Noach Gen. 6:9 - 11:32
Haftorah Is. 54:1 - 55:5

     Last week’s Torah portion ends with a word of hope: But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  From the time of the sin of Adam and Eve, the world became progressively sinful. So sinful that God had decided to destroy his creation.  But Noah was found to be a righteous man. God spared Noah by telling him to build an ark as God was about to destroy the world with a flood.  After the flood,  Noah built an alter and brought a sacrifice to the Lord.  God responded by making a covenant with Noah, blessing him and telling him to be fruitful and multiply. These are the same words that God had previously spoken to Adam and Eve. By telling him to be fruitful and multiply, God was, in a sense, renewing the covenant he had made with Adam and Eve. In addition He promised to never destroy the living creatures in the world again.  We learn many lessons from this narrative.  First, we learn that God will use a righteous person for His glory.  A question that arose among the sages of Israel   was “How righteous was Noah?  After all, he was a righteous man in an evil generation. How righteous would he have been in a more righteous generation?” The general conclusion was that he was righteous but not in comparison to Abraham. God used this man because he was willing to follow the way of God and not simply conform to the world around him.  You and I may live a godly life compared to the world around us. God desires to use you and I  when we are willing to stand up for the Lord and not conform to the world around us!

    Another lesson we learn here is that it is the desire of God to restore the blessings that He had originally given to man.   In fact the whole Bible is about “returning to Eden ”.  Abraham (next week’s portion) was a descendant of Shem, one of the sons of Noah. God promises that he and his seed would be a blessing to the world. In other words, God chose the children of Abraham to somehow be a liaison between the blessings of God and the world as well as an example of how God relates to the world.  God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people reveals that God is faithful in his covenant relationships.  Through Israel , God has sent the Messiah to be a blessing to the world.  When all Israel believes, the world will be blessed. When all Israel believers, she will be a light to the nations. In our Haftorah portion today, God reminds Israel that He will never forsake her, even if he has hidden his face for a while. In fact Isaiah says, For this is like the days of Noah to Me; When I swore that the waters of Noah Should not flood the earth again, So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, Nor will I rebuke you.  In this passage Isaiah apples the promise of God to Noah to the remnant of Israel . Considering the days in which we live, this is a very comforting statement!  The passage speaks about the day when all of Israel will know the Messiah; when there will truly be peace in the world. There is one verse that is very poignant given the world situation as it is. Is. 54:14 says  In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; And from terror, for it will not come near you.  In that day “terror” will not come near. Today we live, as it were, in the days of Noah - days full of oppression and hate and sin and terror.  God calls us to live righteously in our generation. He calls us to trust in Him - to trust in the Messiah of Israel.  The day will come when God will start over again as he did with Noah. This time, Messiah himself will reign as king and Israel will finally fulfill her calling as a light of the nations  as our Haftorah portion says, "Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you."   It is similar to what we read in Zech 8:23 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"

 

  The Haftorah concludes with an invitation to be part of this remnant (Is. 55:1-5).  It speaks to those who are dissatisfied, striving for what is right but never quite reaching it.  It speaks to many today who are religious but yet unfulfilled.  It is spoken  to Israel , but certainly apples to all. Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.

    May we be like Noah; may we follow the way of God and not simply conform to the world around us. Shabbat Shalom!