Genesis 6:14 “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.”
Genesis 6:17 “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 every thing that is in the earth shall die.”
Continuing from yesterday concerning storms; not sure we can place Noah’s flood, a worldwide conflagration, in that category, but if there really is such a thing as a “Perfect Storm”, that was…and Noah and his family were, anyway, prepared. And it’s been said that we are in the recapitulated, “Days of Noah”; [Matthew 24:37].
“Make thee an ark of gopher (גפר) wood…”. There’s been much discussion about the identity of this “gopher wood”. Some scholars say Cedar, some, Cypress, while others suggest an alternative reading, which once again demonstrates how the Hebrew language is used by the Holy Spirit in a suggestive and layered, even poetic manner, to point to “types” and profound spiritual truths. Whatever the species of the “gopher” wood, the similarity between the term, ‘gopher’ (גפר), and the Hebrew for “pitch”, ‘kafar’ (כָּפַר), is noticeable and significant, to the point that some commentators suggest that the species of wood is not what’s indicated here, but only the fact that the wood was “covered”, “pitched”, or “laminated” with something sticky, inside and out, to protect it from the flood waters.
But now, the spiritual point: The word for “pitch”, (כָּפַר) also means, “to cover, to cancel, to atone”. The same root is used when speaking of the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, ‘kaporet’ (כפרת), where the blood was to be applied. The word for ‘atonement’ or ‘ransom’ is the word, ‘kapara’ (כפרה). It’s the same word that’s used for the Biblical feast of the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippurim. (יום הכפורים), the day when Israel’s sins were atoned by the scapegoat. So, whatever “gofer” or “kafar” were in the construction of the Ark, their similar sound and meaning point to a “covering,” a source of protection from the flood, which, of course, was the sole purpose of Noah’s Ark. But they also point to this other “covering,” the “atonement” which covers sins, a reference to the “Lamb of God”…
So, that vessel, Noah’s Ark, is a type, a prophetic reference to Yeshua, our “Ark of Salvation” and His atoning (covering) work on the cross. He was our ‘kapparah’, our atonement, the Lamb who covered our sins. There is no storm, no flood, no catastrophe that can nullify Yeshua’s salvation; if your faith in Him is genuine, your sins, you yourself, are “covered”…. through the “Perfect Storm”, in the days of “Days of Noah”, whatever.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]According to church history, the apostle Thomas, died in Calamina, a city in the East Indies. While there, Thomas had put a stop to the idolatry that was running rampant in the land. The idolatrous priest was not happy about this at all and accused him before their king. The king sentenced Thomas to death -- first to be tormented by red hot plates and then cast into a glowing furnace and burned. When the priest saw that the fire was not hurting him, he pierced Thomas' side with spears and javelins, and finally Thomas died.
A farmer was showing his visiting citydwelling friend around his farm. "Watch this!" he said. He gave a whistle and his little dog came running from the house, herded the cattle into the corral, then latched the gate with her paw. "Wow, that's some dog -- what's her name?" The forgetful farmer thought for a minute and then asked, "What do you call that red flower that smells good and has thorns on the stem?" "A rose?" "That's it!" The farmer turned to his wife. "Hey Rose, what do we call this dog?"
I suppose one of the hardest questions to answer is: "Why do I have to deal with so much adversity?!"
Epraphras is not a name you hear much of. He was a member of the church in Colosse, and obviously a dear saint in the Lord. We know that he suffered imprisonment with Paul at one time. But the thing that really impresses me about this saint is what Paul wrote about him– he always wrestled in prayer!
Missionaries Dick and Margaret Hillis found themselves caught in China during the Japanese invasion. The couple lived with their two children in the inland town of Shenkiu. The village was tense with fear, for every day brought terrifying reports of the Japanese advance. At the worst possible time, Dick developed appendicitis, and he knew his life depended on making the long journey to the hospital. On January 15, 1941, with deep foreboding, Margaret watched him leave.
As Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land it seemed that God had given them an impossible assignment -- to conquer a foreign and hostile land with fortified cities and armies greater than their own. They had to go forth only on the basis of God's promise. They had to walk by faith and not by sight!
Over the weekend, the ministry lost a dear brother who suddenly died of a heart attack. In times of mourning, the realization dawned (once again) that this life is utterly fleeting ... a vapor in the wind ... and these frail human bodies in which we dwell are mortal dust. We are living in the land of the dead and dying, and only those of us who truly know and are known by the Messiah, upon our death, will enter the land of the truly living!