This took a little longer than it should have only because I chose to come at it from a different approach. So much has been written about Noah and mythologized in the movies that it is hard not automatically start with that in mind. I could ask that you put that aside, but we all know that somewhere we will start to see the various kids’ playsets of Noah’s Ark, the sound of a Sunday School teacher’s voice telling the story of 40 days and 40 nights, plus all the various bad movie portrayals will run through our collective heads.
Rather than that, I thought we might concentrate more on the things that lead up to why Noah came into play, the consequences, and the end result of Noah’s hearing, doing, and thus having a better result.
Let us begin.
We will start this section with the examination of Noah. This narrative is a first glance short and has been for the church a short discussion of God’s displeasure with humanity, Noah’s response and then quickly onto Abraham. But there is more. Noah starts a precedence that will continue throughout scripture. As well, it is a bridge between what happened from the eviction from the garden, to the first recorded homicide, and finally to the restart of humanity and the earth.
Noah will be the first that we examine in the patriarchal pattern. The story of Noah begins with God’s observation of the condition of humanity which is in a horrendous state of being. But Noah is not the opening text. It is partly the strain of humanity which had been corrupted through the Nephilim and the continuing fallout from the Cain and Able narrative.
(Side bar: Who is the Nephilim? There are three prevalent interpretations of who they might be. The word Nephilim is often translated as sons of God. The first definition usually refers to the Nephilim as being fallen angels who lived on the earth and married human women. The Nephilim are giants of extra human strength who were the offspring of these marriages. The second definition is in reference to the descendants of Seth, who were godly men who sinned by marrying descendants of Cain, who would have been pagan. The Nephilim were simply “heroes,” not giants, and may or may not have been the offspring of mixed marriages. (Religion wise). And lastly, Nephilim can be translated as “kings” or “sons of nobles.” From these others translate it as “princes” or “great men.” That would then mean that the Nephilim were royalty or aristocrats who were generally immoral and married common women, possibly against the will of the women or despite their already being married. Whatever or Whoever they are, they are a marker to what is to develop.)
A lot has been written about what it was that caused the corruption of humanity. Much of it is speculative. Little detail or account is available. There are hints as to what can be said but not enough to specifically identify them. It is enough to say that something had become of humanity that it should not have become to the point where perhaps something extreme needed to be done. Yet we must deal with the hints that are there so we can understand the outcome.
There are instances in the text that are largely ignored, or diminished/decreased in importance in the rush to place humanity at the core for the destruction of much of the earthly inhabitants other than those of those occupying the aquatic environments. Chapter six of Genesis starts with the indictments. The first is those already alluded to those as the Nephilim/sons of God.
“6 When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that they were fair, and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.”
In looking at this section, verse one has an indication that something had gone awry. Humanity was beginning to fulfill part of the commandments it received in being fruitful and multiplying. Further indication accounts for part of that fulfillment being that daughters were then born. No issue there but then – the sons of God saw that they [the daughters] were fair, and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. The implication is that there is a mixture of the divine to the created which could not or should not be. It is a corruption. It must be limited.
This is where the narrative changes focus. We must make sure by backtracking that we see the implications of what had gone down to cause God’s pronouncement in verse three that God’s spirit shall not abide in mortals forever. Key word is mortal. There is a limit to this form of humanity noting the dismissal of humanity from the original garden. Before this passage of the Noah narrative, it is a listing of genealogical records from Adam to Noah in chapter five of Genesis. Chapter four of Genesis is the account of Cain murdering Abel.
At the end of Chapter Four is an important text that is often overlooked in its complexity. You have the first recorded birth – that of Cain. Next birth was that of Abel. Now we all know the outcome but we should remember that Cain was a tiller of the ground. This comes into play with the narrative of Noah. Then we all know the story of the murder of Abel by Cain and the dialog between God and Cain. Do not forget that because of the murder of Abel, the earth/ground will no longer be cooperative/yield to Cain tilling the soil. The reason being the blood of Abel.
There is another factor that is often overlooked. Not only is there the indicator of the beginning of human civilization and who was responsible for the technology/arts/agriculture that would lead to its development. There is an interesting dialog between Lamech and his two wives. (This is the first mention in the Bible of polygamy) Lamech is a direct descendant of Cain through Enoch, then Mehujael, and finally of Methushael. That is three generations from the initial murder of Abel.
Up to this point, there is only murder that was recorded – and the only one mentioned by most biblical teachers – and that was of Abel by Cain. The dialog of Lamech to his wives carries the tone of what has become of humanity, for the most part, after the murder of Abel.
Chapter 4:23-24
“23 Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold,
truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
Lamech seems to be bragging that he had murdered an individual for wounding him and another for striking him (perhaps an inference to self-defense but not strictly mentioned.) The Geneva Bible adds the implication that Lamech was a hated individual because of his cruelty and they were afraid of him. Lamech’s boast does not stop in his cruelty but again boasts that if it applies that if Cain is killed, his death will be avenged sevenfold, then it would be seventy-sevenfold if he were to be killed (inference here is that Lamech is the seventh generation. This according to the Geneva Bible interpretation is as if Lamech is mocking God for being tolerant of Cain’s murder of his brother Abel seven-fold.) The text does not specifically indicate this but may infer it. At this point it is important to remember that the ground (earth) is where the blood of Abel called out to God and Cain was cursed from the ground. Add to that Lamech’s attitude or lack of repentance for his corruption.
