Volume 20 Number 3
January/February 2004

Shabbat Noach—Resting In God During Times of Trouble

by Rabbi Barney Kasdan

*The following was a commentary written on October 27 for the UMJC website.

It was a surreal scene yesterday morning (October 26) in my home neighborhood in San Diego, California. What had started out as a typically beautiful Shabbat had evolved into a gloomy Sunday. At first glance we merely thought it was a bad case of beach overcast but the golden hue of the haze indicated something very wrong. As we turned on the news we realized that much of San Diego County was caught in the midst of a firestorm. It is not unusual for the warm Autumn season to bring some localized fires but this was staggering in its scope. Three massive fires were now covering over 200 square miles and had destroyed over 400 homes (later found to be 2500). About a dozen deaths were blamed on the blazes as of today. At first, even for us, it seemed like a rather remote, backcountry fire. But as the afternoon progressed, one branch of the fire worked its way down the dry hillsides and headed directly for our neighborhood. We felt a degree of comfort realizing that a major freeway separated us from the inferno. But that soon changed when the news reported that the flames had actually jumped the freeway and started a brush fire less that a mile from our home. As I write this article today, the danger seems to subsiding for my family as we wait at home. Our important possessions are in our cars waiting for any possible evacuation orders. God willing, our neighborhood and many others will be spared any further destruction.

Call it a coincidence that this upcoming Shabbat we read the parsha concerning Noach (Breisheet/Genesis 6:9-11:32). His name means “rest” which, in classic Hebrew fashion, seems to describe this man’s walk with HaShem. Whatever problems we may be facing must pale in comparison to what Noach confronted. In his day the entire earth had fallen into a moral corruption that would require drastic action. God himself called for a judgment upon the earth and the destruction of all flesh (6:13). Yet, true to His own character, God provides a way of mercy in the midst of judgment. Noach is commanded to “make yourself an ark” which, besides being the physical means of redemption, is also the perfect symbol of spiritual truth for Noach. In the midst of the sea of corruption, the ark would provide a way of escape. The ark was the difference between life and death. Ironically, the very waters that brought death and judgment to the fallen world were also the environment of God’s salvation. It was the large boat that was the only difference between those who drowned and Noach’s family of survivors. Likewise, the process of construction for the ark held some important lessons for that generation. Rashi, in his commentary on this passage, notes that Noach was given 120 years to build the vessel for a particular reason. As the men of that generation would inquire as to the strange boat, Noach would be able to respond “The Holy One, Blessed be He, is about to bring a flood upon the world” and perhaps they might repent (note on 6:14). Indeed, to a generation which had never seen true rain, the ark would actually serve as a sign that something was terribly wrong. The gates of repentance are open by God’s grace yet a time will come when the judgment is set.

Although Noach faced extreme problems in his day, God provided a way of escape in the ark. And that was not all that God provided. As his name implies, Noach shows a rather supernatural degree of peace in the midst of this adversity. The simple yet profound statement at the end of chapter 6 is that “Noach did so; just as God commanded him, so he did” (6:22). There must have been days and months of struggles and questions with such a great undertaking. You would think that Noach had his times of stress or self-doubt during the long construction project. However, according to the text, he seems to live up to his name by resting in God during such tumultuous times. Noach must have found a degree of shalom by following God’s instructions and trusting in God’s mercy. It is interesting to note that the only “opening for daylight” was on the top deck facing the heavens, the place of God’s abode (6:16). For Noach, the only place to look was up. He was ultimately rewarded with physical deliverance as the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat and spiritual deliverance as HaShem initiated a covenant agreement with His remnant of believers (9:1-13).
This ancient parsha still has much to teach us today. Turmoil and adversity seem to be some of the common denominators we share in the human experience. Our Messiah Yeshua even alluded to the account of Noach as a picture of what this world will again face in the latter days before God’s final judgment. “For the Son of Man’s coming will be just as it was in the days of Noach” (Matt.24:37). While it is true that there has always been a certain amount of corruption and immorality in the world, things seem to be escalating to new lows in our own generation. Add to this the uniqueness of the situation of modern Israel and the Middle East political situation. It seems that the day of final judgment is moving closer. The good news is that, like Noach, there is also a way of escape. Mashiach is our escape through the waters of judgment. Messianic Judaism, as it properly lifts up Yeshua, is one aspect of a modern-day ark for our people and all the nations. Although it is in a sense a time of construction for the final ark of Messiah, it is right now also a time of warning for our generation. On the personal side, we believers in Yeshua also face our share of adversity. Whether it be a literal firestorm, a broken family, a lost job or a serious illness, we can all relate in certain ways to the experience of our ancestor Noach. May we continue to find true rest and shalom in the midst of adversity as we look out the only window of the ark. Shabbat Shalom!

 

Last Modified January 18, 2004