Torah Commentary Archives

Genesis 6:9-11:32

Isaiah 54:1-55:5

Matthew 24:36-44

1Peter 3:18-22

Noach (Noah)

Trail of Righteousness

The story of the flood is maybe the most famous outside of creation itself. Most all cultures have some sort of traditions which can be traced back to this event. I am told that the pictogram for the word flood in Chinese is by using drawings of water, a boat, and the number eight. It is in the Scriptural account that the details are brought forth with clarity. The leading role is a man named Noah. His name is Noach in Hebrew, which is spelled Nun Chet. What's interesting to me is if we were to look at a mirror image of those letters we would see the word chen, which is spelled Chet Nun. The word is grace. When Yah spoke the word Noach, if He was able to see the word leaving His mouth, He would literally have seen the word chen, or grace.

But wait a second, how did Noach know how what righteous living was? Nothing is given of his story until it is said that he lived righteously, but where did that come from? Let's look at some genealogy. According to one of my sources, Adam had only died about 100 years prior to the birth of Noach. Seth died when Noach was a young teen. Methuseleh, who was born when Adam was a meer 680 or so years old may have known both Adam and Seth personally. Methuselah was probably alive until the flood was in the extended forecast, if not possibly the day before it began.  It is possible that either of these men could have taken Methusaleh on a field trip to The Garden and standing in front of angels with swords drawn, shown him the two trees and quoted the promise of a coming Redeemer. Methusaleh could have passed this on to Noach from the very same vantage point.

The point is, Noach was taught what righteous living was and knew of a promised Redeemer. Did he understand it all? Let's not be too quick to sell him short on this one. Out of all his generation, Noach chose to stand, alone if necessary, in a world that was growing more evil every day. This life caught the eye of Yah who would call this man to build the most famous boat in all of history, a boat people are still trying to find today.

The Torah portion becomes a lesson of impending judgment which can not be prayed away, and of a remnant who find grace, mercy and redemption coming forth from a promise. What was the promise Noach and his family held to? It is found in Gen 6:18 which states that Yah will establish His covenant through Noach. There is a question here we must consider which will help us in correct interpretation of Scripture from this point on. What is the covenant being established through Noach? Is it a new covenant? If so, what is it based on? Where did the righteousness of Noach come from? Was the righteousness of Noach given because of his own works?

Here is my take on the story. Noach was considered righteous because he believed in the covenant promise given in The Garden. He was considered righteous because of his belief in that covenant promise caused him to walk in the revealed lifestyle of that promise. The establishment of the covenant with Noach was not a new covenant, but rather a refreshing and personalization of the covenant spoken in The Garden to Adam and Eve. Noach believed in and walked out his life based on a coming Redeemer. Because of this, he obeyed the instructions of his day to build a boat for himself and any who would enter in. The boat became his Salvation, (Yeshua in Hebrew) during a time of judgment on the world.

So is the message of our day any different than the days of Noach? Has the message even changed? Is in fact the message the exact same today as it has been for the last 6000 years?

Scripture tells us over and over that Yah does not change. Maybe if people would quit trying to change the message, we would be able to see that great truth and take comfort in The Ark He has prepared for us, that ark being Yeshua. As a note for further study, take a look at what else does not change: Man trying to be God. The tower of Bavel was man's first real attempt to “Asah shem” or “Bring life to our name”. Man has been trying to make himself out to be a god for as long as there has been man. The names have changed, but the story remains the same.

So where do we stand today personally? Are we trying once again to build ourselves a name or are we resting in a covenantal promise or an ark named Yeshua?