Parsha Page

  Shalom
  to you,

Wellsprings of Torah,  www.TorahWellsprings.org
Rick Wills - Messianic Elder,  Mishareth@TorahWellsprings.org

Parsha 2:  Noach - Noah


Torah:  Genesis 6:9-11:32

    Genesis 6:9 Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God. Noach fathered three sons, Shem, Ham and Yefet. The whole earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence.

    There had been ten generations from Adam to Noach. Now mankind had become evil, and God is going to wipe them from the earth. He will leave a remnant, however, in the form of Noach and his family.

    There is much debate about how righteous Noach truly was, but at any rate we see that he walked with God, as Adam and Eve had walked with God in the Garden.

    In His command to Noach to build the Ark, God was not only preparing the physical means of salvation for Noach, his family and the animals. He was also supplying a sign, a symbol to that generation that God’s judgment was coming, that the only way to be saved was to come to Him in the Ark.

    And by searching the genealogies given later, we find that Shem was born when Noach was 500 years old. And the flood came when Noach was 600, and Shem was 100. So Shem was intimately involved in God’s plan to save the world.

    In Chapter 7, we see the animals come to Noach, he did not have to go get them. First we see seven pair of all the clean animals and all the birds, then one pair of all the unclean animals. Along with this was enough food to keep them all alive for a year in the ark and for the time it took to grow a seasons crops for food after the flood.

    Chapter 8 begins the tale of God’s mercy, as the waters begin to recede. And how did they recede? The Ruach, the breath of God came over the waters and brought order out of chaos once again.

    When they left the ark, Noach built an altar and made an offering unto HaShem. While smelling the pleasing aroma, God promises to never destroy the earth by a flood again.

    Chapter 9 begins by showing Noach and his family rebuilding the world, and God’s covenant with them.

    But even the righteous sin and we see the account of Noach, the first vintner, becoming drunk. Ham enjoyed the sight of Noach’s shame, thus he was cursed. But Shem and Yefet were respectful and covered Noach, in turn they were blessed.

    Chapter 10 is a genealogy of Noach, and shows the dividing of land between his offspring, and the origins of the 70 primary nations.

    Following this genealogy, chapter 11 recounts the story of the Tower of Bavel, where the people had united to take for themselves a name, thus attempting to take the place of HaShem.

    After this, another genealogy, where we see 10 generations from Noach to Avram. By studying the names and dates one can see that there is no mystery to how Avram was acquainted with God, the Holy One. The accounts of actual times vary in some translations, but Avram was 58 when Noach died, and some accounts show that Shem was still alive when Yitz’chak and Yakov were grown men! Tradition has it that Shem started the first Yeshiva, or house of learning. He would have taught 11 generations!


Haftarah:  Isaiah 52:13-55:5

    In an obvious connection between Parashat Noach and this haftarah, God compares the covenant He made with Noach to the promises He is making with Israel. This is an encouragement to Israel, who believes they have been abandoned.

    This covenant relationship between Israel and God is explored with beautiful imagery. God is imploring a woman who has never given birth to be hopeful and rejoice, instead of mourn.

    And in Isaiah 54:7-10 we read “Briefly I abandoned you, but with great compassion I am taking you back. I was angry for a moment and hid my face from you; but with everlasting grace I will have compassion on you,” says Adonai your Redeemer. “For me this is like Noach’s flood. Just as I swore the no flood like Noach’s would ever again cover the earth, so now I swear the never again will I be angry with you or rebuke you. For the mountains may leave and the hills be removed, but my grace will never leave you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed,” says Adonai, who has compassion on you.

    Again, mankind had fallen into sin, and was abandoned by Adonai, but only for a short time. And in the final gathering there will be no more rebuke or abandonment.


Chadasha:  Matthew 1:1-18

    In the Torah, we have seen genealogies, or histories. In every case, they are immediately followed by an event of great importance. Genesis 2:4 “Here is the history of the heavens and the earth…”, followed by the story of the Garden of Eden. In Chapter 5 the genealogy of Adam to Noach introduces the flood. In Chapter 10, Noach’s children precede the Tower of Bavel. Chapter 11 lists the generations from Noach to Terah, and then introduces the great Patriarch Avram.
And in the greatest of all genealogies, Matthew 1:1 reads “This is the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah, son of David, son of Avraham:…” verse 17 “Thus there were fourteen generations from Avraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen generations from the Babylonian Exile to the Messiah. 18 Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place.”

    The 10 generations to Noah bring sin and God’s salvation through a righteous man. The 10 generations to Avram bring sin and salvation through a righteous man. And finally the 28 generations to Yeshua bring sin and finally perfect salvation through a perfect Son of Man.

    And from where does that salvation come? From the same God who comforts His people in the Haftarah reading, who will never leave nor forsake us, the Holy One of Israel. The God of Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov. HaShem Himself, who directs the Ruach to work in these stories of Creation and Salvation, and who has loved us so much that He has given His all, His Son Yeshua

    May we come into His Ark today.

Baruch Hashem,
George Robinson