Day 29/40: As in the Days of Noah: Lessons for Our Time

Margit Kresin
Nov 2
5 min read

Jesus warned us: It will be like in the days of Noah

NOACH (Noah / Rest) - Torah reading Oct 24th,2025

Genesis 6:9–11:32; Isaiah 54:1–55:5; Luke 1:5–80

Last week’s Torah portion focused on the story of Noah. In Genesis 6:9–11:32, we learn about Noah and his family.

Noah stood out as a righteous and blameless man among his generation, faithfully walking with God (Genesis 6:9).

The previous week, we read about Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden because of their sin. They went on to have children, fulfilling God’s command to be fruitful and multiply. However, sin soon appeared in their son Cain, who killed his brother Abel.

Sadly, Cain did not accept God’s offer to repent and change his ways. This pattern of violence continued, and five generations later, his descendant Lamech also committed murder and refused to turn back to God.

This week’s reading points out that by Noah’s time, the world had become full of violence (hamas – חָמָ֖ס). Because of this, God decided to purify the earth by sending a great flood to wipe out all living things He had made.

God told Noah,

I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence [hamas] because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. (Genesis 6:13)

Noah Means Rest or Comfort

Jesus Arc on the ocean inviting to get saved and to get into his arc, his place of sabbath and rescue. — Jesus Arc is the place of rest for us in the time of tribulation

The name Noah carries the meaning of rest or comfort in Hebrew, reflecting both hope and consolation. Despite a world overwhelmed by injustice and violence, God saw Noah as the only righteous man of his generation. His father named him Noach, believing he would bring relief from the hardship caused by the curse on the ground (Genesis 5:29), perhaps sensing an even greater purpose for his son. Because of Noah’s faith and righteousness, God instructed him to build an ark, providing a refuge for his family and the animals from the coming flood. Through Noah’s obedience, those who entered the ark found rest from God’s judgment, and when they emerged, they stepped into a renewed world.

The Obedience of Faith

Noah’s story is a powerful example of trusting God even when the future is unimaginable. Though he could not have pictured a flood that would wipe out all life, Noah followed God’s command and built the ark—a place of rest and safety during the storm. He did not require proof of the coming rain; his faith was enough.

The ark itself points forward to other moments of divine protection, such as the blood of the lamb on the Israelites’ doorposts in Egypt, and ultimately to the saving power of Jesus’ sacrifice for believers. Just as the blood in Egypt shielded the Israelites from the final plague, so the blood of Christ delivers us from sin and offers protection in troubled times.

Throughout the days of Noah, the time in Egypt, and even in our present age before the return of Jesus Christ, evil (hamas – חָמָ֖ס) has been widespread. Yet, just as surviving the flood or the final plague in Egypt did not guarantee entry into the Promised Land, so too today, each person’s faith and response to God determines their ultimate destiny. Sadly, as most perished in the flood and many Israelites died in the wilderness because of unbelief, so too will many miss God’s rest if their faith is only partial.

Unbelief leads to disobedience, which keeps us from experiencing God’s true rest. Only Caleb and Joshua, who followed God with their whole hearts, entered the Promised Land, just as only eight were saved in the ark. As Hebrews 3:18–19 reminds us, it was unbelief that kept many from entering God’s rest. Noah’s faith is a powerful parallel to our own journey with God; it is by faith that we receive His promises. While good deeds and obedience are the fruit of living faith, it is genuine, active faith—like Noah’s—that truly opens the way to God’s blessings.

The Rainbow: The Sign of the Covenant

After Noah and his family left the ark, they offered sacrifices from the clean animals they had brought with them, expressing gratitude and reverence to God. In response, God made a profound promise: never again would He curse the earth or destroy all living creatures because of humanity’s wrongdoing. The Lord was pleased with Noah’s offering and declared,

I will never again curse the ground because of man, nor will I ever again destroy every living thing as I have done” (Genesis 8:21).

As a visible sign of this everlasting covenant, God placed a rainbow in the sky, declaring,

I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth” (Genesis 9:13).

This was just one of several covenants God would establish, each marked by its own sign—circumcision for Abraham, the Sabbath and the Ten Commandments for Moses and Israel, and love for the New Covenant of true peace through Jesus Christ, the king of kings.

All these covenants remain valid today: God’s promise not to flood the earth stands, the commandments given to Moses are still meaningful, and Jesus’ command to love one another continues to guide us. Jesus affirmed the enduring nature of God’s Law, saying in Matthew 5:18 that not even the smallest detail, "not an iota, not a dot", will pass away until all is fulfilled, emphasizing that God’s word and His covenants are everlasting.

Prophetic Portion

God affirms that, just as He vowed in Noah’s time never to flood the earth again, He now promises His people that His anger will not last and His covenant of peace will remain unshaken, even if the mountains fall and the hills are removed (Isaiah 54:9–10). This week’s prophetic reading reminds us of God’s enduring love, forgiveness, and His commitment to restore and redeem Israel, gathering His people back with great compassion. In the same way, Jesus assured us that though He has gone to be with the Father, He will return to reign in the new millennial kingdom on a renewed earth and in the new city. He declared

Behold, I am making all things new. (Revelation 21:5)

As in the Days of Noah

A time of final judgment is drawing near, and just as in the days of Noah, many will be caught unaware, living life as usual. Yet, the message of hope is clear:

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 24:37).

Salvation is offered to all who place their trust in Jesus, who said,

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

He is our true refuge, the ark of deliverance that saves us from coming destruction. Those who accept His gift of salvation and remain faithful will not only be spared but will also witness the glory of God in the new heavens and new earth:

As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before Me, declares the YHWH, so will your name and descendants endure (Isaiah 66:22).

Through Jesus, we are promised eternal security, peace, and righteousness. Let us hold fast to this salvation, "watch, therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36), and rejoice in the fullness of His redemption.