Torah Portion: Genesis 6:9-11:32

Noach (‘Noah’)

The story of the Flood is, I believe, often glossed over by Christians, either because it is considered to be classic (even clichéd) Sunday School material or because it quickly becomes caught up in arguments about Creationism and the possibility of a literal worldwide flood.

Either way, what easily gets missed is the story’s vivid, timely portrayal of the Gospel: a corrupt world under the weight of imminent judgment – the sin of humanity polluting the very land, spoiling the entire fabric of Creation – and a remarkable way of escape from this judgment being provided by God for the one righteous man amongst all humanity, and those under His protection.

The Lord Knows How to Rescue the Godly

This one blameless Man, a preacher of repentance, “walked faithfully with God” and “did everything just as God commanded Him” (Gen 6:9, 22), fulfilling the Lord’s specific instructions for achieving salvation to the letter. His righteousness and obedience made a way for His entire family to be saved - his blood relatives and those covenanted into the family by marriage. The righteousness of these folk is not considered in the scriptural account, their place in the lifeboat guaranteed by His righteousness alone.

The account of the Flood paints a horrifying picture of the ubiquity and rottenness of human sin, reminding us of how much it grieves God’s heart (Gen 6:6). But it also tells of the richness of His mercy in protecting and providing for those who trust in Him – not necessarily taking them out of the trouble, but saving them through it, carrying them through the midst of judgment and death in miraculous safety and peace.

If we wonder about the applicability of such a passage today, we ought to look no further than Yeshua’s words in Matthew 24, where He directly compares the days preceding His return with the days of Noah. Peter later taught that if God brought Noah and his family through the Flood, “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment” (2 Pet 2:5, 9).

To the Uttermost

Noah’s sons and their wives all survived the Flood, but not all of them went on to finish well (Gen 9). This should, for all of us, warrant humility and holy fear. However, the abiding theme of this week’s Torah portion, even with this warning, is one of hope: that our God knows how to carry His people through, “to save [them] completely” (Heb 7:25, other translations “to the uttermost”). The key is entrusting ourselves to His loving care, depending on His provision of salvation in the righteousness of Yeshua, living out that faith in obedience to His Word, our weaknesses swallowed up in His strength.

In the day of judgment, may we be found in the ark of Yeshua’s salvation, under His righteous protection – along with many others who have been brought into the same family: the family of God. There is a greater destruction coming even than the Flood (2 Pet 3) but He knows how to carry us through, to the “new heaven and [the] new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

Author: Frances Rabbitts