The ground has become contaminated. It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for earth, erets, also has the meaning of the inhabitants of the land/people of the land. It is a two way condition. Let us look at Genesis chapter four, starting at verse 10 through twelve.
“10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen, your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
From this, we can see that there begins a pattern within humanity that is not in the best interests of the whole of creation nor in the commandments to be fruitful and multiply. The results can be seen in the comments of Lamech. The earth has become corrupted with the spilling of blood thus life. It is all at the direct opposite that is intended.
The number seventy will turn up again in the account of Noah in his search for the ability to get out of the ark to give rest to the land, creation, and humanity. But again, there is more to this story than upon first glance. In chapter four verse twenty-six, in some translations (such as the NRSVUE that is being used here) the word invoke is used. In others the words call upon is used. Each one has a different inference. To call upon as a term has the inference of demanding/ordering something – usually an action. Invoke is inclusive of that demand/order plus the aspect of it being an appeal specifically to an authority.
What could it be that humanity would be demanding/ordering something from God? Could it be vengeance for the cruelty of others? Adam and Eve had a son that replaced Abel. Seth’s name means placed or appointed. Seth then had a son whose name was Enosh. The meaning of the name Enosh puts an additional spin on this all in that it means Man.
25 Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, because Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the Lord.”
God has stepped in to correct the situation and place everything back on course. However, in another plot twist, humanity had other ideas. Onto Chapter Six Verse Five.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of humans was great in the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that he had made humans on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out from the earth the humans I have created—people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air—for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.”
There is something that can be drawn out from the actual name of Noah.
“The name Noah (pronounced Noach where the “ch” is pronounced hard as in the name Bach) comes from the verbal form of the word nuach meaning “rest” as we see in Genesis 5:28 “This one (Noach) will bring us rest (nuach) from our work and from the toil of our hands, from the ground which YHWH had cursed.” What is the type of rest that Noach will bring? Often our English words lack the true meaning of Hebrew words (actually they always do). Sometimes they are completely opposite. Our English understanding of rest is not the same as the ancient Hebrews.
A related word Nuchah can help shed some light on the meaning of nuach. Nachah is usually translated as “guide” or “lead” (again the English does not fully convey the Hebrew essence of nachah) as in the following verses; Exodus 13:21 “YHWH went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead (nachah) them on the way.” Exodus 32:34 “Now go, lead (nachah) the people (Israel) to the place I spoke of”. God will lead (nachah) them to the land of promise which is a place of rest (nuach).
Since nachah is etymologically related to nuach and noach, it is related in meaning also. Nachah has the broader meaning of “to lead to a rest” as we see in God’s promise that he would lead Israel into the land.
The role which Noach played prior to the flood was as a leader, one who will guide others to a rest, a rest from the toils and troubles of the days prior to the flood.”[1]
Now onto the next section of the narrative of Noah.
“28 When Lamech had lived one hundred eighty-two years, he became the father of a son; 29 he named him Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after the birth of Noah five hundred ninety-five years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, and he died.”
The next question that arises in all of this is why is God including animals, creeping things, and birds of the air in with humanity in being deserving of being blotted out. From verse eight until verse ten we are dealing with Noah and his progeny. Not until verse eleven to we get any indication as to why.
“11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw that the earth was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth.”
There are two words that indicate, though not clearly, what the charges are against the earth and all that occupied it. Earth at this point refers to the ground upon which those things live. We already know that the ground does not produce as it once did for humanity and now has been corrupted by the blood of Abel by Cain and as well as those who have been killed/murdered by Lamech (and perhaps others who have done the same but there is no written indication.) Those two words are corrupt and violence.
Corrupt in Hebrew is shachath which has the meanings of: to destroy, go to ruin, decay, to be marred, be spoiled, be injured, be ruined, be rotted. The earth therefore was not the intended thing it was created to be. It was the direct opposite. The next word is that of violence. The Hebrew word is that of chamac having the meanings of cruelty, wrong, false, damage, injustice, oppressor, and unrighteous. The implications through the next is that all things that lived upon it and where it participated in its corruption and violence. It should be noted that when two words of near equal implications and emphasis are in place – they are of significance. Yes, humanity may have been at the center of the corruption but all that occupied the earth/land, participated in it in some way, shape or form.
This will take a bit of circling back to describe the significance and implications. In the writings of the Jewish Scholar/Philosopher/Theologian Nahmanides (Ramban, Rabbi ben Nahman) Commentary on Genesis particularly 1:26 there is a clue as to what this means. Within Christian commentary the word us used in the creation of humanity is seen to have a trinitarian concept. This is not so within the Hebrew text. “And God said let us make man” refers to joint contributions by God and that of the existing earth in the creation of humanity. Nahmanides points out that only on the first day of creation is anything made from nothing – ex nihlo (this a Latin word that was used by many theologians to argue what God made everything from. The word means from nothing. Some argued that God made it all from nothing, while others indicated that it was from something. Nahmanides presents us with the idea that it was a both/and concept of creation.)
