the forgotten holiday

This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost. The day where, in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit "fell" upon the gathered ekklesia, with tongues of fire appearing over their heads. It was the original occurrence of speaking in tongues.

Now the early believers normally met on Saturday evenings (as in Acts 20:7-12), which marked the end of the Sabbath ("the first day of the week" according to the biblical calendar began Saturday evening at sundown, not Sunday morning as we have been trained by Roman custom to count). On this day they were meeting Sunday morning, because it was the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot; pentecost (fifty) in Greek. In Leviticus 23:15-22, the ekklesia is charged with holding a holy convocation, or assembly, on that day, which is what the believers were doing. It was one of the seven annual feast days of the Lord, and one of the three high holy feast days, in which males were to appear before the Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem. It was also one of the three harvest feast days.

It was on this day, in history, that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses inscribed on tablets of stone with the finger of God. The rabbis tell in their tradition that the seventy elders of Israel on this day spoke, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the seventy tongues of the nations, as a prefiguring of all the nations that would one day worship and serve the Lord in spirit and in truth. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this day fulfills Jeremiah 31:31-34:

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Shavuot/ Pentecost is a memorial feast; it is the memorial of the day when, by the infilling of the Holy Spirit, God inscribed His Law on the tablets of our hearts. By giving the Law, the Torah, and giving the Spirit, on the same feast day, then linking the two together forever by the prophecy in Jeremiah, and in many other places in the Scriptures, the Lord teaches us that His Law is still, of course, to be obeyed. But the power of obedience is by the Spirit of God, not by the will power of our flesh (Zec 4:6). This is walking by the Spirit.

Shavuot, Pentecost, or Weeks, is a holiday of Sabbath rest. Only food may be prepared that will be eaten on that day. We spend the day enjoying a picnic feast with our family, and playing together.

genesis 10:21-32, the sons of Shem

Read Gen 10:21-32 at the Bible Gateway.

From this parsha we can see that the oldest son of Noah was Japheth, while Gen 9:24 showed us that Ham was the youngest. Why then in every place in Scripture, does it list the sons of Noah as Shem, then Ham, then Japheth? Brad Scott of Wildbranch Ministry explains why this is so in Bricks for Stones: the critical context of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The name Shem is shem in Hebrew, Strong's H8035, from the primitive root shem, Strong's H8034, meaning name, reputation, fame, or glory. “HaShem” or “the Name” is how Jews refer to God. They dare not speak His name YHVH for fear of blasphemy.

Shem is in the ancient Hebrew pictographs m?, the shin - mem. The shin is the two front teeth, so also sharp, press, eat, or two. The mem is water, so also chaos, might, or blood. The story the pictographs tell is that which issues through the front teeth mightily, so the verb form means to breathe, the concrete noun is breath, and the abstract concept is renown or reputation, as the breath of a man contains his identity. Thus shem also means “name” in Hebrew. This is a very important Hebraic concept. Our breath, thus our life, we learned from Gen 2:7, was breathed into us by Elohiym, Creator of heaven and earth, and then we became a living being. The Lord God is The Living Being, as His personal name YHVH (I AM THAT I AM) attests. He is the source of life, and He imparted His life to us on the day He created us.

So that shem means breath, while also meaning identity, name, renown, and reputation, tells the story that our name and our identity, and thus, our character, flows from our source of life who is God. When God says in His Word something about us, we need to listen and believe it for it is the truth, and not believe the lie the enemy tells us about ourselves. This is why the enemy lies about who we are! It is to dam up the river of the life out from which flows our identity and character! When we believe God in all His statements, we tear down that dam!

“For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Pro 23:7

Notice the Word does not say, as a man believes in his heart. This is on purpose, to tell us that it is by our thoughts, the fact statements that fill our minds, what we allow to dwell there and not dwell there, that creates belief in the heart. This is why we must fill our minds with His Word, through the entry way of our eyes (reading the Word) and ears (hearing the Word spoken and preached and sung)! It transforms our thoughts, which in turn transforms our belief!

Please also study Brad Scott's wonderful teaching on the mountain top meaning of shem.

Elam the firstborn of Shem was the father of the Elamites, who settled west of Shinar along the foothills of the Zagros Mountains. The Elamites intermarried with the Medians (of Madai of Japhath) and became the Persians (modern day Iranians and Jordanians).

Asshur the son of Shem was the father of the Assyrians who settled the northern reach of the Tigris and Euphrates river valley (Iraq).

Arphaxad the son of Shem was the father of the Chaldaeans who settled the southern reach of the Tigris and Euphrates river valley (Iraq). The Babylonians were Chaldaeans as Babylon was the principle city of Chaldaea. However, not every Chaldaean was also a Babylonian, but often the terms are used interchangeably to mean the same people.

