Haftorah - October 11, 2021 - Torah Portion

by Miriam Wakefield

Torah Portion for Monday 11th October 2021 Genesis 6:9-11:32: Haftorah Isaiah 54:9 and Luke 17:26

Many times, as I bring my Torah Study Notes, I reiterate how important it is to be on God’s calendar and on his timetable.

The Bible also says that “you will know the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10) to give us a glimpse of what is to come. The Torah speaks to us today and is also a prophetic picture for us personally, for Israel, for the Church, for Canada and the world.

This week’s Torah portion Genesis 6 is mainly focused on the story of Noah and the life lessons it holds for each of us but the story reveals many shadows of Jesus.

The Great Flood began in the 8th Hebraic month of (Cheshvan 7th October – 5th November) and the flood lasted a year and 10 days.

We may be experiencing a “flood” of events in our lives right now – in our Nation and Nations of the world. “For this is like the days of Noah to me”: says the Lord, “as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more cover the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you….my steadfast love will not depart from you, nor my covenant of peace be removed from you, says the Lord who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:9

The name “Noah” in Hebrew means “comfort” and written in reverse it means “grace”. In Genesis 6 verse 8 it reads: “But Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord Adonai. Here we see in Noah’s name, grace, favour, and comfort. Indeed, Hebrews 11: 7 says ”By faith Noah ...,built the Ark . We will also see how Noah walked with God and so he had an intimate relationship with Him – now that is not a bad place to start – an intimate relationship with God.

Noah brought his family inside the Ark and then all the living creatures followed. “Then God brought the flood – judgement - on a wicked world and established a covenant with Noah.(Genesis 6 vs18). Noah did all that God commanded. (vs 22) He was obedient. “Then the Lord closed the door behind them”. Genesis 7:16.

There is now this month an opportunity for the wicked leaders in this world today to confess and repent, before God shuts the door and the rains begin.

There is a parallel here in the New Testament for us. Someone said to Jesus , “Lord, will those who are saved be few?“ And he said to them, “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many I tell you will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door saying, “Lord open to us” and he will answer, “I do not know where you come from. Luke 13:23:25.

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Now I want to show you the importance of the times and seasons of God – months and years and all the Feasts of the Lord which are hidden away in this story. We will discover Hanukkah, Passover, First fruits, Pentecost and Tabernacles – and, as we know, all the Jewish Feasts of the Lord are a shadow of Jesus. The Light of the world, the Passover Lamb, First fruits of those who rise from the dead, Pentecost the Word and the Spirit, and Tabernacles – God with us.

As mentioned above we are in the second Hebraic month called Cheshvan in the year 5782. Historically, next weekend marks the time when the animals get on the boat. On the 17th of this month “The fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of heaven were opened and rain fell upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights – that’s an outpouring of Holy Spirit which takes us to November 29th right in the middle of Hanukkah the Festival of Light.

Genesis 8:3 the water kept going down until the 17 day of the 7th month when the Ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. In Noah’s day Tishri was the first month which is our September and the 7th month March/April was Nissan. Nissan 14 is Passover and 3 days later the 17 day of Nissan is Resurrection Day - First fruits - the very day the Ark rested. A New life for Noah and his family began after the judgement of the world. He came up out of the water and rested on a whole new and higher level.

All these events I have mentioned took place at Hanukkah, at Passover, First fruits and Pentecost. It’s not just the culture of the times but it’s the very day these things took place.

Luke 17: vs 26 “as it was in the days of Noah, (judgement on the wicked) so will it be in the days of the Son of man”. This is a prophetic picture of Passover and the resurrection of Jesus - the Son of Man – the First Fruit of those who rise from the dead. We must understand that history will repeat itself in our time. Judgement is coming to the One World Order that rises up against God in our time but the promise is that we will rise above it and find ourselves on a whole new spiritual level of understanding.

Then on the first day of the 10th month called Tammuz the tops of the mountains were seen - that is 30th of June, 2022 and is the very day Genesis 8:5 happened. We can expect some kind of breakthrough by June.

Then after 40 more days Noah opened the window of the Ark and released the raven which never came back as it roamed “to and fro the earth” – a picture of Satan (Job 1:7 “The Lord said to Satan “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth”).

The enemy wants to release strategies to hinder us. This time may be a time of struggle – be encouraged Jesus crushed its head and it bruised His heel.

Then Noah released a dove, but it found no rest and he brought her into him... in the Ark.

We can expect World Wide Flooding of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God hovers over the waters. And the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of God as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14

The whole earth is baptised into a new beginning – a new creation- after the judgement of the wicked the old has passed away and the dove is released a second time.

The obvious parallel is the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan and “As soon as Jesus was baptised, He went up out of the water and behold the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove upon Jesus. Matthew 3:16. The dove found a place to rest upon Jesus and later the church at Pentecost.

When we are baptised, we leave our sinful past beneath the water and rise up in newness of life and become a new creation.

The Spirit of God is resting upon us and within us – we will see, on the horizon, our destiny which is greater than our human thinking may have allowed us to see.. It’s time for the Jabez prayer, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory” 1 Chronicles 4:10

In Genesis 8:10/11 the dove returns a second time with an olive leaf freshly plucked on 28 of Av (August) so Noah knew the waters were abating. The Jews believe the olive branch came from the mount of olives! Messiah is the olive branch. The Olive Tree is a symbol of Israel so that is why the Jewish sages believe the dove got the branch from Israel – the Olive Tree.

There’s the shadow of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, right there in Old Testament – The Branch and the Holy Spirit – the Dove – always points to Jesus. Isaiah 11:1 “behold the man whose name is the branch - Jesus.

The olive leaf represents new life which comes after judgement.. 7 days later Noah released the dove – and it did not return.

As I quoted in my opening paragraph “You will know the end from the beginning and speaking of leaves bringing new life and healing it takes us back, once again, to Revelation 22:2 “and the leaves are for the healing of the nations” and our National Flag: O Canada, justice is coming then our healing comes.

Shabbat Shalom: Miriam Wakefield

Notes from El Shaddai Ministries:

Notes from the month of Cheshvan – Glory of Zion