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. 

Redeemer

           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.

     

Preserved

This week's sabbath reading is titled Noach, or the name "Noah" to us. Noach in English means "rest, resting place, quiet". If we look at the individual Hebrew letters of the word and name Noach, which are nun and cheth, we will see an additional meaning : "the Son, the Heir to the throne, separates and protects in an inner chamber". These letters can also mean at the same time : "the faithful seed or offspring that are separated from, divided from, and protected". The story of Noah is well known. Children's stories and toys tell the story of Noah and the Ark. However, we can be sure that there are deep things to learn in this account in scripture. In fact, the warning that Noah brought to the world as he built the ark, according to God's specific instructions, is still crying out a warning for us today. Jesus told us that the account of Noah, the ark, and the flood that brought destruction to the earth will again have meaning in end time events, and the return of the Son of Man (Mt. 24:36-39). The Apostle Peter also referred to the flood of Noah, and its relationship to end time beliefs, unbeliefs and deception: "Scoffers will come in the last days...saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.' For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water." (2 Peter 3:3-6). This past event of the flood is to remind us that as others scoff, God will do what He needs to do to establish justice and righteousness, and to preserve His remnant of people. Not only that, but Peter also wrote that the same word that ultimately preserved the heavens and earth then, is still active, and has caused the heavens and earth to reserve fire "until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (v. 7). Peter tells us that as much as the flood was an act of judgment, as the coming fire will be, he also tells us here that the flood was an act of preservation for a remnant. It is through this obedience to God's instructions for preservation, which was the ark, that Noah became listed as one of our fathers of faith, and an heir of righteousness by faith (Heb. 11:7). This sabbath reading, Noach, deals with God's merciful preservation out of evil, violence, ungodliness and calamity, one man, his family, and some from all of the animals that breath. We will see other examples of this from this sabbath's reading as well. In our first sabbath portion out of Genesis 6, we find out that the men of the earth had become filled with wickedness, evil, violence and corruption (sahat - corrupt, destroy, destroyer, waster, ruin, decay, be rotted, pervert). Because of their evil, the decay of rotting death had entered living man and, consequently, creation (Gen. 6:5, 11-12). Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death - even a living death, a living corruption. However, also according to Romans 6:23, there is a remedy to this living death, which is the gift (charisma/charizomai/charis/chairo - a gift, a favor one receives without any merit of his own, divine grace, faith, knowledge, holiness, virtue/give freely, bestow, to preserve a person in trouble, to pardon, rescue, forgive/grace, good will, loving-kindness, gift of grace/to rejoice, be glad, be well, thrive) of God, which is in Jesus Christ. We can't buy or earn this gift. It is freely bestowed by God for the asking, and even before we have the good sense to ask for it, so we can't even take the credit for having good sense! Anyone who has had the awesome experience of receiving the grace gift of the salvation of God has experienced this. It as a gift - you can't "earn" it, "deserve" it, or "buy/barter" it from God. It can't be done. The gift is given in Gen. 6: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD...Noah was a just (sadiq/sadaq - righteous, just as a judge or king is just, justified, to make one righteous, to speak truth) man, perfect (tamim/tamam - without blemish, without spot, complete, finished, shutting up, in accord with truth) in his generations. Noah walked with God." (v. 8-9). This gift of grace is not a one-time event. The gift continues to operate in us, making changes in our minds and hearts. The loving gift of grace will break our stony hearts, and build a new heart in us, if we will allow it to do so, leading and prompting us to righteous acts inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. The gift of grace is a life-changer, and a life-definer. Just ask Noah. As Noah received the gift of grace from God, he was given the qualities of justness and perfection. As we can see, both of these qualities are connected with the speaking of and agreement with truth. Jesus said that the truth of the Word of God sanctifies us and sets us free (Jn. 17:17, Jn. 8:31-32). Believers are to walk in truth (Ps. 86:11, 2 Jn. 3-4, 3 Jn. 1-4). The truth is a Person, Jesus (Jn. 1:16-17, Jn. 14:6-7, Rev. 19:11). There may be many who make claims to truth, but there is only one who IS Truth. God connected Noah to this Person of Truth, Jesus, but how? In the verse above, we see the phrase "Noah walked with God". God, in this case is Elohim here in this verse. However, in the Hebrew writing of this phrase, something additional is connected to the word "Elohim". Two Hebrew letters, Aleph and Tav, are joined to "Elohim". In Rev. 22:13, Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." "Alpha" and "Omega" are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The Hebrew equivalent