After that point, all other creation was made from or formed from the existing elements (thus a cooperative venture. This also follows the concept of leadership in that those things hear, go about doing, and thus have the intended results of hearing from God.) This can be further supported in the way the account is worded in chapter two verse seven. “7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Also, the word ground is in Hebrew is like the Hebrew word for man.
With this rabbit trail we can see the complexity and duplicity of what was the cause of God’s displeasure with that which occupied the terraform. From the point of Cain killing his brother Abel, the trajectory humanity and the earth quickly sped in a worsening spiral not listening to nor abiding in the initial commandment and/or purposes of creation. One of the very elements from which humanity was created was corrupted to the point of crying out to God for relief. However, not all was lost.
God was not pleased with all of this except with a person by the name of Noah because God described him as righteous (morally right or justifiable; virtuous). In chapter six verse eight is the defining point in that “8 But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord”. The Hebrew word favor in this translation is chen which has the meaning of adornment, charm, charming, grace, gracious, pleases. Other translations use the word grace rather than favor, however the impact at this point is the same. Noah was different than the rest of human population, the earth, and its animal inhabitants.
From this point on we can see the pattern of the patriarchs take effect. In verse sixteen of Genesis chapter six, God speaks directly to Noah giving him specific instructions as to what Noah was to achieve. Noah did all that God had commanded him to do. In chapter six verse twenty-two it states “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” Chapter seven verse one continues with the highlighting of Noah being different from the rest “Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation.” Now you might be saying that this was just for Noah but what of the rest of his family. You must understand that during the time that this was written, identity was through the father. Thus, if Noah had favor, so did all that was a part of his direct family entity.
There are other things to add to the character of Noah. One of which was that he did enjoy the fruit of the vine at times to excess as is noted in the text. There are assumptions that the time that Noah planted a vineyard was the first of its kind and thus he did not know the potential of fermented fruit to cause issues. Again, this is speculative on anyone’s part.
Now we do not need to cover all the story having been given the endless telling of the account. Unfortunately, the narrative of Noah has been greatly mythologized and fictionalized to a point where the actual points of the narrative have been grossly distorted. I highly suggest that you carefully read the text and try to do so with a clear and opened mind. Leave the various bad Hollywood depictions, Sunday School flannel graphs and sing-a-longs behind. It is assumed but not directly stated that Noah was ridiculed, chastised, and ostracized by the community around him. He suffered much strife not only socially but even amongst his family. This is all assumption. These are not a part of the story. The point of the narrative is how Noah was seen. Noah did what needed to be done, paying attention to what God had spoken to and issued to humanity and did tell him specifically. Then we all know the “happy” ending – the result of his obedience was the fulfillment of God’s word. God re-establishes humanity and then reiterates what God originally told humanity in Genesis chapter one verses twenty-eight through thirty-one as seen in Genesis chapter nine 9:1-7 with a slight deviation.
Chapter 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the air, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered.
3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.
4 Only, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life.
6 Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person’s blood be shed, for in his own image God made humans.
7 “And you, be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and have dominion over[a] it.” (Gen 9:1-7 RSV)
(A side bar here. Continuing in chapter nine, verses eight through seventeen contain a new agreement with Noah and his descendants. This agreement with Noah is a covenant – which we will discuss later. This is the covenant that goes on to this very day with all people of the earth. There is also a covenant made with Abraham which has its implications. Then there is the covenant that most believe that they fall under. The Mosaic Covenant – that made with those who escaped slavery in Egypt – is specific to the Hebraic people and not the rest of the population. The covenant with Noah is termed in the Rabbinic theological circles as that of the Noahide. It consists of seven laws which are detailed in about two-hundred eleven explanations/conditions. The Mosaic Laws are ten – the decalogy – which are detailed in about six-hundred-thirteen. This expands into another interesting study that I will not undertake here.)
What have we learned from this and what does this all have to do with leadership? It continues to reveal the specific pattern(s) of existence if one is to lead a fulfilling purposeful life. First is that there is a pattern that permeates the entirety of creation that was established from the first line of what we call biblical text – God speaks, creation listens, creation does what is commanded, we have what was needed to be done. The pattern is not rigidly accomplished but rather is accomplished according to the individual element, person, place, or thing’s capability to do so. If things need to be adjusted, they can be in varying degrees. We are the ones who are responsible for our assignments and all the elements therein. This is the absolute basic concept. As noted, it can and is adjusted. And as seen in the text, God did and will interact with the whole of creation resolving the issue to the betterment of all involved.
There is much more that can be said about this. But this is not the purpose of these writings. Its purpose is to show what leadership/discipleship is. It is relational. It is about coming along side and helping things become the best that they are created to be. It is about hearing the word(s) of God, doing it, and having it. Along the way it may not necessarily be the most pleasant of circumstances but in the long run, it will work itself for the betterment of all.
[1] Definition of Hebrew Names: Noah | AHRC (ancient-hebrew.org), Jeff A. Benner
June 9, 2023
Kevin's Orbit 