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]People often ask me why I so enjoy Shabbat and the rest it affords and why I preach on it so often. Some people think it’s a “legalistic” attitude, but actually, I’m simply being relational. They need to remember that our relationship with the Lord Yeshua is bridal; it’s a marital relationship. [; ; ]
Our relationship with the Lord is repeatedly expressed as a marriage. And human marriage has been expressed as a type of the Divine union of Messiah and His Bride. When a man and a woman are joined together in a marital union, the two together acquire a new level of strength according to this word. In that context, here in Israel and elsewhere, it is also said that, “A threefold cord is not easily broken.” But where is the third cord?
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].
The Bible tells us that the last days would be like the days of Noah. As the mass of humanity witnesses the signs of increasing violence and evil manifesting in ways that seemed incomprehensible even just a decade ago, we are focusing on the peace that faith brings through the present storm. Though the ark he built for the flood was perhaps not the most luxurious boat ever made, Noah and his family were able to abide in God’s rest through the most terrible weather in human history.
Yeshua (Jesus) is described as the “image of the invisible God” [; ], that is, God, manifesting Himself in a visible, tangible form, a human form in whom dwells all the fullness of Deity [; ; ], equal with God before Creation [; ], but choosing to be emptied of His glory for the purpose of incarnating as a flesh and blood human being on Earth; [].
During the past two weeks, I’ve received numerous emails responding to our understanding of Israel in the Bible, clearly indicating a need for a more comprehensive explanation of my point of view. This will require a bit more space than …
Among the mighty men of David were those of the tribe of Issachar whose special gift was their understanding of the times, a gift of prophetic insight; and this was such a precious gift because included in their discernment was the ability to know how to apply it. In our time prophecy is everywhere. Yeshua (Jesus) warned us that there would be false prophets in the last days, especially approaching His second coming, and He said the prophecy would be so subtle and the false signs so powerful that even the elect might be deceived if that were possible; [Mt. 24:24] While it’s clear to many of us that we’re living in prophetic days, there are also millions who have no clue of the current times and seasons.