The Curse Is Reversed!: Flood Series Part 3

Genesis 8:1-5

1 “Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.  3 And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. 4 Then the ark rested in the SEVENTH MONTH, THE SEVENTEENTH DAY of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.”

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In part 1 we talked about why God had to send the flood and, in part 2, we discussed Who was with Noah and his family IN the ark. In part 3, we’re going to study the construction of the ark, the meaning of some of the names in this story, and the typologies found here.  But we’re also going to study something quite unexpected:  How and why the Jewish calendar was changed and the significance of the Ark “Landing,” (being placed?) on Mt. Ararat.  Let’s dig in!

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Above all things, God prizes rest for His people.  He talks about it all the time.  In fact, Noah’s name in Hebrew means “REST.”  This story demonstrates to us, among other things, what God means when He tells us to “Rest in Jesus.” A major obstacle to rest is “Sin consciousness.”  God definitely doesn’t want us to have a consciousness of sins, as He tells us in the passage below::

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Hebrews 10:1-2 “1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer CONTINUALLY year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, ONCE PURIFIED, would have had NO MORE CONSCIOUSNESS OF SINS.”

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More on this topic in part 4.

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“What do you mean, ‘God does not want us to be conscious of sin?’ Has He gone soft on sin?”  CERTAINLY NOT!  How can anyone say that in light of the cross? Listen Church:  God killed His own Son INSTEAD OF YOU to pay YOUR sin debt and MINE.  I don’t call that, “Soft.”  IT DOESN’T GET ANY MORE HARD-CORE!!! 😲

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But to hear some Christians talk, you’d certainly think He went soft on sin. 🤨 That viewpoint simply betrays a basic misunderstanding of what really happened at the cross.  This is one of the things we will be studying. Noah’s story in particular paints a very clear picture of salvation and what it means to be “IN Christ.”  Wait till we get to the construction of the Ark; it is even more telling! 🥰

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God had to have a RIGHTEOUS FOUNDATION in order to legally raise Jesus from the dead. In carrying our sins…EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM…He caused the love of God and the Justice of God to converge. It is where ALL extremes meet:  God’s Justice and God’s Love, in essence, kissed! If even one sin had been left unpaid, God would have been unjust in raising Jesus from the dead.

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BUT…The Father was legally within His rights to resurrect Jesus because HE FINISHED THE WORK. He would be unjust to Him if He then turned around and punished you and I for our sins when Jesus was punished for ALL OF THEM in our place.  Actually, His death was far and above an OVERPAYMENT! 🙌🏻

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God also has to have a righteous foundation in order to bless us.  It’s a legal matter, you understand. He cannot arbitrarily do so just because He’d like to, and believe me, He would love to more than anything! 💖

But thank God, Jesus’ death and resurrection opened the door of heaven to whosoever will accept His offer!  God did not raise Jesus from the dead because He is His Son. That He always is. He raised Him from the dead because JESUS FINISHED THE WORK! 💖

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There is a “Law,” if you will, of first-mention in the interpretation of scripture. It is the principle which states, “The first mention or occurrence of a subject in Scripture establishes an unchangeable pattern, with that subject remaining unchanged in the mind of God throughout Scripture.” There is always something very important to learn when studying the first mention of any word or topic. For instance: In Genesis 6:8 it says, “8 But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord:”

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(To learn why we say, “5 is the number of grace,’ you may follow the link below to read all about it:

https://emmausroadministries.international/2018/11/15/abba-is-love-אהב/)

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Now let’s study the construction of the ark.  God has a lot more to reveal to us!

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6:14-16: “16 Make yourself an ark of GOPHERWOOD; make ROOMS in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with PITCH. 15 And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set THE DOOR of the ark IN IT’S SIDE. You shall make it with LOWER, SECOND AND THIRD DECKS.”
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(To read more about the Tabernacle of Moses and its measurements, you may follow the link below:

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https://emmausroadministries.international/2016/12/07/four-times-covered/)

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Gopherwood (obviously) comes from a tree.  In order to be used for building, it must be hewn down, cut into boards, heated, bent into shape, hammered into place, and covered within and without with pitch.  Only then could it become the vessel which would preserve Noah and the other 7 members of his family.

