaning that was not really connected with a ziggurat. God had made a covenant with Noah and all living creatures to never flood the earth with water again, confirming that promise with the sign of His rainbow in the sky (Gen. 9:8-17), but perhaps these people from the east did not know of or trust in that promise. They did not want to be divided into different nations, as the LORD had intended, and they set up defensive measures, including a "red" waterproof "covering", a counterfeit of the blood of atonement, to protect themselves from any flood judgment of God. They relied upon themselves for their preservation and did not seek/reach out for the Grace of God, the Lord of Grace, as Noah had.

     So we can find a connection of the city and tower being built on the plain in Shinar, as perhaps being a defensive response to the previous devastating world-wide flood. However, the purpose of this massive building project may also have to do with their additional statement: "...let us make a name (sem - name, to mark with a sign, designate, a celebrated name, fame, praised and famous, glory, the celebrated name of God) for ourselves, lest we be scattered (pus - scatter, disperse, break to pieces, shake to pieces, flow, overflow) over the face of the whole earth." (Gen. 11:4). Could these ancient people from the east have tried to commandeer the Name of God (HaShem) for themselves? They already had disobeyed the command of God to Noah's family to spread out over the whole earth. In scripture, the Name of God is also connected to a tower: "The name (sem, see above) of the LORD is a strong ('oz - strong, mighty, power, boldness, security, majesty, praise, defense, refuge, protection, make secure) tower (migdal/gadal - tower of size and height, pulpit, elevated stage/magnify, great, greater, powerful, make great); the righteous run to it and are safe (sagab - high, defend, safe, to exalt, to be safely set on high). The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own esteem." (Proverbs 18:10-11). There are many references in scripture to the LORD as a tower, a defense, a place of rescue, refuge and safety. Man cannot provide this magnitude of safety.

     Noah's sons would bring forth many descendants according to Genesis 10. What a great temptation it would be to turn to a people, a city and a tower that claimed that they could offer safety and protection, rather than God! What a great name, with accompanying power and riches, could be had by those who claimed to be able to provide this unassailable defense and protection, even from the judgment of God! However, it would be a false promise, a lie. God showed it to be a lie in a moment: "But the LORD came down to see (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the city and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, 'Indeed, the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld/restrained (basar - fenced, cut off, walled off, made inaccessible, secrets, mysteries, inaccessible things) from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.' So the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad (pus - see above) over the face of all the earth." (Gen. 11:5-9).

     It is noteworthy that in the very next chapter in Genesis, Abraham's father removed his family from this Chaldean area and began to move them westward towards Canaan. (Gen. 11:27-31). Abraham, obeying the voice of the LORD, would finish the journey into Canaan itself. This move was a foundation of faith for the greatest story ever told. The LORD had a plan and a purpose.

     In the account of the city and tower on the plain of Shinar, it is as if man once again chose to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, rather than the Tree of Life, as he had done in the Garden of Eden. Man again desired to attain for himself the power and qualities that belong to the saving God alone, including the prophesied but not yet at that time manifested Messiah/Christ, noted by the presence of the *aleph-tav (see *note below) in the written Hebrew text. It is Jesus who said that He came in His Father's name (Jn. 5:43-44), and it is Jesus who has prepared a place for us with His Father and Himself. (Jn. 14:1-6). It is God, and not man, who has prepared the genuine wondrous city, the New Jerusalem, which will descend from heaven. (Rev. 21:1-5).

     We now also live in times of violence, fear and danger, as were the times of Noah. We have seen World Wars, atom bombs, hydrogen bombs terroristic threats and attacks, and other means of destruction. There will be men and nations who promise to provide peace, safety and protection, but it is a lie committed in pursuit of wealth, glory and power. It is a lie that the LORD does not want people to believe and trust in or they will perish as the day of His return approaches. Jesus prophesied and warned of these false messiahs/christs and their deceptions. (see Mt. 24:4-5, and 23-27). Only the LORD and His Name (yod-hey-vaw-hey: "Behold the hand; Behold the nail") are the strong tower of our safety. Only in finding the Person of Grace, Jesus Messiah/Christ, as Noah did, do we find our place of safety. If man promises "peace and safety", then sudden destruction will come. (1 Thess. 5:2-3). Beware of the promises of men of false safety.

     From another reading portion of this Noach, "rest" Sabbath, this is the genuine, all-powerful, everlasting promise of peace to those who belong to the LORD as told to His prophet Isaiah: "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, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace (salom/salam - peace, safety, welfare/live in peace, secure, free from fault) be removed,' says the LORD, who has mercy on you...All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you." (Isa. 54:9-10, and 13-14).

     If you would like to know more about the safety found in the Lord, and His covenant of peace, you can join me in prayer: "Heavenly Father, You have given to us the promise of peace and safety - not as man understands "peace", but of Your peace that extends beyond man's understanding. It extends beyond the end of life and into everlasting life. No matter what my circumstances are, no matter what the events of the world are, You have, through Your precious Son, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, assured me of Your peace and safety. I run into the strong tower of Your Name, Lord, and I am saved. I look into Your eyes, and I find and encounter the Grace of Your Son. Mankind makes its plans, but You, Lord, rule over all. You closely watch over Your Word to perform all that You have said, and Your promises are true and sure. I seek Your covering and refuge, and I ask that by Your Holy Spirit, I may lead others to this place of sure peace and safety, saying, 'Enter into the Noach rest of Your Savior.' 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 ΑΩ , 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.