Audacity of Israel's faith
How do Noah and Abraham differ in their approach to their God?
In the Torah, we encounter a tapestry of remarkable figures whose lives illuminate the profound dynamics of obedience, faith, and intercession in their relationship with God. These individuals, often descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are celebrated for their unfailing obedience to divine commands, shaping the spiritual legacy of Israel. Nevertheless, among these towering personalities, one man stands apart, uniquely distinguished in the sacred text: Noah, the only individual explicitly called a “righteous man” in the entire Torah (Gen. 6:9). This designation is striking, not only for its singularity but also because Noah was not part of the covenantal lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the patriarchs chosen to establish God’s holy nation, Israel. While Noah’s righteousness is undeniable, it is the descendants of these patriarchs that God designates as a “holy nation” and a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6). This recognition raises a profound question: Why, despite Noah’s unparalleled title of righteousness, was he not included among the founders of God’s chosen people? The answer, I propose, lies in the distinct ways Noah and the patriarchs approached God, particularly in moments of divine judgment, revealing deeper dimensions of faith, intercession, and relational engagement with the divine.
God’s “Yes” man
To explore this, let us first consider Noah’s response to God’s pronouncement of judgment. In Genesis 6, God reveals to Noah that a catastrophic flood will destroy the earth due to humanity’s pervasive wickedness. God instructs Noah to build an ark to preserve his family and representatives of every animal. Noah’s response is immediate and unequivocal: “Noah did everything just as God commanded him” (Gen. 6:22). His obedience is exemplary, marked by silence and compliance. Noah does not question God’s decree, nor does he intercede for the doomed generation. His righteousness manifests in his faithful execution of God’s command, ensuring the survival of his household and the created order. This obedience is profound, reflecting a deep trust in God’s justice and sovereignty. However, Noah’s approach is passive in terms of engaging with God beyond the task assigned. He accepts the divine will without challenge, embodying a form of righteousness that prioritizes submission over dialogue.
God’s wrestling friend
In contrast, the only person in the entire Hebrew Bible to be called God’s friend was Abraham (Isa 41:8, 2 Chron 20:7, James 2:23). Yet Abraham’s response to God’s announcement of judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah reveals a strikingly different posture. In Genesis 18:16-33, God informs Abraham of His intent to destroy the cities due to their egregious sin. Rather than agreeing and accepting, Abraham engages God in a bold, almost audacious dialogue. He pleads for mercy on behalf of the cities, hoping to find even a small number of righteous inhabitants. Abraham’s language is daring:
“Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? … Far be it from you to do such a thing … Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Gen. 18:23-25).
This is not mere compliance but a priestly act of intercession, where Abraham risks divine displeasure to advocate for others. His persistence—bargaining with God to spare the cities for fifty, then forty-five, down to ten righteous people—demonstrates a relational intimacy with God, one that dares to wrestle with divine intentions. Ultimately, Abraham accepts God’s will, as Noah did, but only after exhausting every possibility to influence the outcome. This intercessory stance aligns with the priestly role Israel is later called to embody, mediating between God and the nations.
God’s wrestling family
The etymology of the name “Israel,” which originates from Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, further illuminates the contrast between Noah and Abraham. The name Israel (Yisrael) stems from the Hebrew root שרת (sarat), meaning “to wrestle” or “to exercise influence.” This is rooted in Genesis 32:24-30, where Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure, later identified as divine, through the night. Refusing to let go until he receives a blessing, Jacob’s tenacity earns him the name Israel, signifying a struggle with God that shapes his identity and that of his descendants. This wrestling is not rebellion but a profound engagement, a willingness to grapple with the divine will while remaining faithful. Jacob’s encounter mirrors Abraham’s intercession, reflecting a pattern among the patriarchs of approaching God with both reverence and boldness. Unlike Noah’s silent obedience, Jacob’s struggle embodies a dynamic relationship with God, one that involves questioning, persistence, and transformation.
This pattern of wrestling and intercession is not unique to Abraham and Jacob but is echoed in other biblical figures who, like the patriarchs, engage God in ways that deepen their covenantal role. Consider Moses, another pivotal figure in Israel’s story, whose interactions with God exemplify this approach. In Exodus 32, after the Israelites sin by worshiping the golden calf, God declares His intent to destroy the people and start anew with Moses. Moses’ response is immediate and courageous: he intercedes, pleading with God to relent.
“Why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? … Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent… Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self, “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.” (Ex. 32:11-13).
Moses even invokes God’s reputation among the nations and His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, urging God to remember His promises. Moses demonstrates his boldness by declaring, “If you will not forgive their sin, please blot me out of the book you have written” (Ex. 32:32), thereby offering his life for the sake of the people. Like Abraham, Moses acts as a mediator, standing in the gap between God and Israel, and his intercession secures divine mercy. This priestly role, rooted in relational intimacy and courage, aligns with Israel’s calling as a nation of priests, distinguishing Moses’ approach from Noah’s faithful compliance.
