Our Torah Reading today—which is the 7th reading of the 3-year Torah Reading Cycle, popularly referred to as a Torah Portion, is contained in Genesis 8:15-9:17. I’ve elected to assign this discussion a title of: “Our Covenant Making, Life Giving God, as this reading encompasses two concepts (among a great many others) that I want us to focus on, which are the concepts or themes of “life” and “covenant.” For we will find clearly laid out before us that we serve a life-giving; life-promoting and covenant-making and covenant-keeping Elohim. And this reality rests in stark contrast to that which the enemy and uncoverted/unrepentant humanity advocate, which is death and living lies. The enemy and unrepentant humanity is all about promoting death of itself one way or another, while promoting such things via platforms that are based upon lies and and deception.

You see, you can’t have covenant with Yehovah without Truth and life.

But our reading encapsulates the concepts and themes of life and covenant through the life and experiences of Noach and his family. We find here in our reading a story about “new beginnings” as Yehovah begins the process of rebuilding His living creation from the survivors of the Great Flood. And contrary to what we may think on the surface, the story of Noach is a story of hope, promise, covenant and life.

 

(8:15) And Yehovah spoke to Noach, saying,

(16) “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives, with you.

(17) All the animals that are with you of all flesh, fowl and cattle and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth, take out with you, and let them swarm through the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”

(18) And Noach went out, his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.

(19) Every beast, every crawling thing, and every fowl, everything that stirs on the earth, by their families, came out of the ark.

(20) And Noach built an altar to Yehovah and He took from every clean cattle and every clean fowl and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

And so, after disembarking the ark as Yehovah instructed Noach and his family, Noach builds an altar and offers burnt sacrifices consisting of clean fowl and cattle unto Yehovah.

Clearly Noach received proper worship instructions from someone prior to this. No doubt his righteous parents. At least one of the extra-biblical writings contend that Noach received instructions in righteousness from His grandfather Methuselah.

Regardless, what we see clearly spelled out here that there existed a clear distinction between that which was clean and that which was unclean as it related to animals.

(21) And Yehovah smelled the fragrant odor and Yehovah said in His heart, “I will not again damn the soil on humankind’s score. For the devisings of the human heart are evil from youth. And I will not again strike down all living things as I did.

And so, Yehovah smells the odor of the sacrifices and He says in His heart that He would (1) no longer damn the soil on humankind’s score. And (2) He would not again destroy all living things as He’d just done.

To say that Yehovah “says something in His heart” is to mean that Yehovah “says to Himself.”

J. H. Hertz, author of Torah and Haftorah asserts that this simply means Yah resolved that He would not destroy His living creation again as He just did.

The noting by Moshe here in this verse that Yehovah smelled the fragrant odor leading to Yehovah’s resolution not to destroy creation again is somewhat indicative that Yehovah accepted Noach’s volitional offering.

We also find here noted that Yehovah determines that “He will not again damn the soil nor strike down all living things as He did because “the devisings of the human heart (or will) are endemically evil.” And this damning of the soil on humankind’s score hearkens back to Yehovah cursing the ground by that Adam and his posterity would till for food, but given the context in which this statement is made, this damning of the soil or earth also directly applies to the Great Flood.

So I ask you: Is it possible that Yah settled within Himself and with the Heavenly Counsel (if there is indeed such a thing) that humanity’s inherent evil nature is something to be dealt with via another method or means instead of damning the whole of creation altogether? Does this not in some way speak to the Righteousness of Elohim, both of Yah’s goodness as well as His justness and justice?

Now that He reset creation to such a place whereby the corruption of Yah’s living creative order was more or less mitigated and He would now move forward with His Plan of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration, less inhibited by humanity’s corruption and wickedness? Could the advent of the Great Flood have been emotionally trying upon the Creator to the point that He would not wish a repeat of the flood event, His love for His human creation being so great? Or could it have been that maybe Yah was coming to terms with Himself that humanity was simply incapable of good without His help, and thus, His compassion and justice would not bring Him to repeat another extinction event such as the Flood?

Yehovah’s first instructions to post-Flood humanity and animal creation is to “be fruitful and multiply,” which is a clarion call for life: the promotion of life as opposed to death. And to facilitate that clarion call for life, Yehovah vows to never destroy His living creation with such a flood ever again. And He makes this vow, even covenant with His human creation, because, as Yah says, “the imagery (I.e., “yetzer”) of mankind’s heart is evil (I.e., “hara”) from his youth.”