Eber was a grandson of Arphaxad. He was the father of the Hebrews, as Eber's descendant was Abraham. Eber's two sons were Peleg and Joktan. Abraham was born of Peleg, while all the peoples who Joktan fathered settled the Arabian peninsula with the sons of Abraham by Hagar and Keturah (modern day Arabians).

Lud the son of Shem was the father of the Lydians, who were a powerful and wealthy nation for a time, before the advent of the Romans, in Asia Minor (modern day Lebanon and Turkey).

Aram the son of Shem was the father of the Aramaeans who settled Syria.

Now it is interesting to me that Noah said that Elohiym was the God of Shem, in Gen 9:26. And yet except for Israel, a small branch of Shem, all the nations which Shem produced - the Iranians, the Jordanians, the Iraqis, the Arabians, the Turks, the Lebanese, and the Syrians - are all today followers of Islam who have vowed Israel's destruction. This is the enemy's doing, to take that which is God's province and make it his special stronghold for all which is most vile in the eyes of God. The hatred the enemy has for God is overwhelming. That is why we want NOTHING to do with anything which is of the enemy, especially lies, his choice vehicle for wreaking theft, destruction, and death.

But I believe the prophecy of Noah tells us the end from the beginning, that YHVH Elohiym is the God of Shem. I believe a great revival is coming on all those people descended from Shem who are in bondage today to the lies of the enemy, and the Spirit of God will sweep through those nations and completely transform them. Their overwhelming love and self- sacrifice for Israel as God's beloved, after so many years of virulent hatred, will bear such witness to the world that God is God in heaven and on earth, that no one can deny His existence before His return. And this witness of love, coming as it will from Messiah Yeshua, will so shake Israel to its foundation, that the blinders will be removed from their eyes, and they will see that Yeshua is YHVH the Lord incarnate, the son of David and their promised Messiah. And then Yeshua will return. For Israel will be the last to come to faith, Paul tells us in Rom 11. The second to the last are the Muslims who hate Israel - they are the last nations on the face of the earth who have yet to hear the Gospel, for they have been closed until the time appointed by God. And as we are hearing, the time is now, and great revival is already pouring out on those lands and people!

genesis 10:15-20, the sons of canaan

Read Genesis 10:15-20 at the Bible Gateway.

Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations. Gen 10:15-20

The descendants of Canaan are singled out in this week's parashah by the paragraph divisions among all the descendants of the sons of Noah.

Sidon, Canaan's firstborn, settled the city of Sidon on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and became the people known to history as the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians improved the science of navigation, settled trading outposts in almost every part of the world, and spread abroad. The Phoenicians did not invent writing as is attributed to them in library books, but they did take the common pictographic alphabet of ancient Hebrew the common language, and simplify it so it was better suited as a phonetic alphabet and not primarily pictographic. In fact, any science begun by others, the Phoenicians refined and improved, so that in time, the goods, sailors, architects, and technicians of the Phoenicians were the most sought after in the ancient world. This is one way Canaan served Shem and Japheth.

Heth was the ancestor of the Hittites, a powerful nation for a time. The Hittites settled Asia Minor. Most archaeologists believe the chariot was invented (or adapted) by the Hittites. The Assyrians put an end to the Hittite empire.

The Jebusites through Hamathites were all Canaanite nations which settled in the Holy Land.

The Phoenicians, Hittites, and Canaanites all shared a common religion, not centered in the worship of YHVH Elohiym, as we will see in the next parashah.

These five short verses delineate the descendants of Canaan, which Israel was later commanded to obliterate from their land.

“Spread abroad” in Hebrew is interesting: Strong's H6327, puwts, pey + vav + tsadey. The verb means to break or dash to pieces. The pey, the mouth in the ancient pictographs, can mean to blow or scatter, something that is done with the mouth (think of a dandelion flower in seed). The vav is the tent peg, so to hook, secure, or add. The tsadey is the trail with a destination at the end, as a trail which a hunter follows when hunting game. It has meanings of traveling as well as of hunting, chasing, or waiting as beside a trail. The story painted by the pictographs is of being scattered abroad as if attached to disparate destinations. Think of a china dish when it is dropped on a stone floor. It began as a unified object, but when it was broken into pieces, each piece flew away from the parent randomly, and yet no direction away from the parent was left unrepresented. It was as if each piece was drawn away as if attached to a destination away by a path leading away.

We have seen earlier in Torah, that being sent away or cast away is a punishment or consequence of sin and disobedience. I am not sure if Canaan being spread abroad fits that theme or not, but it bears some thinking about.

The theme of the parsha from Gen 10:15-20 is the sons of Canaan.

genesis 10:1-14, the sons of japheth and ham

Read Gen 10:1-14 at the Bible Gateway.

Japheth had seven sons. Each son became the father of a nation, or of a people group who then divided into several nations. The descendants of Japheth first settled around the Black Sea (after the Tower of Babel incident in the next parashah) but then divided into their tribes and nations and migrated from there.