of first and last letters, which is what Jesus would have used, is "the Aleph" and "the Tav". Besides this example in Gen. 6, there are many other places in scripture where the "Aleph-Tav" is connected to significant words and phrases, but their presence does not get translated into English. In this case, Noah has been given the gift of grace from God, and caused him to walk with God Aleph-Tav that will separate him, and rescue him and his household, as well as representatives from the animal kingdom, from the coming disaster. God told Noah: "Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside (bayit/bana - house, shelter, family, descendants, temple, palace) and outside ( hus- outward, whatever is without, to sever or separate by a wall) with pitch (kapar - atonement, reconcile, purge, forgive, cleanse, merciful, to cover, pardon)." (Gen. 6:14). Noah was to "flood-proof" the ark with mercy, forgiveness, cleansing, reconciliation and atonement. We also know that the kapar atonement of scripture is the blood of sacrifice, the Blood of the Lamb, Christ (1 Jn. 2:1-2, Heb. 9:11-14). There is another interesting reference to Jesus Christ in the account of Noah as God commanded Noah to build a window into the top of the ark, and a door into the side (Gen. 6:16). "Window" is the word sohar/sahar meaning "noon, nonday, suddenly, unexpectedly as an attack upon an enemy/to press out oil, to glisten, to shine, come forth, reveal oneself, light, splendor". We have a verse in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, which refers to the destruction of the lawless one, or antichrist: "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming." The word for "door" used above is the Hebrew word petah/patah, which means "door, gate, open, loose, grave, break forth, appear, open wide". We know that Jesus called Himself "the Door", and He broke open the grave for us all (see Jn. 10:7-10, Mt. 27:51-53, Mt. 28:2-6). There are many more details in the account of Noah that we could look at, but we will end this section from Genesis 6 with the promise of God to Noah: "And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth...everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark- you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you." (Gen. 6:17-18). Another example of preservation out of destruction from this week's sabbath reading titled Noach, or "Rest", is from Isaiah 54. God in His anger had turned His back on His people, Israel, like a wife rejected by her husband, like a woman made barren of children: "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, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you...My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed." (Isa. 54:1-10, excerpt). Under the same promise that God made to Noah, He would extend His undeserved mercy and kindness again to this remnant of Noah's descendants who had turned from Him. As we see these mercies of God once again extended here to Israel to serve as an example for us, it should cause our own hearts to soften with love and repentance towards Him as well. In Jeremiah 31, another portion from this week's sabbath reading, Israel had rebelled against God, had broken their covenant with Him, and brought destruction to their doors, as Jeremiah had prophesied would happen. However, Jeremiah also then brought this promise of undeserved mercy from the LORD: "Behold the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...But...after those days...I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer. 31:31-34). His people brought destruction on their own heads, but the LORD, as with Noah, would extend His gift of grace, change His people in their minds and hearts into righteousness, and forgive their sins. Again, a remnant shall be preserved by grace. In another sabbath reading portion, God's people have become corrupt, they have not trusted in, nor drawn near to the LORD. Because of this, the LORD will gather the nations. His wrath and fiery destruction will be poured out over all the earth. However, God will preserve a remnant, and restore "a pure language...and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth...Be glad and rejoice with all your heart...The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more." (Zeph. 3:8-15). The undeserved grace, mercy, and kindness of God seems to be the recurring theme through this week's sabbath readings. There is a place of rest in the LORD, His ark of Christ, like the one He established with Noah, if we will abide in it as Noah did. God remembers His floodwaters, and has not forgotten that place where His people are preserved by His grace. There is no other place nor means by which we may be preserved. (Acts 4:10-12). If you would like to learn more about being preserved by grace, you can pray with me: "LORD Jesus, the Father gave His grace to us through You, and as You preserved Noah and his household, and even the animals of the earth, You desire to preserve me. I want to walk with You, Aleph Tav-Elohim, as Noah walked with You, and You called him just and perfect, speaking and in accord with truth. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, as the dove returned to the ark with an olive leaf to give Noah sure knowledge and comfort that the waters had indeed receded for him. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were with Noah, and also, I ask, be with me and my household always. I don't wish to search for my place of rest anywhere else but in You, and in your gift of grace. I ask these things in Your holy name. AMEN."