Humanity’s inherent evil speaks to humanity’s natural inclination for evil, which the Jewish sages of old referred to as “yetzer hara.”

“Yetzer hara” is generally thought to overshadow humanity’s inclination for good, or in the sage’s parlance, “Yetzer tov.”

Thus, Yah acknowledges that humanity’s evil heart stems back to Adam’s first grasp of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”

It must be understood, as it relates to this whole “yetzer hara” thing, that it wasn’t the world or creation let’s say, that corrupted the human heart. It was, instead, an undesirable characteristic of humankind that overshadows an individual.

Rabbinical sages, in grappling with this concept of “yetzer hara,” devised for the sake of discussion and debate, the concept of “good inclination” or “yetzer tov.” Messianic teacher and author Tim Hegg expounds upon this in some detail in his commentary on this parashah. He writes about “yetzer tov” being a prime element of the “Daily Shacharit” or “Morning Service Prayer” where the petitioner reasons with Yehovah that he/she not be ruled over by “yetzer hara” or their “evil inclinations.”

There is, of course, no mention of a “yetzer tov” in man. Our Master corrected the Rich Young Man who asked Him what good thing should he do in order to have eternal life (Mat. 19:16). Yahoshua said to this gentleman, “Why are you asking Me about good? There is One who is good! But if you want to obtain eternal life, observe the mitzvot (aka commandments)” (Mat. 19:17; CJB).

The focus of our passage is rather that of humanity’s inherent inclination for evil and wickedness. And it evident that Yehovah clearly recognized that his human creation generally had no ability to overcome his/her evil inclination, although I would argue that people will always have the ability to choose not to give into their evil inclinations. The unfortunate thing about “yetzer hara” is that the heart of humanity is deceitful and above all things desperately evil, and thus, humanity is inclined to give into that deceitful and evil heart of theirs (Jer. 17:9).

Yehovah told Cain just after rejecting his offering to Him:

If you are doing what is good, shouldn’t you hold your head high? And if you don’t do what is good, sin is crouching at the door- it wants you, but you can rule over it.” (Gen 4:7 CJB)

From the words of Elohim Himself, as He told Cain, humanity can rule over this “yetzar hara” if there is a desire to do so. But that desire, it stands to reason, must be there. Certainly, the patriarch such as Abel, Enoch, Methuselah and Noach had the desire and inclination to rule over the deceit and wickedness that is characteristic of the heart of humanity.

Yehovah, in His gracious compassion and love for His human creation, did not leave humanity to contend indefinitely with their “yetzar hara.” He instead, provided humanity with a lifeline, or as Hegg describes, a remedy. That remedy is of course the renewed covenant which encompasses Yehovah’s Plan of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration. Yahoshua, the mediator of the renewed covenant, ushered in an era where humanity’s sins were atoned for, and most importantly, where the corrupt, deceitful and wicked heart of humankind would be changed from the “yetzar hara” to that of, let’s say, “yetzar tov.” Yahoshua ushered in a change from within the human condition. Humanity would be offered the opportunity to start anew: to receive a new birth, whereby his/her heart of stone would be changed to that of flesh, wholly acceptable unto Yehovah whereby Yah would write His Torah upon it.

And so, Yehovah’s future methodology for dealing with humanity’s wickedness and iniquity would shift from that of universal humanity to that of the individual or community of sinners.

Yehovah continues that He will not again strike down all living things as He did,” which appears to be an oath that the Creator makes, possibly before the Heavenly Counsel, if such a thing actually exists, or rather to Himself. There is no indication that this pledge or oath is directed to or made in Noach’s hearing. No physical sign or token is offered of this solitary oath.

Along the lines of Noach’s sacrifice, let us not forget that his sacrifice was a foreshadowing of Yahoshua’s atoning sacrifice, which served as the vehicle by which humanity’s fellowship with Yehovah would be restored. In so doing, Yahoshua’s Personal Ministry made it possible for us to live in the midst of a corrupt, evil and lawless world, upright and holy before our Elohim (1 Pet. 1:15-16).

(22) As long as all the days of the earth-Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, and summer and winter, And day and night shall not cease.”

What we have laid out before us in this verse is possibly, as the rabbis of old suggest, a delineating of the seasons, that Abba declares will continue unabated as long as the earth remains in its present physical state. Each season, according to the rabbis, being two-months in duration.

(9:1) And Yehovah blessed Noach and his sons and He said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Yehovah blesses Noach and Sons, speaking to them in terms of the instruction that He first rendered unto Adam and Eve in the Garden: “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.”