Gomer, the oldest, fathered the people group of the Celts. A province in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) was in ancient days called Gomer after them, and in early Roman times a tribe of Celts, called Gauls by the Romans, resettled that province where it became known as Galatia (land of the Gauls). A province in Spain is still called Galatia today as it was formerly an ancient settlement of Gauls. The Irish tongue is today still called Gaelic as they were originally Gaels (Gauls) who spoke it, and the Welsh tongue is today still called Gomeraeg. The Gauls who remained on the European continent were mostly assimilated into the Romans and Germans who came after them, but the Gauls or Celts who migrated to the British isles live on as a distinct people in the Welsh, Irish, and Scots; and in Brittany (northern France).

Ashkenaz was a son of Gomer. His descendants became the Teutons. The Teutons settled all the land east of the Rhine River (the Celts settled the west side). The Teutons were the forefathers of all the Germanic tribes as well as the Scandinavians, who were also named from Ashkenaz: (A)s(h)ken --> sken --> Scandia. Ashkenaz is the Hebrew word for German or Germany.

Togarmah was a son of Gomer. His descendants settled Armenia probably intermingling with descendants of Ashkenaz. The name Turk and Turkey come from him.

Riphath was a son of Gomer. His descendants settled the Black Sea before migrating westward. Europe gets its name from the descendants of Riphath: Rip(hath) --> Rip -->Europe.

Magog was a son of Japheth. His descendants became the Tartars (Slavs), who settled Central Asia.

Madai was a son of Japheth. His descendants became the nation of the Medes, who with the Persians, overthrew the Babylonian Empire. The Medes migrated to the Zagros Mountains and from there settled India.

Javan was a son of Japheth. His descendants became the Greeks and various tribes settling the Mediterranean Sea. "Jupiter" is a form of "Japheth," while "Ionian" is a form of "Javan." The Iliad mentions "Iawan", a direct transliteration of "Javan."

Elishah was a son of Javan; his descendants were the Elysians, a Greek tribe.

Tarshish was a son of Javan; his descendants settled Tarsus and Cilicia on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

Kittim was a son of Javan; his descendants settled Cyprus.

Dodanim was a son of Javan; his descendants settled Dodone in Greece. Dodone sent ships for the Greek war against Troy according to the Iliad.

Tubal was a son of Japheth. His descendants settled Central Asia where Georgia is today. Georgia was called Iberia by the Romans. The capital city of Georgia is still today called Tbilisi (city of Tubal). The most important river going through Georgia is the Tobol. Another important Georgian city is named Tobolsk, all after Tubal. Some descendants of Tubal eventually migrated from Iberia and settled in Spain, Spain is in the Iberian peninsula.

Meshech was a son of Japheth. His descendants settled Moscow; the area surrounding Moscow is still today called the Meschera Lowland.

Tiras was a son of Japheth. His descendants named every place they settled after their ancestor, including Thrace, the province north of Greece where Macedonia and Yugoslavia are today; and the country of Troas where the city of Troy stood on the coast of Asia Minor. He was most likely the ancestor of the Etruscans, early inhabitants of Italy, where the province of Tuscany is today. Tiras was worshiped as Thuras or Thor, the god of thunder.

Ham had four sons. Each son became the father of a nation or of a people group who then divided into their nations. They settled mostly south and west of Mesopotamia, where the descendants of Noah first established their homes after the Flood.

Cush, the oldest son of Ham, was the father of Nimrod, the most famous descendant of Noah in the ancient world. Noah was a mighty hunter and warrior, and with his father instigated the Tower of Babel rebellion (more on that in the next parashah). He built the first Empire after the Flood. The descendants of Cush also settled the land south of Egypt, today known as Nubia or Ethiopia (as well as Sudan) but in ancient days known as Cush.

Mizraim was a son of Ham. His descedants settled Egypt and the lands on the northern coast of Africa. One descendant of Mizraim was the father of the Philistines.

Phut was a son of Ham; his descendants settled Libya, known as Put in acient times.

The theme of the parsha stumah from Gen 10:1-14 is the sons of Japheth and Ham.

genesis 9:18-29, the curse on canaan

Read Gen 9:18-29 at the Bible Gateway.

Noah becoming drunk is a little out of character with the Noah that we were introduced to before the Flood, who was perfect in his generation and who did all that the Lord commanded him. The Flood changed the geography and climate of the world. Winter and summer and cold and heat were introduced. Before the Flood, the entire earth was temperate or tropical in climate – archaeologists have found hippopotamus fossils and tropical plant fossils at the North Pole. The Flood introduced the Ice Age. It is not unlikely that fruit that was harvested and stored in the same way as before the Flood resulted in a different outcome after the Flood.

I believe that Noah did not realize that his grape harvest would ferment and become wine which, if drunk, would cause intoxication. This is the first mention of wine in the Bible, and Noah might have been the inadvertent discoverer of it.

