Noah had an interim of rest between riding the flood waters and entering the new world. Genesis 8: 3 So the floodwaters gradually receded from the earth. After 150 days, 4 exactly five months from the time the flood began, the boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.[1]
The ark would have been laboring for five months to keep its occupants safe. Now, its movement stopped as it landed on the mountain. The Hebrew word translated as rest here is nuwach. It can mean to cause to rest, give rest to, or make quiet.[2]
Noah Rested
The ark’s occupants had survived the most harrowing part of the flood but couldn’t leave immediately. Genesis 8: 13b On the first day of the new year, ten and a half months after the flood began, the floodwaters had almost dried up from the earth. Noah lifted back the covering of the boat and saw that the surface of the ground was drying. 14 Two more months went by, and at last the earth was dry! [3]
They remained on the ark for more than seven more months after landing on the mountain. This would have been a time of rest for Noah before the work of resettling the earth. Noah had spent years building the ark and then five months riding the waves of the flood. Now, he had time to rest and eat stored food. This wouldn’t last forever; it was only a short time. But it would have been a time to recoup before starting a new adventure.
There are times in our lives when a sabbatical is necessary. God commands a day of rest each week. But God sometimes grants us seasons of rest, especially between assignments. These are times when we can consider what we learned from the past season and prepare for the next.
Christ Rested
The ark is a foreshadowing of what Christ will do. It was how God saved Noah and Christ is how God saves us. Just as the ark finished its task and rested, Christ finished His task. John 19: 28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. [4]
Scripture calls Jesus our high priest. A priest acts as a go-between for humans and God. The priests of the Old Testament never sat down while on duty because their work was never done. Hebrews 10: 11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.[5]
Christ could rest because He finished the task of salvation for us. We are thankful it wasn’t an interim of rest, but now all is complete. Receive this gift of salvation today.
To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/navigating-the-floods-of-life
[1,3-5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
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