Genesis 6:9–11:32: Our salvation floats on a real Flood

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The Flood recorded in the book of Genesis is one of the most pivotal events in the Bible. But did it happen, or is it just an allegory to teach a spiritual truth? This discussion of the Torah reading נֹחַ Noach/Noakh (“Noah,” Genesis 6:9-11:32), illustrates how the account is real history as well as real revelation of spiritual truth.

Modern DNA studies supports the Bible’s record of a literal Noach, his literal sons and daughters-in-law and a literal worldwide Flood. Even though Noach was “righteous in his generation,” he was not perfect. He wasn’t saved because he was perfect. He was saved because he had faith in God — faith put into action.

Noach’s clinged to God’s words, but his generation refused to follow him into the Ark and to receive salvation. That’s why Yeshua talked about the “days of Noah” being just like His second coming (Luke 17:25–27; Matthew 24:37–38; Isaiah 54:8–10).

This section of Torah is a testimony of the origin of Abraham and Israel, of different people groups and of languages. People today want to know where they came from, trying to reconstruct their ancestry. Three out of four of my grandparents were alive when I was born, but I never really knew my great-grandparents. I know little about these people.

We also have very little knowledge of who the people in this chain are either. We have a name, how old they were when their son was born and then how long they lived until their death. This genealogy is a direct chain from father to son from Noach all the way to Abraham, showing how much time passed from one generation to the next. It is not a telescoping genealogy like we have of Messiah Yeshua in the beginning of the gospels of Matthew and Luke.¹

Secular skeptics like to air TV shows throwing shade on the Bible during Christmas and Easter, which is when people are most interested in the Bible. The scoffers commonly purposefully distort the Bible to turn people away from the Bible during the very time they have a heightened interest in the Bible.

As we go through and look through this reading Torah reading Noach, I want to emphasis that the Bible is real history and a real testimony about the intentions and actions of the Creator.

The Bible doesn’t describe a local flood,² regardless of what modern skeptics say.

Science/DNA confirms Scripture

Noach didn’t just take his family and a bunch of food into the ark. He also took lots of animals with him. He took in many “kinds” of creatures that are distinct from each other.³ When we look in the real world, we see that animals can reproduce with one another up to a point, but there is a barrier that prevents unlimited reproduction. You can’t breed a cat with a bat or a frog with a dog.

Humans share more DNA with bananas and corn than with apes and chimpanzee, according to evolutionist Steve Jones.^{4, 5} Humans are dirt with software. You can whiz up chemicals a blender as much as you want but you will not get life.

“We also share about 50% of our DNA with bananas and that doesn’t make us half bananas, either from the waist up or the waist down.” —evolutionist Steve Jones on chimp–human DNA similarity

The flood and the family of Noach can be found in our DNA. How? Modern DNA studies have found three main female genetic groups in the world and one main line of the male chromosome have been inherited through time.⁶

The geographical and geological record is full of evidence of a worldwide flood.⁷ The book of Genesis tells us that a worldwide flood destroyed all people, land and many sea creatures. Many fossils show little signs of decomposition and burial in the midst of running, eating, giving birth and digesting. The fact we can even find lots of fossils is proof of a very quick burial.

Fossils are creatures buried in sediment and transformed into rock by chemical processes.

We also find the earth has many rock layers, like those seen in the Grand Canyon. These geological layers of sediment cross states, oceans and continents. The are very flat and there are little signs of erosion between the layers.

Since 2005 or so, paleontologists have discovered lots of “biomaterial fossils” such as flexible blood vessels in T. Rex bones and DNA (www.tiny.cc/biomaterial-fossils-list).

There are some animals in the fossil records that no longer exist, there are some that are close “cousins” to currently living animals, but there are also “living fossils” — animals that are alive today that are identical to animals buried in the fossil record.⁸

The Bible says that God created the world in sixth day and on the seventh he rested. This is one of the reasons why we keep the Shabbat every seventh day.

The world tells us the universe made itself, slowly, over millions or billions of years. To believe that flies in the face of observable science and common sense.

The secular storyline is being debunked by science all the time. The Creator’s testimony resembles what we see in the real world and the secular, evolutionary storyline does not.

Languages confirm biblical history

The world has groups of core (“proto” per evolutionists) languages with few agreed linkages. Typical tree of languages has about a dozen languages of tongues.