Ham found his father intoxicated and uncovered in his tent, and did two things which showed dishonor to his father: he looked on his father’s nakedness. He filled up his eyes with his father’s sin, weakness, falling short. He focused his attention on it, on the negative. And, he told of it to others. I believe he might have even repeated the tale with mocking or laughter. He dishonored his father in the sight of others.

Shem and Japheth, in contrast (contrast is a teaching tool of Torah), refused to look on their father’s nakedness. They averted their faces and did not focus their attention on his sin or weakness. And, they covered their father’s nakedness. They did not tell it, but they covered it.

“He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.” Pro 17:9

“And above all things, have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Pet 4:8

Ham acted out of pride, maybe rebellion, maybe envy, maybe even a little hatred. Shem and Japheth acted out of love. Noah blessed Shem and Japheth for their love, but did not bless Ham for his insolence and dishonor.

Now if Ham had done the transgression, why was Canaan cursed, and not Ham? Ham had been previously blessed by God (Gen 9:1), and I do not believe that Noah was willing to curse that which God had blessed. I also further believe, that the traits which Ham displayed in his treatment of his father in this incident, were passed on to his sons. Children imitate their fathers – it is a spiritual law which God enacted for our blessing, so that righteous fathers would have righteous sons.

Perhaps Noah saw (perhaps by revelation from the Lord) in Canaan the most fertile soil for rebellion and every evil thing. In any case, we see from this passage that words that fathers speak over their children become prophecies which carry the weight of “Thus saith the Lord.” Fathers have a strict command from the Lord to raise up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, to not provoke them to wrath by unjust and unloving fathering.

This is the passage previous generations used to justify enslaving the African people, since Africans are descended from Ham. There are several problems with that interpretation. The Bible contains teaching for proper treatment of slaves, because slaves were a part of life (it still is in this day and age in some parts of the world – the Sciptures, as the Word of God, speaks to all cultures and all nations at all times, not just to one culture at one time). But the Bible never commands anyone to enslave anyone else. Slavery is not a command.

Also, the curse was on Canaan, not on Ham. The eventual destruction of Canaan as a nation was carried out by Israel, and then again by the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans in subsequent generations. They were continually conquered as a people until they were destroyed from the face of the earth – long before the Europeans began enslaving Africans. Using the Bible as a justification for enslaving other human beings was unregenerate man’s way of deceiving themselves into thinking that what they knew was wrong, was somehow right. It is truly regenerated men and women, from a foundation of true Biblical interpretation, who worked mightily to bring the institution of slavery crashing to the ground.

What is the service that Canaan provided for Shem and Japheth? It is the belief of many biblical historians that the Canaanites, who were the same people as the Phoenicians, discovered or perfected many useful sciences and arts which greatly served the descendants of Shem and Japheth – commerce, navigation, exploration, establishing outposts and the beginnings of civilization in some of the farthest reaches of the earth, bringing goods from the far corners of the earth so that Shem and Japheth could benefit from them – all these things the Phoenicians accomplished and perfected. When their service was finished, the people mentioned above destroyed them from the face of the earth. Israel (from Shem) destroyed them from the heartland of the Holy Land. Alexander the Great (from Japheth) destroyed Tyre, the greatest Canaanite city on the coast of the Holy Land where they had been pushed by Israel, and the Romans (from Japheth) destroyed Carthage on the northern coast of Africa, the greatest Canaanite city outside of their homeland. The Romans eventually seized all the Phoenician mines, trading centers and routes, and enfolded their enterprises into her own.

The theme of the parsha p'tuchah from Gen 9:18-29 is dishonor brings a curse.

parashah vayikyu ben noach (sons of noah), genesis 9:18-10:32

We study the Torah according to the triennial cycle every Sabbath (Why?), being aware of the teaching tools employed by Torah, and looking for them, so that we can get the message God is trying to convey.

Today is the 8th Sabbath of the triennial cycle: parashah (Torah portion) Vayikyu ben Noach / Sons of Noah, Gen 9:18-10:32 (read at Bible Gateway or the Hebrew Bible in English).

Additional readings for this week:
Prophet: Isa 49 / Psalm: Ps 8 / History: Job 15-16 / Gospel: Mat 15:21-39 / Apostolic: Eph 2

Parsha (paragraph) divisions in this week's Torah portion:
Gen 9:18-29 ends in a parsha p'tuchah, a strong paragraph division.
Gen 10:1-14 ends in a parsha stumah, a weak paragraph division.
Gen 10:15-20 ends in a stumah.
Gen 10:21-32 ends in a p'tuchah.

The theme of the parsha p'tuchah from Gen 9:18-29 is that dishonor brings a curse.

The theme of the parsha stumah from Gen 10:1-14 is the sons of Japheth and Ham.

The theme of the parsha stumah from Gen 10:15-20 is the sons of Canaan.

The theme of the parsha p'tuchah from Gen 10:21-32 is the sons of Shem.