Humanity was beginning anew through Noach’s family.

(2) And the dread and fear of you shall be upon all the beasts of the field and all the fowl of the heavens, in all that crawls on the ground and in all the fish of the sea.

And so, it was established that the animal creation would exist in fear of human beings, suggestive that possibly prior to the Flood event, the animal kingdom did not exist in fear of humans.

(3) In your hand they are given. All stirring things that are alive, yours shall be for food, like the green plants, I have given all to you.

Humans are released from subsisting on solely a vegan diet here, as Yehovah grants humans permission to consume flesh in addition to a plant-based diet (1:29). Why would Yehovah make this change and why would He do so at this juncture of human history? What changed in the mind or purpose of Yehovah?

(4) But flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat.

The recorded restriction given by Yehovah here as it relates to human consumption of meat that is taken from a live animal, as well as the consumption of any animal blood.

Yehovah views the blood of all living creatures as the seat of the creature’s life. And this instruction certainly plays into the Kosher handling of meats in Judaism, referred to as “Shechitah” and “Koshering.”

(5) And just so, your lifeblood I will requite, from every beast I will requite it, and from humankind, from every man’s brother, I will requite human life.

The sanctity of human life is underscored here in Father’s edict or ruling that He would exact punishment for the shedding of human blood (verse 6). This, Father asserts, is due to humans having been made in Yehovah’s image.

And thus, it could be concluded that Abba was foreshadowing the establishment of justice systems to directly deal with violations of this prohibition against shedding human blood and murder.

Clearly, leading up to the Great Flood, murder was a common pastime of the antediluvian human society and Abba, setting matters of humanity on a proper footing here with Noach, intended to make it clear that murder was not acceptable behavior for humans to engage in.

Also, if an animal happened to kill a person, that animal was subject to being killed as well. And this would later be reflected in a Torah commandment in Exodus 21:28-32.

Much more than this, if a person were to murder someone, Yah would exact vengeance from the murderer through the agency of humans, or rather, a judicial agency (Deu. 16:20). For the universal identity of humanity is that he was created in Yehovah’s image.

Along this line of discussion on what is meant by man being formed in Yah’s image,I would encourage you, if you are so led, to read or listen to that installment.

As people of Yehovah, it is imperative that we see the world and the human condition through His perspective. Yah’s perspective as it relates to humanity is that all human life is of value. J.H. Hertz describes this perspective as recognizing that all humans must be seen as being individual personality’s with “inalienable human rights.

So then, when one human murders another, the murderer is seen as denying their victim of his/her “inalienable human rights” so to speak.

(6) He who sheds human blood by humans his blood shall be shed, for in the image of Elohim He made humankind.

(7) As for you, be fruitful and multiply, swarm through the earth, and hold sway over it.”

Once again Yehovah conveys the command to Noach and Sons to be fruitful and multiply and swarm through the earth and hold sway over it. This is simply another iteration of the instruction Yah gave Adam and Eve in 1:28.

Now, J.H. Hertz asserts that this is not a superfluous repetition of 9:1 and 1:28, in that it was rendered by Yah AFTER His prohibition against murder and the shedding of blood.

Yah is starting over from scratch with humanity via Noach’s family and Yah is instilling into the very fabric of this man and his family’s psyche, the first thing right off the bat mind you, the concept of the sanctity of life.

The reverence for life had all but been lost in antediluvian humanity. Not too different than what we’re seeing played out before us in society today, heh? And this being one of the first instructions given to the family upon their disembarking the ark is that of don’t murder; instead be fruitful and multiply; propagate and promote life.

You see, our Elohim is an Elohim of life. For He brought about life out of death, darkness and utter and irreversible chaos.

Of this very thing Yochanan wrote:

“(1) In the beginning was the plan (word) of Yahweh, and the plan (word) was with Yahweh, and the plan (word) was Yahweh’s. (2) The same plan (word) was in the beginning with Yahweh. (3) All things were done according to it, and without it nothing was done, that was done. (4) In this plan (word) was life and that life was the light to mankind” (Joh. 1:1-4; Book of Yahweh).

(The conventional understanding of this passage is that Yochanan was describing Yahoshua, but I differ in that perspective and believe these 4-verses are literally describing Yahweh or Yehovah and His word—His spoken, uttered word being the source and giver of life. That same word, or as the Book of Yahweh frames it, the plan of Yahweh, the words of Yahweh which is life in and of itself, would take on human form, dwell in the midst of humanity and promote life.)