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Wood in the Bible typifies humanity.  Jesus, having been born into the human family, is now 100% man (wood), as well as 100% God (Gold).  He is pure grace, direct from heaven!  That’s why the Ark of the Covenant was made of wood, overlaid with gold!

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Noah was told to build “Rooms” in the ark. The word in Hebrew for rooms is “Quinim,” which literally means “Nests;” you know, like a bird’s nest.  Just as baby birds are loved and cared for by the mother bird in their nest, so Noah and his family were loved and cared for by God, completely safe in the ark.

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If you read part 2 of this series, you already know where was God during the flood.  In case you missed it, you may follow the link below:

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The word that the Holy Spirit used for “Pitch,” here is not the normal Hebrew word, which would be, “Zetteth.”  Instead He chose the word “Kapher,” which means “Atonement, or covering.”  In Moses’ day, this word became the root for the word “Kapporeth,” which means “Mercy Seat,” the most important piece of furniture in the Tabernacle!

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Before Jesus shed His blood, sins could only be “covered” by offering right blood sacrifices.  That’s why the Holy Spirit could only rest “ON” individuals and had to come and go. You see, that’s because God is Holy.  He CANNOT abide with sin.  But because of Jesus, we have a better deal!  Our sins are cleansed!  He can now reside “IN” us and never, never NEVER LEAVE!  His blood cleanses us inside so the Holy Spirit never has to leave.  

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Of course, we still sin from time to time.  But as we walk through life, we have Jesus’ “Kaphoreth,” or covering over us.  Because we are resurrected beings in unresurrected bodies, we occasionally fall into sin.  We are not sinners anymore, you understand, but sons and daughters who fail from time to time.  His blood covers us as we walk through life and we remain blameless before God!  HALLELUJAH!

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One Door.

There was only “ONE door” in the side of the boat, a very moving typology of Jesus on the cross. You remember, when He died, the soldiers came to check on the victims who were crucified that day.  Upon finding that He was dead already, they pierced His “side” with a spear.  Out poured blood and water. That opening in His side allowed blood and water to flow out to the whole world, a typology of washing away our sins!

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This is so clearly depicted in the story of redemption that God blasted all over the night sky.  That’s how the Gospel story was told before it was written down. The water that poured from Jesus’ right side is pictured in the major constellation of Aquarius, as Jesus is the REAL water pourer.  You can read all about it by following the link below if you like:

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From His side was born the greatest and most successful organization ever to exist on planet earth:  THE CHURCH!  The single door in the side of the ark was a depiction of the wound in Jesus’ side.  He is THE ONE AND ONLY Door of the sheepfold for there is salvation in NO ONE ELSE.  Everyone who is born again must enter in through that ONE door.  You cannot climb up and get in any other way.  Those who are taller must stoop down to enter perfectly portraying the verse which says, “Every hill shall be made low, and every valley shall be exalted.”  Jesus levels the playing field!

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That should put to rest the myth that all people are automatically saved.  Everyone is born OUTSIDE THE ARK: JESUS.  In order to be saved, YOU MUST CHOOSE TO ENTER INTO THE ARK.  No one is going to pick you up and carry you in.  It is your decision to enter…..OR NOT. 

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The the Holy Spirit makes a point of telling us there are three decks. Why?  Because man is “Triparteid:” We have three components: Spirit, soul and body.  It’s a glorious picture of the fact that, when we are born again, the Ark–JESUS–saves us SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY. HALLELUJAH!  Yes, we still commit sins and, yes, we mess up from time to time.; but when we stumble, WE FALL INSIDE THE ARK.  We don’t fall OUT of the “It” nor do the flood waters of judgment from outside come INSIDE.  They do not…..NO; THEY CANNOT, come in because of our “Kapporeth.”