The first thing we notice, is that the parsha divisions have singled out the sons of Canaan into their own parsha. We cannot even say that God divided the paragraphs up by the sons of each of the three sons, for Japhath and Ham share a paragraph - except for the sons of Canaan.

So it seems as if the theme of strong paragraph from Gen 10:1 through Gen 10:32 is telling us who the grandsons of Noah are and the 70 nations that came from them (count them - there are 70 descendants who became the heads of 70 nations) - singling out and setting aside the nation of the Canaanites (the Phoenicians), above all the others. Why? Because, we learned, dishonor brings a curse, and we have to know who the people are who have been cursed, to see if the Word of the Lord comes to pass or not.

The theme is the blessing on the sons of Noah, how they were fruitful and how they multiplied, and the curse on Canaan.

Finding Messiah in Torah

I had done a Hebrew word study on the names of each of the three sons of Noah. But as I was thinking about the curse on Canaan, I realized I had not done a word study on the name, "Canaan."

Canaan is from Strong's H3665, unk, kaph - nun - ayin, a primitive root. In the ancient Hebrew pictographs, the kaph is the open palm, the hand used to bless others rather than to work or fight. The nun is the seed, so also, son, generation, continuation. The ayin is the eye, so also, to watch, look, see, know, or understand.

The kaph - nun combination paints the picture of the opening of the seed, so the going down of the root to provide a firm foundation for the plant above the ground. The verb form, then, means to stand, as the root provides the support that enables the plant to be upright; the concrete noun means a root; and the abstract concept is sureness. So interesting! Now when we add the ayin, the eye, on to that picture, we get the going down of the eye; i.e. to bow the head, to humble oneself, to be humbled, or to be brought into subjection. The name “Canaan” actually means “lowland.”

So what does this have to do with Messiah?

Remember what Noah said of Canaan? “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants he shall be to his brethren;” (Gen 9:25). Of Messiah Yeshua the Word says:

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Mat 11:29

“... Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Phi 2:5-8

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree;” Gal 3:13

The curse on Canaan is a veiled prophecy of the means by which Messiah would redeem us. He brought Himself down, He humbled Himself and made Himself the Servant of servants to His brethren. In so doing, He became a curse for us, when the sin of the world was placed upon Him, and brought about His death.

The next time Canaan plays a prominent role in the Old Testament, we find that the sin of the Canaanites has grown so great, that God executes judgment on them by causing their death as a nation. This is another veiled prophecy in the same manner: the wages of sin is death - but the one who died, is the Servant of servants to the brethren, “canaan,” the One who caused His eye to go down.

parashah tze min hatvah (go out from the ark), genesis 8:15-9:17

We study the Torah according to the triennial cycle every Sabbath (Why?), being aware of the teaching tools employed by Torah, and looking for them, so that we can get the message God is trying to convey.

Today is the 7th Sabbath of the triennial cycle: parashah (Torah portion) Tze Min Hatvah / Go out from the ark, Gen 8:15-9:17 (read at Bible Gateway or theHebrew Bible in English).

Additional readings for this week:
Prophet: Isa 42 / Psalm: Ps 7 / History: Job 13-14 / Gospel: Mat 28 / Apostolic: 2 Tim 2

Parsha (paragraph) divisions in this week's Torah portion:
Gen 8:15-9:7 ends in a parsha stumah, a weak paragraph division.
Gen 9:8-17 ends in a parsha p'tuchah, a strong paragraph division.
This means that Gen 6:9 (where the last p'tuchah was found) through Gen 9:17 forms a single strong paragraph according to God's paragraph divisions.

Upon outlining, I discovered a chiastic structure in the Gen 8:15-9:7 parsha:
1A) Gen 8:15-19 Be fruitful and multiply;
  1B) Gen 8:20 Noah blessed YHVH by offering the lifeblood of the olah sacrifice;
    CENTRAL AXIS Gen 8:21-22 YHVH smelled the soothing aroma and declared three promises;
  2B) Gen 9:1-6 YHVH blessed Noah; instruction concerning the lifeblood of animals and men;
2A) Gen 9:7 Be fruitful and multiply.

The Gen 8:15-9:7 parsha topic might be YHVH's blessing on the righteous to be fruitful and multiply. But I note that the chiastic structure points to the heart of the parsha, YHVH's three promises which are made to the earth, not solely to Noah; and that YHVH blessed Noah but that Noah also blessed YHVH by the olah sacrifice offered in heartfelt worship and thanksgiving. In fact, the chiastic structure is so constructed, that it reveals that Noah blessed YHVH and YHVH blessed Noah, it reveals the reciprocal nature of the relationship.

The Gen 9:8-17 parsha topic might be YHVH's everlasting covenant with Noah, and the earth.