And because Yehovah’s character is that of pro-life (not just pro-life as it relates to the unborn, but pro-life as it relates to all humanity, we are called to possess and live that same perspective. We are called to promote life through the declaring and walking out of the Gospel and the making of disciples for Yahoshua Messiah.

Instead of condemning all of humanity for its endemic wickedness, Abba sent His Son to promote life. Of His mission, Yahoshua declared some 11-times in the Gospel of John alone, He came to bring and promote life to humanity. He being the bread of life; those who would believe on Him having everlasting life; He coming down from heaven and giving life to the world.

I tell you saints, Our Elohim is a God of life. All other would-be gods; those demigods, are promoters of death. And humanity is quick to abandon the only promoter of life in the universe for the purveyors of death. And we see this clearly today. The nations of the world, including this nation’s government and the people this government controls, promote and declare a gospel of death and darkness.

Since 1973 (passage of Roe v. Wade in this nation), it is estimated by www.christianliferesources.com, that some 62,502,904 abortions have been performed in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that there are some 40 to 50 million abortions performed each year.

Now, compare these numbers to those who have died from this plandemic over the last 18 months or so: It is estimated that worldwide, some 5 million souls have succumbed to this manmade virus.

Not to marginalize or downplay the tragic deaths of those who have succumbed to the virus, but the world is more concerned and even outraged over those deaths. Yet no tears are shed by the peoples of this world for the murders of those 62.5 million babies over the last 5-decades.

And of course there are the injustices of this world that have led to the deaths of untold millions: unjust and trumped-up wars that the military-industrial complex have propagated; gang and unwonted murders in the urban areas of this nation; the contamination of the nation’s food and water supplies; the distribution of vaccines and such, all intent on extinguishing life on this planet so that just the elite of this world can live and carry out their selfish, personal agendas.

Indeed, the elohim of this world-the enemy of this world-is a promoter and propagator of death, and the world is caught-up in the sway of the enemy to this end. But Yehovah, our Elohim, as we see here in our reading today, is promoting and covenanting on life.

It is interesting how Judaism has taken Yehovah’s instruction to Noach so seriously. These, even today, have some of the largest families in the world, with some couples having 6 or more children in their lifetimes.

The Noahide Laws

Now, before we leave this section of our reading, we must briefly discuss this issue of the so-called Noahide Laws that the Rabbinites have foisted upon the non-Jewish peoples of the world seeking Truth.

Rabbinism has taken this section of our reading and made it into a unique set of laws, often and popularly referred to as the 7-Noahide Laws.

I will tell you, depending on which Jewish sage’s writings you draw from, the 7-individuals laws may differ in terms of order and in terms of specific commandments given. But I drew this list of 7-laws from J.H. Hertz’ Torah and Haftorah for reference:

1. Human society is to establish courts of criminal justice.

2. Prohibition against blasphemy.

3. Prohibition against idolatry.

4. Prohibition against incest.

5. Prohibition against murdering and harming others.

6. Prohibition against roberry.

7. Prohibition against eating flesh cut from a living animal

Now, these are considered to be natural laws that are fundamental to the existence of humanity. The non-Jew who chooses to live among Hebrews or Jews would be expected to abide by these 7-laws, again depending on which version of the laws you come across, while the Hebrew/Jew was required to abide or obey the 613 Torah commandments.

The non-Jew who lived by the Noahide Laws would be referred to by Rabbinism as “righteous.”

This comes despite Yehovah Himself declaring to His people that there was:

49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. (Exo 12:49 KJV)

 16 One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you (Num 15:16 KJV)

The concept of there being a set of Yehovah-given Noahide Laws if a fallacy. It is yet another Rabbinic invention. The usurping of this passage of our reading to base the contrived notion of the 7-Noahide Laws actually came into existence between the 4th and 6th centuries C.E. The purpose of the Noahide Laws was to serve as a means of spiritually condemning the non-Jewish peoples of the world. The thinking was that only 7-Laws were given to the heathen of the world, and the world either refused or was incapable of keeping these seven. And so it was further reasoned that if the heathen peoples of the world would not or could not keep the 7-Laws of Noah, it would not be possible for them to keep the 613 commandments of Torah. And thus, Rabbinism established a clear line of demarcation between Jew and Gentile.

