The Gospel in Genesis – Part 2
The Good News as Lived by Noah
Genesis 5:28–9:13
Another example of the Gospel message found in the book of Genesis is the account of the life of Noah, whose name means “rest.” The account of Noah’s life covers about four chapters, so you will be glad to know that we are not going to read every verse from Genesis 5:29 to Genesis 9:13. Instead, I will highlight those portions of the account that most clearly show how Noah’s life presents the Gospel. Let’s begin in Genesis 5.
Genesis 5:28-29 (KJV)
28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort (or ease) us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
Noah means rest and the word comfort here means to ease—to give rest.
The Gospel is rife with the promise of rest. The first example we find in Scripture is when we are told in the first verses of Genesis chapter 2 that on the seventh day God rested from all His work. He then sanctified, or set apart, that day. This gives us insight into the importance of rest, but we often assume that what we are to learn from this is not to do any work on the seventh day. It is one of the ten commandments, after all.
It is important that we keep in mind what covenant currently governs our relationship with God. The New Covenant ushers in the reality that cast the shadow of Old Testament Sabbath rest.
Important passages that deal with the topic of rest include:
Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV)
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Hebrews 4:9-11 (KJV)
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
The context around this passage in Hebrews makes it clear that entering the Kingdom of God is what is being referred to when rest is discussed. We are told we should work at (diligently strive for) entering that rest—entering the Kingdom; accepting God’s gift of salvation; placing our trust only in Jesus for our reconciliation to God.
The passage also talks about disobedience. We disobey when we refuse to change our minds about God and about our own ability to make ourselves righteous; when we refuse to accept His grace as our only hope of life.
In the Matthew passage, Jesus promised rest for our souls, our psuche, or psyche, our mind, will, and emotions. As believers, we have entered that rest. This is exactly what we received when we were reborn and given eternal life. We no longer need to worry about our relationship with God. We no longer need to worry about our eternal future.
Getting back to our text in Genesis:5 at verse 29
Regarding Lamech naming his son Noah, he said he did it in the hope that this son would provide rest from the hard work of getting the cursed earth to provide food. As is so often the case in the Bible, Noah’s name was an indication of his purpose.
Charles Ryrie’s Study Note on Genesis 5:29 says:
“shall give us rest.” I.e., by preserving a remnant in the ark. Christ would eventually come and give ultimate victory over the curse.
Ryrie has it right. Jesus came to accomplish what is foreshadowed here.
This is why Jesus said in Matthew “come to me… and you will find rest for your souls”, as we read earlier.
This is why we are not to allow anyone to judge us with regard to a Sabbath day, as we saw in Colossians.
This is why, as we read in Hebrews, we are to “be diligent, or labor, to enter that rest”, which “remains for the people of God.”
Now we will jump ahead to Genesis Chapter six, beginning at verse nine.
Genesis 6:9 (KJV)
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
This is an amazing statement in and of itself, but even more so in light of the fact that God says that every thought of mankind was only evil all the time. Why was Noah, out of all the evil people on earth, counted righteous and blameless?
Noah was a great grandson of Enoch. The Bible says of Enoch that he “walked with God.” You may remember that Enoch never saw physical death. Instead, God simply took him. We read more about Enoch in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11:
Hebrews 11:5-7 (KJV)
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Noah is also listed here. He had faith in God, just as his great grandfather Enoch had before him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
It is about faith in God from first to last. In another installment in this series on the Gospel in Genesis we will read about Abraham. Scripture tells us that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
We read in John that “whosoever believes in Him (that is Jesus) shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Later, in II Corinthians 5, we read that “He (Jesus) who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Nothing we do can ever make us righteous. It is God’s grace that makes us righteous, and we receive that gift by faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
So Noah, a righteous man, is living in a terribly fallen world—just as we are.
Back to our text in Genesis:
Genesis 6:10 (KJV)
10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
There are two components to the meaning of Shem in Hebrew. The first, and the way it is generally rendered in the Bible, is “name.” The second component is something like “fame.”