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EVERYONE who is a believer is safe IN the Ark–in Jesus.  We have all been shut up inside by the LORD HIMSELF, SAFE FOREVER!  This so beautifully portrays the verses in John 10:27-30 which speaks of our eternal security.  YES, folks; like it or not:  We are eternally secure in Jesus!

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God Himself caused every creature He had chosen plus the eight people of Noah’s family to board the vessel.

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Genesis 7:15-16: 15″And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God {Elohim/Creator} had commanded him; and the Lord {Yahweh: the Covenant-keeping One} shut him in.”

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The word here for “LORD” is “Yahweh–the heart of God,” the Covenant-keeping One, as opposed to the hand of God–“Elohim: “Creator God.”  Elohim–Creator God, brought the animals to Noah but the hand of Yahweh–the Heart of God, shut the door.  When God closes a door, NO ONE CAN OPEN IT.  We are safe and secure forever IN THE ARK…..IN CHRIST.  Understand?  Eternally secure. 

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Assault On Three Levels.

In Genesis 7:11-12 it says, “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the GREAT DEEP great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.”  (40 is the number of probation.)

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God mentions the number, “600” here.  This typifies Jesus Who “took on Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men.”  He was born as a tiny human baby.  “6” is the number of “man.”

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(For more on the meaning of the number “6” and many more, you may follow the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.international/2020/07/03/bible-numerics/)

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First, the fountains of the deep were broken up, a picture of all hell being unleashed against Jesus.  Then the storm that lashed against the sides of the ark is a picture of the emotional and physical abuse rained down on Jesus by His human tormentors.  But the WORST punishment of all was the “windows of heaven” opening up.  All of His Father’s righteous judgment and fiery indignation against sin rained down on Him until there was NO MORE JUDGMENT LEFT.  NONE!!!

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In the book of Revelation, those very bowls of wrath that are discussed in great detail.  They describe what was poured over Jesus’ head during those three hours of darkness as He hung on that cross, suspended between heaven and earth. God exhausted ALL HIS JUST WRATH on Jesus during that 3-hour period of darkness which, by the way, covered the whole earth.

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But when the Church is taken out of this world in the Rapture, the Restrainer: The Holy Spirit, will be taken away with us.  Those same bowls of wrath that Jesus took in our stead will be poured out over this earth with no one and nothing to stop them.  I don’t know about you, but I would NOT want to be on the receiving end of God’s judgment!

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Of all the civilizations in the world, the Chinese are among the most fastidious in keeping records of celestial events.  Ancient Chinese records actually document that three-hour period of darkness. Strangely enough, this unexplained darkness occurred during a time of year when solar eclipses don’t happen.  They may not have been able to explain it, but they certainly recorded it.

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Jesus died on the 14th day of the month of Nissan, which actually was on a Thursday, and He rose on the 17th day.  This day is the beginning of the Feast of First Fruits. Remember what Jesus is called?  The First Fruits of them that “sleep.”

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17, in Bible numerics, means VICTORY!  It was on this EXACT day that the ark rested on the top of Mt. Ararat.  Incredibly, the word, “arar” in Hebrew, means “curse;” while, “Ararat” means “the curse is reversed!”  HALLELUJAH !!!

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Noah and his family stepped out of that ark into a new world;  it was no curse ground and a brand new day; a brand new world!  Then and there he built an altar to the LORD and “offered burnt” offerings on the altar. “And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.’” Genesis 8:20-23

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We see God’s promise to us every time a rainbow appears in the sky, a topic we’ll be discussing in Part 5’of this series.

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You may follow the link below to Part 4.  We’ll be talking about the Dove and the Raven and how they reveal things about our New Covenant in this amazing story. ♥️

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