Now, we should dispel any false connection that has, over the centuries, been made between the erroneous Noahide Laws and the edict put forth to converted Gentiles by the Yerushalayim Council (Act. 15). The council’s edict was intended to bring order to the chaos that was rapidly developing between the converted Jew and Gentile of the Faith movement. It served to unite the converted Gentile by instilling basic Torah instructions regarding their behavior, which would provide them greater acceptability and admittance to synagogues of the Roman Empire where they would receive instructions in righteousness every Shabbat.

None of this is to insinuate that the commandments Yehovah passed down to Noach are irrelevant. They absolutely were (in Noach’s day) and remain relevant (to us in our day). These commandments are Yah’s Words—His oracles. They hold and promote life. They were indispensable in Noach days as they laid the foundation of rebuilding humanity on the earth. These laws promoted life and the sanctity of life. Without these essential Truths, humanity will inevitably fall into irreparable chaos and evil, as was the state of humanity before the Great Flood. These laws maintain the very essence and Truth that humans are created in the image of Yehovah, a distinguishing factor of humanity’s existence on this planet, which must be maintained and observed by all.

(8) And Yehovah said to Noach, and to his sons with him, 

(9) “And I, I am about to establish My covenant with you,

So, Yehovah turns attention over to Himself and reveals to Noach and Sons the expectations He established for Himself, having just given to humanity His expectations for it.

And thus, Yehovah establishes a unilateral, unconditional covenant with humanity and all of creation.

Unilateral or unconditional covenant is one where the onus for carrying out the agreement He makes with humanity and creation fall entirely upon Him. Mankind is not expected to do anything for Yah to stay true to His covenant. And Yah, because of Who He is, will always remain true to His Word and His Covenant.

(We discussed in some detail Yehovah always remaining true to His Words in our post entitled “Let God Be True and Every Man a Liar—A Messianic Discussion of Romans 3:3-4.” I’ll place the link to that post in this discussion’s transcript for your convenience, if you are so led.)

But we find here in this verse that Yehovah tells Noach even back a couple chapters ago, that He would establish such an agreement with him (6:18). And being true to His Word, Yah does exactly that.

This could be construed as the first covenant between Yehovah and man that is recorded in scripture. But we can also see that it really is not the first covenant. For back in the Garden, Yehovah tells Eve:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Gen 3:15 KJV)

In a great sense, this would be the very first covenant Yah established with humanity. Although this covenant does not take on a formal covenant as we read throughout the Tanach where Yehovah indicates that He is establishing a covenant between He and whoever, this prophecy is in every sense of the word, a foreshadowed agreement between Yehovah and humanity that He would fix the dire situation that Adam and Eve wrought upon the world by sending the One who would crush the serpent’s head.

Indeed, this was the first iteration of the renewed covenant that He would introduce to the world in Jeremiah 31 and ultimately through the Person and Ministry of Yahoshua Messiah:

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (Joh 4:22-24 KJV)

Saints of the Most High, our Elohim is an Elohim of not just life, but also of covenant. He loves to be in covenant with His people. But there’s something inherent within humanity that abhors the keeping and living in covenant.

While our Elohim is an Elohim of covenant, the enemy of this world, and by extension the world that he holds sway over, is all about breaking covenant; destroying covenant; disavowing covenant; denying covenant; avoiding covenant. Why? Because in order for one to stay true to any covenant with Yehovah, they must be true and honest of heart. Hasatan and the world are of a wicked, corrupt heart and are thus liars. (Listen or read our discussion entitled, “Let God Be True and Every Man a Liar” if you are so led.)

Today, the order of business is to deny covenant and belief in Yehovah by the would-be power brokers of this world. They come forth with demands that we not be in covenant with Yehovah; that we not believe and trust in Yehovah, but instead that we break covenant with Yehovah, enter into covenant with them—a covenant of which is built upon lies—deny the Truth and power and authority of Yehovah, but instead trust in them to deliver and provide for us.

Folks, entering into covenant with the leaders and people of this world is a prescription for death. (And recall that we just discussed how Yehovah is an Elohim focused on the propagating of life and the avoidance of death.) The world is pressuring us to take a substance that they call a vaccine that they themselves have developed and promoted. Unlike our Elohim, who respects human freewill, the leaders of this world are seeking out ways of forcing compliance to their so-called mandates. These are denying human free will. These are usurping authority over Yehovah’s human creation. What does this tell us? It tells us that the enemy is hard bent on severing any and all opportunities for humanity to enter into an obedient covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. These are all about promoting a Gospel of Death.

Praise Yah, He kept His end of the covenant. He was faithful to His Word, despite the terrible destruction He wrought upon humanity at the time, He ultimately preserved the seed of the woman. Contrary to our natural tendency to read doom and gloom into this story, Yah’s ultimate goal and purpose in the Great Flood was not to destroy humanity but to make unto Himself many sons and daughters who would dwell with Him for all eternity.

