Noah (B’resheet) Genesis chapters 6-11

Torah Portion:  Noah (B’resheet) Genesis 6-11

Haftorah Reading: Isaiah 54:1-55:5

Today we look at the Torah section called Noah. This portion is concerned mainly with the events leading up to the flood. However, it also covers other events such as the Tower of Bavel and the introduction of Avraham. You can also find the setting apart of clean and unclean animals in Genesis 7:2-8:20 and the commandment to not eat blood.  I mention these because this comes long before the Torah commands concerning the same two things. These verses could have been behind the requirements mentioned for non Jewish believers in Acts 15. The reason given in this portion for not consuming blood was the statement it had to do with the life being in the blood. (Genesis 9:8) I mention these because they precede the commandments in the Torah, which is the argument often used to say that we are free from the commandments by the working of the blood of Messiah. Yeshua set us free from the curse of the Law – which was death. But the Word of G-d was not changed by His coming. He himself lived an obedient life to the Word of G-d.