Sealed Rest

I appreciate that I grew up in the church, but I wish I’d felt that I had the freedom to ask questions. I remember some of what I was taught, some of what I heard said in conversations, and what I understood to be implied. I didn’t grow up with an assurance of my salvation. I asked Jesus into my heart, but what happened if I messed up and then died before getting any new sins forgiven? There was a picture painted in a sermon when I was a kiddo, I don’t remember how old I was or the preacher’s name, but it showed Jesus being nailed to the cross every time I sinned. Every. Single. Time. But I was also taught that as soon as I became a Christian, my name was written in the Lamb’s book of life. Is it written in erasable ink? Needless to say, I lived in fear.

When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice, the phrase typically used is to repent. In the English dictionary, repent means that we have sincere regret or remorse. The Greek word for repent is Metanoia (Strong’s Greek #3341) and means a change of mind, or a turning away from sin in order to turn to God. Sunday is probably the most holy day of the week – it’s when all the sinners repent. It’s also supposed to be a day of rest. Interestingly enough, in Hebrew, the word repent can be defined as to give rest. 

Nacham is the Hebrew word for repent (Strong’s Hebrew #5162). It has a long list of meanings that include to be sorry, to comfort or console, to change one’s mind, to avenge, to regret, and even to breathe strongly (think of a sigh). As I was reading, studying, and praying about what I was going to write this week, I kept feeling a tug to write about Noah, but I shrugged it off over and over again. Then, as I decided to write about repenting, I was directed back to Noah. Noah’s father (Lamech) named him so because it means rest. Repent, rest, Noah… Fine. Okay, God… I can take a hint.

We’ve all heard the Sunday School version of Noah’s Ark. The animals came 2-by-2 (depending on if it’s clean or unclean – Genesis 7:2-3), into the arky-arky, that was made of gopher barky-barky. And it rained and rained for forty… long… days. Did you know that Noah was actually in the ark for about a year? I didn’t learn that in Sunday School. This is why I’m a firm believer in reading the Bible for yourself and not just having it summed up for you. The story of Noah and the ark adventure is found in Genesis 6 – Genesis 9:17. A dreary picture was painted of constant rain for forty days and forty nights. Along with the wrath of God literally raining down on all of creation – except for those tucked away in the Ark.

I can’t imagine the gloomy, dreary darkness that comes with so much rain. I get irritable when it rains for a week! I’m not sure I would last for a full forty days. I’m not sure I would be okay being shut up inside an ark – no matter how big it is – for a year! The Bible tells us that there was only one window – some translations say it’s a roof opening like a hatch – in the Ark (Genesis 6:16) and it was only opened 40 days after the ark had come to rest on Mt. Ararat (Genesis 8:4-6). I did some calculations based on scripture, but if you know me, then you know I’m not super fond of math. I checked into some resources that study lunar vs solar years as it refers to the Bible. This in mind, Noah didn’t open the hatch after just forty days of being on the ark – it was more like over 200 days!

But God remembered Noah and all who were on the ark with him (Genesis 8:1). Out of all who had been in the world when God made the decision to bring the flood, Noah was found righteous, blameless, and is said to have walked with God (Genesis 6:8-9). That’s such an honorable title that it goes beyond my imagining. Now I don’t have a felt board that is typically used in Sunday School illustrations (maybe last used in the 80’s?), but I want to paint a picture of the ark that is not always depicted.

Noah and his wife, his three sons and three daughters-in-law, mostly two of every kind of animal (if they were considered clean then there were 7 each of those), and a fully stocked pantry are sitting on the ark that they built according to God’s instructions. After all the animals God had commanded had entered the ark, He shut them in. I hope you got that: He shut the door. Then the fountains of the great deep burst and the floodgates of the sky were opened. All that were not on the ark that had the breath of the spirit of life – all flesh that had been on the earth – were no more. They died, perished, were blotted out – all words used in the telling of the flood and Noah’s Ark. They had been judged sinful, but Noah and his family were sealed in the safety of God’s grace. Those on the Ark were not perfect, but they also weren’t facing the torrential judgment that the floodwaters represented. They were in the Ark because they trusted God.

The Ark is a picture of Jesus. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior – when we repent – we’re sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). For anyone who knows anything about being on a boat, having land mass to break up the wind is extremely helpful. With the entire earth covered in water – no land to break up the wind – waters rising from the depths and raining down from the heavens, you can imagine that it was probably a rough ride for all on board Noah’s UEPA (United Earth Population Ark- fun right?). I’m sure they were tossed as the waters rose and the seas joined to become one. I can imagine that they fell at times, too. But they didn’t fall out of the Ark – they were sealed in Him, and by Him. Remember: He shut the door.

The covenant we have with God is even better. We’re sealed in Him, by Him, and He’s with us – always. He’s promised to not only never destroy the earth and its inhabitants with flooding again, but He’s promised to never be angry with us or show us His righteous anger (Isaiah 54:9). God wanted to make a New Covenant with us that would give us greater assurance than His promise to Abraham, so He made a covenant with Jesus. That’s right! The New Covenant is between God and Jesus – that is our hope and our encouragement (Hebrews 6:13-20).

This picture of God’s grace is so beautiful! Because of the covenant God made with His Son, we have assurance of our salvation (John 10:27-30, Romans 8:37-39), we don’t have to live in fear of being punished by God (I John 4:15-18), and we can rest in Jesus’ finished work at the cross where He took on all the judgment that we deserved and that would have destroyed us. One offering for all time for all sins (Hebrews 10:11-18). God is so very good!

I’m going to close out this week’s post by venturing over to Genesis 5. I’m going to share with you an example of just how purposeful everything is that’s in the Bible. If anyone tells you that we can never really know God, it’s not because God is not willing or hasn’t made Himself known. It’s all there, held within the pages of His Word. I heard this in a sermon last year and it has stuck with me – I hope you enjoy it.

Reading through Genesis 5, on first pass, it’s a simple who begat who from Adam to Noah and his boys. But let’s look a little closer at the names, because there’s always a purpose.

• Adam – first man, red
• Seth – appointed or foundation
• Enosh – man, someone mortal
• Kenan – a lament, a dirge, or sorrow
• Mahalalel – praise, the Word, or God
• Jared – to come down or to descend
• Enoch – Wisdom; to inaugurate, train, or teach
• Methuselah – Man of God or one who is sent
• Lamech – powerful man
• Noah – rest

This list is in the same order as Genesis 5, and they come together to give us an encouraging message of His love:

The first man became mortal sorrow, but the Word – God – shall come down with wisdom to teach. The One who is sent will be a powerful man and will give us rest.

I’m so very thankful for this rest. It’s no longer about my building of an Ark, but about resting in the Ark He’s built for me and sealed me in. I hope you have a blessed week resting in the Ark of God’s grace.