Way of Spirit and Truth | Highpursuit (highpursuitministries.com) “The Importance of Being in Covenant with our Father in Heaven from Alef to Tav” (7-Part Series) by Robert Bills

(10) and with your seed after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the fowl and the cattle and every beast of the earth with you, all that have come out of the ark, every beast of the earth.

(11) And I will establish My covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the Flood, and never again shall there be a Flood to destroy the earth.”

The unilateral, unconditional covenant Yehovah established with His human and animal creation was that “never again would all flesh be destroyed (aka, “cut off”) by such a Flood as He just made happen.”

(12) And Yehovah said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I set between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for everlasting generations:

And is common to all covenants of the ANE, Yehovah provided a sign or token of said covenant. Such tokens or signs that Yah provides in support of the covenants He establishes with humanity, offer both parties to the covenant a visibly permanent sign of the existence of that covenant. In this case, that visible sign or token was none other than the rainbow.

Now, the appearance of the rainbow to Noach and family here at this juncture of our story should not lead us to conclude that Yehovah developed or created the rainbow to specially mark the occasion of this covenant. The rainbow, a natural occurrence in response to water particles in the air, no doubt had since creation always existed. It just so happened that Yah appropriated the rainbow as a sign; a reminder to both sides of this covenant, that the world would never again be destroyed by an extinction-level flood (not that Yah ever needs reminding).

We have physical circumcision as a token or sign of the covenant Yehovah made with Avraham and his descendants (Gen. 17:11), and the Holy Spirit is serves as a token of our covenant relationship with Yehovah (1 Joh. 3:24; 4:13).

(13) My bow I have set in the clouds to be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth,

(14) and so, when I send clouds over the earth, the bow will appear in the cloud.

(15) Then I will remember My covenant, between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh.

(16) And the bow shall be in the cloud and I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant between Yehovah and all living creatures, all flesh that is on the earth.”

Yehovah tells Noach and Sons (twice mind you) that when He, from that day forward, would look upon the rainbow, and “remember His covenant with all living creatures on the earth.”

Recall in STAR 6 we discussed what it biblically means for Yah to remember something (we discussing Yehovah remembering Noach—Gen. 8:1).

The mention of Yehovah remembering a person, place or thing was about Yehovah being faithful to the covenant He established with the entity/persons of which the covenant was focused or meant for.

And so, as He technically did with Noach and Sons, He calls all humanity to enter into a trusting, obedient covenant relationship with Him in fulfillment of His ultimate goal and purpose for humankind.

One of the great points of the rainbow being a sign or token that we must take hold of in our walk with Messiah is the importance of covenant and covenant relationship with Yehovah. Many see the rainbow as only a physical sign from Yehovah that He would never destroy living creation with a Great Flood ever again. But the relevance of the rainbow extends well beyond this simply symbolism and understanding. The bow also provides the would-be child of the Most High with a visible sign of assurance that Yehovah will always be faithful to His Word—faithful to His covenant with them, His beloved ones. For He will always remember—honor—stay true to His covenant with us. Furthermore, the bow must stand as a visible message that we are to trust Yehovah as opposed to trust man:

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. (Jer 17:5 KJV)

 

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. (Psa 146:3 KJV)

 

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (Jam 4:14 KJV)

Unfortunately, the powers of darkness have usurped and twisted this sign/token of the rainbow being a sign of Yehovah’s covenant with Yehovah’s living creation, to that of a sign of wickedness, lawlessness and ultimately a sign of death. The LGBTQ has proudly usurped the rainbow as a symbol of their movement, and sadly, the world has happily accepted this evil, condemning any who would defy or counter it. The so-called Church, however, stood idly by and allow this usurpation to happen, and even today, will not take a stand against it. But then, the so-called Church was never really in covenant with Elohim: How could it recognize and guard this symbol as being exclusively Yehovah’s covenant token?

(17) And Yehovah said to Noach, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

May this story be for us an ever present assurance or even token of the covenant we have with our Elohim. Let us remain steadfast in our honoring and keeping of that covenant.

And if you have not taken the step of entering into a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe—and know that I’m not talking about getting saved per se, but rather, entering into a true and substantive relationship with the Almighty through Yahoshua Messiah, I would invite you to contact us here at the Messianic Torah Observer, and we will be most happy to point you in the right direction.