Today's reading ends with a p'tuchah, which means a strong paragraph has been completed. But this strong paragraph was begun several weeks ago, so in order to discover the point God is trying to make in Torah, I outlined everything from the last p'tuchah to this. The last p'tuchah came at the end of Gen 6:8, so the Lord considers everything from Gen 6:9-9:17 to teach a single strong point:

Gen 6:9-12 s contrast righteous Noah / corrupt earth
Gen 6:13-8:14 s righteous preserved through the judgment of the wicked
Gen 8:15-9:7 s blessing on the righteous, be fruitful and multiply
Gen 9:8-17 p Elohiym’s everlasting covenant with the earth

The overarching theme of this section might be that God preserves the righteous and destroys the wicked.

While I was outlining, I noticed a pattern established in Torah from the beginning: that every time the Torah tells of the judgment or punishment for sin, the thought, the paragraph is not completed until there has been a promise given of deliverance or preservation or hope.

Gen 2:4-3:21: first sin and its punishment, followed by a promise of Messiah in Gen 3:15;
Gen 4:1-26: Cain's sin - murder of the righteous seed - and punishment of banishment, followed by birth of Seth, the promise of righteous seed in Gen 4:25;
Gen 5:1-31: judgment of mortality promised for sin, followed by promise of life in that Enoch did not die in Gen 5:24, and promise of comfort and rest in the birth of Noah in Gen 5:29;
Gen 6:1-7: announcement of judgment coming on the wicked, followed by promise of Noah finding grace in Gen 6:8;
Gen 6:13-8:14: judgment of the Flood, followed by the covenant and the promise of the rainbow in Gen 9:8-17.

This pattern teaches us that what the world believes about the God of the Old Testament is wrong: that all He is interested in is judging sin. Yes, God is holy and He judges sin - very important truth! - but NEVER without a promise of hope, life, and an invitation to come through the open door and escape the judgment.

This parashah also introduces one of the most important teaching tools of Torah: common themes. I was struck, in reading today's parashah, how alike the blessing and the covenant was which God made with Noah in Gen 9:8-17, to the blessing and covenant He made with Adam in Gen 1. In fact, the situations of the two men, Adam and Noah, are very similar, when Noah came out of the ark. There were no humans but Noah and his family, as with Adam. There was no animal life but the male and female pairs with him, as with Adam. The earth was empty of sin, as with Adam. The blessing God spoke over Adam and the animals at the beginning of creation, God repeated to Noah and the animals. The similarities are so striking that it is safe to say that these two passages are linked by a common theme. Why is that important?

What was desirable with Adam's situation in the beginning, was he dwelt with God. He walked with God and talked with Him, and he remained in His presence. By linking Noah's situation with Adam's we can see that Noah and his family had a similar opportunity to dwell with God, to interact with Him -- and the reciprocal nature of their relationship which the chiastic structure of Gen 8:15-9:7 revealed hints at a interactive relationship. It was not just Noah doing obligations, with his prayers hitting a heaven like brass, and God afar off.

Then, if we consider that Noah's Flood is a picture of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, which is itself a shadow cast by Messiah, we can understand that by entering His covenant God has made a way for us to dwell with Him. It is a picture of restoration and return to Eden!

Finding Messiah in Torah

This week Torah introduces a foundational spiritual truth:

“But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.” Gen 9:4-6

Life is in the blood. Now on the most basic level, in this passage God authorizes governments for man, for the purpose of punishing sin to deter it. For the man who sheds blood must have his blood shed. This is why we have capital punishment for murder.

But on another level, God is saying, “For your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning.” Our sins make us guilty before God, and our lifeblood then becomes forfeit. For our lifeblood, God will demand a reckoning - a recompense. Then He goes on to say, “From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man.” Who is the one who is the brother to every man? Yeshua the Messiah - He is the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29). From His hand, God required our life, and Yeshua paid the price for us as a substitute, in full. His blood was shed. This Torah prophecy of the Messiah also shows us that the Messiah would accomplish this work as a man -- only a man can atone for the lifeblood of another man. I believe this is why, all through the Gospels, Yeshua refers to Himself as the Son of Man and not the Son of God.

paul washer messages

God

God is sovereign - dan 4:34-37
the glory of God in marriage - rom 12:2, 8:28-29; eph 5:22-25
the glory of God in ministering to the Lord
the glory of God in missions
the glory of God in moral purity - son 4
the glory of God in motivation
the great white throne
the greatness of God 1 - isa 6
the greatness of God 2 - isa 6
the greatness of God 3 - isa 6
the greatness of God 4 - isa 6
the holiness of God
the judgment of God and the great white throne - rev 20:11-15
the love and anger of God 1 - 2 cor 5:21, psa 7:11
the love of God 1 - psa 7:11-13, exo 34:6-7
the love of God 2 - psa 7:11-13, exo 34:6-7
the mercy and grace of God
the power of God

