In Parasha Noach we find something very interesting. We find grace and law coexisting. From the maftir portion (final reading), of last weeks Parasha (B'reshit), we know that G-d, because of man?s disobedience repented that He created man. Therefore He sent His judgement upon the earth in the form of a flood. This judgement represents G-d's Law, judgement is Law. G-d however, as we learned from this Parasha, saved Noach and His family from this judgement by having them build an ark. The building of this ark for Noach and his family represents G-d's Grace. In the process of the flood, G-d destroyed every living creature on the face of the earth (His Law), but He saved alive two of each species (His Grace). So right here in Parasha Noach, only a few chapters into the Bible we see Law and Grace coexisting, as I believe they do even today.

Have you also noticed in this Parasha how G-d always warns those who love Him and obey His commandments, before He sends judgement? He did it here with Noach and He did it with Avraham, just to name two.

B’reshit 6:13-14: G-D said to Noach, "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make an ark of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ark, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch.

The Hebrew word for ark in this Scripture is "tayvat" which is the same word used for the basket Moshe was placed in by his mother. Both the ark and the basket, we know were used as vessels of salvation. The ark were told was made from gopher wood, a type of cypress which does not rot and is not eaten by worms.

The word rooms in this Scripture in Hebrew is "keyneem" which means nesting or dwelling places. The word pitch in Hebrew is "kofair," it means to cover and is used 69 times in the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures), to represent atonement. So it’s obvious from the use and the meanings of the words "tayvat," "keyneem," and "kofair" that this ark was constructed with materials that were to represent Yeshua, man’s true salvation.

Now it never, ever rained upon the earth at this time, yet here we have G-d telling Noach to build a gigantic ship, bigger than anything that was built after it up until 1850 AD. and He tells him to build it in the middle of nowhere. Noach wasn’t near and ocean or even a large lake. G-d then tells Noach to load this ship with approximately 90 million pounds of animals and food. Now if you were Noach what would your response be? "The L-rd rebuke you Satan?" Well that’s not what Noach said.

B’reshit 6:22: Thus Noach did. According to all that G-D commanded him, so he did.

If you want to know why Noach found grace with G-d, here’s your answer. "...all that G-d commanded him, so did he." Do you know what this means? It means Noach didn’t substitute a 2x4 plank when G-d told him to use a 2x6. It means when G-d told him to take 1,902 animals he didn’t settle for 1,900 because 2 got away and he couldn’t bother looking for them. I means he didn’t give G-d excuses!

Now I don’t know what G-d has asked you to do lately, but I’m sure it’s nothing like what He asked of Noach!

Can you take verse 22 and substitute your name for Noach’s?

"Thus did _________; according to all that G-d commanded him/her, so did he/she."

Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber" is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada.

Copyright 2002