Matthew Henry says, “Shem is put first because on him the covenant was entailed, as appears by chapter 9:26, where God is called the Lord God of Shem. To him, it is probable, the birth-right was given, and from him, it is certain, both Christ the head, and the church the body, were to descend. Therefore he is called Shem, which signifies a name, because in his posterity the name of God should always remain, till He should come out of his loins whose name is above every name; so that in putting Shem first Christ was, in effect, put first, who in all things must have the pre-eminence.
In this statement we see the full meaning of the name of Shem. Jesus, the shem that is above every shem. His name (who He is) and His fame (or glory, honor, beauty, etc.) is far above all rulers and authority and every name that can be named. (See Ephesians 1:18-23) Jewish people even today do not typically say God, or Jehovah, or Yahweh. Instead they refer to God as “hashem”— “The Name.”
Colossians 1:15-18 underscores the importance of The Name:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Now we rejoin our text at verse eleven of Genesis chapter six and we will read through verse 18:
Genesis 6:11-18 (KJV)
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
Okay, this part is one of my favorites.
The Hebrew word translated “pitch” is kawfar. According to Strong’s, this is a primitive root; meaning to cover (specifically with bitumen); figurative, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel :- appease, make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).
Only here is kawfar translated pitch. That choice is based on context because it involves covering the ark with something like bitumen, which is essentially naturally occurring tar or pitch. However,the most common translation of kawfar in the Bible is “atonement.” Out of 102 occurrences it is translated “atonement” 71 times.
Now we will read 15 through 18.
15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die. 18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Here is the Gospel: Judgment is about to come, but God provides salvation for those who trust Him. “I am bringing a flood, but I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark.” (NASB)
The flood is Judgement Day.
The ark is Jesus.
The pitch is atonement.
Noah’s family is sealed inside the ark (Jesus) by God himself.
Noah is righteous because he believes God.
Noah will be saved because he is righteous.
Genesis 6:22 (KJV)
22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Because Noah believed God the result of that faith was demonstrated. Obedience from the heart is the way the people of God want to behave.
In verse one of chapter seven we see that Noah’s faith is credited to him as righteousness.
Genesis 7:1 (KJV)
1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Now let’s drop down in Genesis seven and pick up the account at verse eleven.
Genesis 7:11-13 (KJV)
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
Noah and his family escape the judgment. They are safe in the ark. This is a vibrant picture of salvation and regeneration. It immediately brings to mind Second Corinthians 5:17 where we read, 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Turning back to Genesis 7:14-16 (KJV)
14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
It’s notable that God closed the door and sealed them in.
The salvation from judgment God promised Noah is “Yes, it’s done” in the ark. He who put Noah and his family in the ark is God, who also sealed them inside where they couldn’t fall out and drown. This is expressed in the New Covenant in 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (KJV) 20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Everything God has promised is “yes, it’s done” in Jesus Christ. He who establishes you in Christ is God, who also sealed you and gave you the Spirit in your heart as a pledge.
Now we will fast-forward to Genesis 7:23 (KJV)
23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
The judgment came to fruition, but Noah and his family remained safe.
Genesis 8:1-3 (KJV)
1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; 2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; 3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. God remembered Noah.
When God remembers His people, it is not that they had been forgotten, but rather that His loving attention is turned toward them and He shows them favor. God redeems Noah out of the sinful world. He has just cleansed the world through baptism and now He places Noah into the new world to begin a new life.
Genesis 8:4 (KJV)
4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
The story concludes in Genesis 9:8-13 (KJV)
8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
Every time we see a rainbow, we have cause to remember each of Father’s wonderful promises to us. Not only that, but we can remember that all His promises are “Yes, it’s done” in Jesus Christ, and that we are loved fully, accepted completely, and that we stand before Him righteous, holy, and blameless. Not only that, but we are sealed into our salvation securely by the Spirit of the Living God, Who lives in us.