gospel

eternity - rev 20:11-15
genuine gospel - rom 3:23-26
He drank your hell - rom 3:23-26, pro 17:15
I am not ashamed of the scandal - rom 1:16
no greater truth than the gospel 1 - 1 cor 5:1-4
no greater truth than the gospel 2 - 1 cor 5:1-4
the acropolis of the christian faith - rom 3:23-27, pro 17:15
the cross of Christ (2009) - 2 cor 5:21, psa 75:8
the cross of Jesus Christ - 2 cor 5:21
the gospel (2008) - rom 3:23-26
the gospel: the power of God - rom 1:16
the gospel call - rom 1:16
the gospel of propitiation - rom 3:23-27
the grace of the gospel
the greatest text in the bible - rom 3:21-26, gal 2:15-16
the heart of the gospel - rom 3:21-26
the lost gospel - 2 cor 5:21
the meaning of the cross - pro 17:15, isa 53:10
the true gospel - rom 3:23-28
there's too much riding on eternity
true gospel: man apart from God
true gospel: what is the gospel
true gospel: conversion
true gospel: repent and believe
true gospel: the narrow way
true gospel: acceptance in the beloved
true gospel repentance
what is christianity?
what is the gospel part 1 - rom 3:23
what is the gospel part 2 - rom 3:23

false christianity

am I a worldly christian being deceived?
are you on the narrow path? - mat 7:13-27
be sure of your salvation - 2 cor 13:5
false salvation kills, real salvation brings life - rom 3:23
genuine regeneration - eze 36:22-27
genuine conversion - 2 cor 13:5
genuine conversion: tests - 1 john
I wish that you were hot or cold - rev 3:14-22
is your Jesus an accessory? - rom 12
narrow is the gate (shocking youth message) - mat 7:12-27
regeneration vs. decisionism - rom 1:16
signs of a true christian
ten indictments against the modern church in america 1
ten indictments against the modern church in america 2
true biblical salvation radio interview
what it means to be truly christian - rom 1:16
what's wrong with american christianity


growing in messiah

a living sacrifice 1 - rom 12:1
a living sacrifice 2 - rom 12:1
a solemn assembly
basic christianity - romans
being more like Jesus Christ
being what you are - rom 6
conformity to Jesus Christ in character - mat 5:17
busyness and spiritual discipline
clothed in Christ part 1
clothed in Christ part 2
discerning the times - hag 1
discipleship 1 (2006): true christianity - joh 10:24-27
discipleship 2 (2006): a living sacrifice - rom 12:1-2, pro 13:20
discipleship 3 (2006): a true disciple - rom 12:1-2
discipleship 4 (2006): what it takes to be a man - gen 2:18
everything is missions - mal 1:6-11
examine yourself - 2 cor 13:5, 1 joh 1:6-8, 2:3
examine yourself 1 (2008) - 2 cor 13:5
examine yourself 2 (2008) - 1 john
examine yourself 3 (2008) - 1 john
faith 1: it comes down to faith
faith 2: God is a rewarder of those who seek Him
faith 3: faith obeys
faith 4: childlike faith
following christ - rom 12:1-2
giving our all - rom 12:1-2
God's will for slaves - rom 1:1, jam 1:1
godly fellowship - pro 27:17; heb 10:23-25
guide posts and warning signs - isa 2:22; jer 2:5, 9:23; 2 cor 10:5
how much has christianity cost you? - mat 6:21-23
how you can have assurance
inner working of salvation - 2 cor 5:17-18
men who are broken - rom 12
obedience, the pathway to blessing
offering your bodies
our ambition is to please Him
our Father's goodness and graces to us - 1 tim 4
poverty of spirit - mat 5:1-13
practical holiness
regeneration and self denial - eze 36:22-27, mat 13:44
removing the guilt of the past - 1 john
responsibility
spiritual fasting
the biblical way to witness to the lost - rom 3
the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure - mat 13:44
the reality of regeneration - eze 36:22-27
the vine and the branches - joh 15:1-7, col 1:9-10
to love the word of God part 1 - deu 6:1-9
to love the word of God part 2 - deu 6:1-9
to love the word of God part 3 - deu 6:1-9
to love the word of God part 4 - deu 6:1-9
true disciple (2007) 1: come to me - isa 55:1-11
true disciple (2007) 2: regeneration - eze 36
true disciple (2007) 3: ministry and your prayer life - mar 1:29-37
true disciple (2007) 4: q & a
true disciple (2007) 5: how do I know I am saved? - 1 joh; gal 5:16
true disciple (2007) 6: the greatness of the gospel - 1 cor 15
true disciple (2007) 7: the way is narrow - mat 7:13-27
true disciple 1: are you a true disciple? - joh 1:1, 8:31
true disciple 2: cost of discipleship - mat 7:13-14
true disciple 3: the gift nobody wants - mat 7:13-27; mar 1:13-14
true disciple 4: heart of the gospel - mat 7:21, 13:18-23
true disciple 5: q & a - heb 12:3-11
true disciple 6: following christ - rom 12:1-2
true disciple 7: rewards of discipleship - exo 34:6-7; rom 12:1-2
what is your ambition in life? - 2 cor 5:9-18
what is your life worth? - rom 12
where does passion come from? - isa 6
you are dearly loved by God - son 4:7-6:2
your ultimate purpose - rom 8:28-29