Jesus’ ministry aligns with Abraham’s trajectory, not Noah’s, by embodying bold intercession and relational engagement with God. Like Abraham, who pleaded for Sodom, and Moses, who interceded for Israel, Jesus mediates for humanity, praying for forgiveness (Luke 23:34) and engaging God’s will through intimate dialogue (John 17). Unlike Noah’s faithful obedience, Jesus’ intercessory priestly role that stands at the core of his mission reflects Abraham’s dynamic faith, wrestling for redemption, fulfilling Israel’s calling as a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6). All New Covenant believers, rooted in the Jewish Messiah, follow Abraham’s vibrant path, not Noah’s silent obedience. Jesus exemplifies this, boldly interceding for humanity, inviting us to engage God with courage, and mediating His boundless love and justice to the world. Today, we are called to imitate Jesus, embracing a dynamic faith that wrestles, loves fiercely, and trusts deeply, shaping history as a kingdom of priests radiating God’s transformative grace.
Conclusion
Noah’s singular righteousness stands as a beacon of obedience, preserving humanity through unwavering compliance with God’s command. Nevertheless, the patriarchs—Abraham, Jacob, and Moses—embody a dynamic faith that intertwines submission with bold intercession, wrestling with God to shape His redemptive purposes. Their courage to dialogue, plead, and struggle reflects a profound trust in God’s justice and mercy, forging Israel as a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. This legacy challenges us to embrace a faith that not only obeys but engages, dares to intercede, and trusts in God’s relational heart. As heirs of this calling, we are invited to stand in the gap, mediating God’s love and justice to a world in need. Let us, like the patriarchs, wrestle boldly, love fiercely, and trust deeply, shaping history through a faith that dares to partner with the Divine.
Comments (70)
Noah’s time was probably a period of giants (Nephilims), a deliberate act of the devil to contaminate pure human from Adam and Eve so as to stop the coming out of the woman’s Seed promised in Genesis 3:15.
The strange thing is giants would still be present after The Flood (Genesis 6:4), even though only 8 from Noah’s family remained.
Even stranger was that Noah only cursed Canaan (not Ham) after his own fault. Did Noah notice special character from Canaan? And one fact not to forget was Canaan was the place with many giants, even to David’s time.
So did Noah see Canaan was the ancestor of giants (by the power of the Holy Spirit) or indeed Canaan was already a giant, probably because his mother carried giant’s genes?
Praise the Lord.
Eddie, thank you for your comment.
(Ex. 32:11-14) should probably be (Ex. 32:11-13)
THanks, Harald! Fixed.
Thank you, interesting. But, the building of the ark took at least 50 years. There must have been much information exchanged between Noah & God. I doubt Noah remembered all the dimensions of the ark, which animals to get, food, water ect.
The Bible doesn’t specify the construction timeline, but some scholars estimate 50–75 years based on Noah’s age (500–600 years old) during the process (Genesis 5:32, 7:6). God’s instructions included details on animals (clean and unclean) and provisions (Genesis 6:21). While the text implies divine guidance, it doesn’t detail ongoing communication or Noah’s memory challenges. Extra-biblical sources, like the Book of Jubilees, suggest divine aid in logistics, but no definitive evidence confirms Noah’s memory issues or the exact duration.
Let us, like the patriarchs & matriarchs,
wrestle boldly, love fiercely, and trust deeply, shaping history through a faith that dares to partner with the Divine. 💗🙌🕊️
Amen!
Thank you Dr. Eli. This is a blessing.
So great to hear!!!!
Amen thank you Uranus
Here's the translation:
I look at Noah, and I see an evangelist who, at over a hundred years old, tried to tell his contemporaries what GOD was going to do and that they should repent, but THE WORD is clear: that generation was evil. Abraham, Isaac, Israel did not have to evangelize a people who had not heard of the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, Israel… There was already history, but Noah was the first, in the midst of great wickedness. I just can’t understand how those peoples did not take into account the story of Enoch.
But I see in everything GOD testing man, to see if he is worthy of HIS LOVE for each human being.
Each one has their encounter, each one hears THE Voice of the GOD OF ISRAEL, and then we have a story, of David or Saul.
Muito bom!
Olho para Noé, e vejo um evangelista, que ao lindo, de mais de cem anos, tentou dizer aqueles contemporâneos, o que DEUS iria fazer e que se arrependessem, mas A PALAVRA é clara, aquela geração era má. Abraão, Isaque, Israel, não tiveram que evangelizar um povo que não tivesse ouvido falar no DEUS de Abraão, Isaque, Israel... Já havia história, mas Noé foi o primeiro, no meio de uma maldade grande. Só não consigo entender, como esses povos não tiveram em conta a história de Enoque.
Mas vejo em tudo DEUS provando o homem, para ver se é digno do AMOR DELE por cada ser humano.
Casa um tem seu encontro, cada ouve A Voz do DEUS DE ISRAEL, e aí temos uma história, de David ou Saul.
Thank you for your comment.
I thought the name of the river - J-B-K — was also the word for “wrestle”?
In Genesis 32:24-32, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure, often interpreted as God’s messenger or God Himself, near the Jabbok River. The name "Jabbok" (Hebrew: יַבֹּק, Yabbok) resembles the Hebrew word for "wrestle" (אָבַק, 'abaq), suggesting a wordplay that emphasizes the struggle. This connection isn’t explicit in the text but is a linguistic observation scholars note, as the Hebrew root for "wrestle" and the river’s name share similar consonants. This event, where Jacob is renamed Israel ("he strives with God"), highlights his transformative encounter. The Jabbok’s name thus symbolically underscores the wrestling theme central to the narrative.
wow. Wow. WOWWWWWW.....
Wow.
Interesting indeed, Noah as a righteous man, Abraham's faith counted as righteousness. Thanks very much. Good read.
Blessings, Dr. Ruby Arthur!