In the Torah portion today we read the old familiar story of Noah, his family, and the building of the ark that would keep safe the various species of mankind and animals Yah had created. Why was this necessary? Because mankind had not only fallen into sin, but the sin had become so rampant, so overwhelming, that Yahweh could no longer tolerate that perverse generation. It used to seem like a children's "Sundy school story" to most of us, but in learning the Hebrew words used in the story, there is a far greater dimension to discover.
The wicked and perverse generation of Noah's day is not very far at all from today's generation. Yahshua warned us that the last days would be "as in the days of Noah." Men are marrying men, babies are being sacrificed in abortion, and our societies and our leaders are mocking God. Where is the ark being built today to deliver the righteous from God's wrath?
Notice that after making the ark, Noah was to coat the wood with pitch inside and out. In the Hebraic understanding, wood is synonymous with man’s mortality. The word pitch in Hebrew is kaphar (Strongs # 3722/3724) from the same root word that refers to the act of protecting - to cover, annul, forgive and pardon. Do you see the beautiful picture? Yahweh was prophesying through Noah and his family of future events that would cover, annul, forgive and pardon past transgressions and iniquities. Noah’s ark was actually a foreshadow of the promise given Eve that through her offspring would come One who would pardon and redeem His people.
In Genesis 6:14 God directs Noah, "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood and cover it inside and out with pitch." The verb and noun for the act of "covering" and the material "pitch" are both of the root word which makes up the Hebrew word kippur (as in Yom Kippur, Day of atonement). Our atonement means a covering of our sin, which was eventually accomplished through the blood of Yahshua, our Messiah.
As Rimona Frank writes, "Thus this ark is to become a shelter, offering a covering for the sins of the age, as it were. The rabbis believe that anyone, among those who had watched it being built through the many years of its construction, could have also found refuge in it. Instead, the spectators chose to scoff and ridicule its builder."
Indeed. Many today are scoffing and ridiculing those who believe in a Messiah whose blood is the pitch that covers our mortal "gopher wood bodies." They will try to tell you there are many other paths to heaven - but there is only one ark I want to board! This ark, like all boats, has a name - and it is the only name under heaven given to men by which we will be kept safe (covered, protected, forgiven, pardoned! Acts 4:12) - YAHSHUA!!
The wicked and perverse generation of Noah's day is not very far at all from today's generation. Yahshua warned us that the last days would be "as in the days of Noah." Men are marrying men, babies are being sacrificed in abortion, and our societies and our leaders are mocking God. Where is the ark being built today to deliver the righteous from God's wrath?
Notice that after making the ark, Noah was to coat the wood with pitch inside and out. In the Hebraic understanding, wood is synonymous with man’s mortality. The word pitch in Hebrew is kaphar (Strongs # 3722/3724) from the same root word that refers to the act of protecting - to cover, annul, forgive and pardon. Do you see the beautiful picture? Yahweh was prophesying through Noah and his family of future events that would cover, annul, forgive and pardon past transgressions and iniquities. Noah’s ark was actually a foreshadow of the promise given Eve that through her offspring would come One who would pardon and redeem His people.
In Genesis 6:14 God directs Noah, "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood and cover it inside and out with pitch." The verb and noun for the act of "covering" and the material "pitch" are both of the root word which makes up the Hebrew word kippur (as in Yom Kippur, Day of atonement). Our atonement means a covering of our sin, which was eventually accomplished through the blood of Yahshua, our Messiah.
As Rimona Frank writes, "Thus this ark is to become a shelter, offering a covering for the sins of the age, as it were. The rabbis believe that anyone, among those who had watched it being built through the many years of its construction, could have also found refuge in it. Instead, the spectators chose to scoff and ridicule its builder."
Indeed. Many today are scoffing and ridiculing those who believe in a Messiah whose blood is the pitch that covers our mortal "gopher wood bodies." They will try to tell you there are many other paths to heaven - but there is only one ark I want to board! This ark, like all boats, has a name - and it is the only name under heaven given to men by which we will be kept safe (covered, protected, forgiven, pardoned! Acts 4:12) - YAHSHUA!!