family

a biblical husband (and prayer) - jam 4:2-3, mat 6:33
a sermon for the whole family on father's day - lev 19:32, eph 6:1-2
be a man (2006) - gen 2:18
be a man (2008) - gen 2:24
be a man (2009) - 2 cor 10:5
biblical headship - eph 5:22-24
biblical manhood 1 (2009) - 1 cor 16:13, 2 tim 2:22
biblical manhood 2 (2009) - 1 cor 15:33; 14:20
biblical manhood 1 (2010)
biblical manhood 2 (2010)
courtship part 1
courtship part 2
dating (school of prayer)
dating q & a (school of prayer)
destroying pop christian views of marital bliss - eph 5:22-33, rom 8:28
family 1: adolescence and obedience - eph 6:1-4, 2 tim 3:1-2
family 2: honor, the gateway to blessing - eph 6:1-4, exo 20
family 3: responsibility, the duty of fathers - eph 6:1-4, pro 4:1-4
family 4: father, where are you? - eph 6:1-4, pro 22:6
gaining the world and losing your children - pro 22:6
marriage and the gospel
marriage: being conformed to the image of Christ 1 - rom 8:28-29, gen 1:26
marriage: being conformed to the image of Christ 2 - 2 cor 5:17, mat 22:37-38
marriage: being conformed to the image of Christ 3 - gen 2:18, 1 tim 4:7-8
missions and your family - eph 5:25-33
raising the bar: sons (biblical manhood summit)
raising the bar: wives (biblical manhood summit)
the christian husband - eph 5:21-33
the glory of God in marriage - rom 12:2, 8:28-29; eph 5:22-25

ministry

a biblical pastor 1 - 1 tim 4:1-6
a biblical pastor 2 - 1 tim 4:1-6
a true church - eze 13:9-14
by their fruit part 1 - mat 7:13-20
by their fruit part 2 - mat 5:1-13
great men by the grace of God - 1 cor 1, eze 36:22
ministry 1: training young men for ministry - 2 tim 2:2, 3:16
ministry 2: the sufficiency of scripture in ministry - 2 tim 3:16
ministry 3: for young men going in ministry - 2 tim 3:16
ministry and your prayer life - mar 1:29-37
presence of God and power of God 1 - son 4:7-8
presence of God and power of God 2 - son 4:7-16
things applicable for God's servants - 1 tim 4:1-16

missions

a biblical vision and strategy for missions
everything is missions - mal 1:6-11
great commission - jer 5:18-19, mat 28:16-20
great privilege of being part of the great commission - mal 1:6-11
heartcry missions history
heartcry missions ministries and convictions (2006)
missions and your family - eph 5:25-33
missions 2005: the glory of God and missions
missions 2005: particular redemption and missions
missions 2005: the effectual call and missions
missions 2005: perseverance and missions
missions 2007: I am under obligation - rom 1:14-17
missions 2007: the gospel, the cross of Christ - rom 3:23-27
missions 2007: assurance and tests of true faith - 2 cor 13:5, 1 joh 1:5-7
missions 2007: regeneration and true christian unity - eze 36:22-27, jer 31:31-34
missions 2008: how much do you know God? - mal 1:6-11
missions 2008: what will keep you on the mission field - rom 12:1
missions 2008: an unchanging scandalous gospel - rom 1:16, 10:9
missions 2009 1: taking dominion - gen 1:26-28, 2:18
missions 2009 2: the cost of not following Christ - 2 cor 5:21
missions 2009 3: a christianity worth exporting - mat 23:15, 1 tim 4:1-16
missions 2009 4: the great commission - mat 28:16-20
missions 2009 5: the authority of Christ - mat 28:16-20
missions 2009 6: God bless us - psa 67:1-2
missions 2009 7: things applicable for God's servants - 1 tim 4:1-16
missions 2010 1: the guaranteed harvest - rev 5:9
missions 2010 2: sovereignty of God and world missions - 2 tim 2:8-10
missions 2010 3: as you go, make disciples - mat 28:18-20
the glory of God in missions
world impact 1 - mal 1:6-11
world impact 2 - rom 3:23
world impact 3 - mat 6:5-14
world impact 4 - mat 7:13
world impact 5 - 2 cor 13:5

prayer

a biblical husband (and prayer) - jam 4:2-3, mat 6:33
genuine prayer - mat 6:1-13
ministry and your prayer life - mar 1:29-37
pray and lose not heart (school of prayer)
prayer - luk 11:1-2, 18:1-8
worthless prayer meetings - mat 6:5-14