Collective knowledge can do amazing things and a collective common language can spread that knowledge. When the pax romana ruled the world, Greek was a common language throughout the entire empire. Part of the strength of the pax Romana (“peace of Rome”) was the strength of its language, largely Greek.

We also know that knowledge that doesn’t cause respect and honor for the Creator ultimately is futile.

Noach had three sons who were born just before the flood: Shem, Ham and Japheth. One might say one is the good son, one is the bad son and one is the “in between.”

“May God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.” Gen. 9:27 (NASB)

It is from the story of these three sons and their immediate descendants that we get this idea of the world composed of 70 nations, this number came to symbolize the totality of all the nations.

One of the great blessings of the house of Japheth dwelling in the tents of Shem is that Greek (as represented by Javan) was the first language besides Hebrew and Aramaic the Holy Scriptures were translated. Because of this, knowledge of God was spread throughout the world.

The Flood was not part of God’s original plan, but God did not create robots. He made beings in His image, with free will. Those who can struggle with God and even rule with Him. But sadly, almost all of mankind would turn from the teachings of the Creator think and act violently continually. The Creator who turned Destroyer was and is also the Savior and Redeemer.

Real friends keep intimate knowledge in confidence, not spreading them in gossip

“Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.” (Genesis 9:20–21 NASB)

Even though Noach was “righteous in his generation” he was not perfect. We read that Ham was the first son who noticed this and rather than keeping the matter to himself, he gossiped about his father to his other brothers about this shortcoming in their father.

But the Bible tells us that a real friend keeps secrets, and doesn’t slander or spread gossip.

Shadows of Mashiakh

Attribute	Noakh	Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ)
Name	נֹחַ noakh (H5146) = “rest, quietness” נָחַם nakham (H5162) = “to comfort, relent” נִיחֹחַ nikhoakh (H5207) = “soothing” Synonyms: שבת shavat, שלם shalam	יְשׁוּעָה  yeshuʿah (H3444) = “salvation” מְנַחֵם menakhem (H5162) = “comforter” (Lam. 1:16) Menakhem is a rabbinical name for Mashiakh. “another comforter” = Spirit of God (John 14:16) βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ basileus Salēm = “king of shalom” (Heb. 7:2)
Righteousness	“Righteous … blameless … walked with God” (Gen. 6:9) “Preacher of righteousness” (2Pet. 2:5)	Μελχισέδεκ  Melchisedek  (G3198) = “king of righteousness”

‘Days of Noakh’ ≈ ‘Day of the LORD’

The apostle Peter compared the events of the Flood to final judgement. There were a lot of people who did not get on the boat and were taken away and the survivors were allowed to survive and repopulate the earth. No matter how bad things got during the flood, God did not abandon Noach and God will not abandon His people in the days approaching the Day of the Lord, either.

The prophet Isaiah does the same in Isaiah 54:1–55:5, which is the haftarah (traditional parallel reading) for Torah reading Noach

“this is like the days of Noah to Me” (Isa. 54:9)

The prophet likens the coming return of Israel from exile to the “covenant of peace” (Isa. 54:10) of God’s promise not to destroy via water again.

“O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted” (Isa. 54:11)

“Every one who thirsts, come to the waters” (Isa. 55:1)

Water is an apt symbol for the creative and destructive power of God. Water can quench thirst, wash away filth and act as a barrier against attack. Water can drown everything with the breath of life as well as destroy building and mountain.

The apostle Peter wrote that everything was made from water and by water then destroyed by water (2Pet. 3:1–13; compare 1Pet. 3:18–22).

But as we conclude, we can depend on His faithfulness and His promises. We don’t have to feel like we have to do it ourselves, we can move forward in that knowledge and catch up to Him.

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Hebrews 11:7 NASB)

Noach’s willingness to cling to God’s words, God’s promise is what condemned the world because they refused to follow him into the Ark and to receive salvation. The final ark will be bigger than the ark Noach made. Yeshua is our ark. The question is do we want to join Him?

Summary: Tammy. 

Banner Photo: A Full scale model of Noah’s Ark in Dordrecht, Netherlands. According to Wikipedia, “It is 137 meters (450 ft) long and carried on a platform made up of 25 LASH barges, this is the only full-scale Ark interpretation that is actually floating and mobile.” Photo by Ceinturion from Wikipedia Commons. 

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