120104 - Genesis 07-08 - The Ark's Sheepfold
S: And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. (Genesis 8:13).
O: Here's something else I never paid careful attention to - the Ark had a covering. It's only mentioned here, but I make note of it because the "pitch" with which Noah coated the Ark is a different word, and it's highly significant: the word translated "pitch" is usually translated "atonement," reconciliation, appease, or ransom. Moreover, the Ark was coated with it, not just on the outside, but on the inside as well.
What's interesting about the word here translated "cover" is that all the other places the word "mikceh" <4372> is used are all talking about the covering of the Tabernacle - ram's skins, badger's skins, porpoise skins or manatee skins, no one knows exactly what kind of animal. It seems to be related to words for "hidden," "perfected," "treasure," "worth" and even "sheepfold." The word for the Tabernacle itself seems related: "mishkan" <4908>. All of these things bring rich biblical imagery up in my mind: the treasure hidden in the field. The pearl of great price. Christ as the gate of the sheep. Our lives hid with Christ in God.
A: This reminds me that the word "tabernacle" literally meant a dwelling-place. Was the deck of the Ark covered by a tarp made of skins, and did it serve as the dwelling-place for Noah and his family? Did they ride through God's wrath under cover of skin (like His covering for Adam and Eve in the Garden) and "atonement?" I always need reminding that I need HIS "covering" rather than mine.
P: Father, your Word says the one who covers his sins will not prosper, but the one who confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Let your love cover my multitude of sins.
O: Here's something else I never paid careful attention to - the Ark had a covering. It's only mentioned here, but I make note of it because the "pitch" with which Noah coated the Ark is a different word, and it's highly significant: the word translated "pitch" is usually translated "atonement," reconciliation, appease, or ransom. Moreover, the Ark was coated with it, not just on the outside, but on the inside as well.
What's interesting about the word here translated "cover" is that all the other places the word "mikceh" <4372> is used are all talking about the covering of the Tabernacle - ram's skins, badger's skins, porpoise skins or manatee skins, no one knows exactly what kind of animal. It seems to be related to words for "hidden," "perfected," "treasure," "worth" and even "sheepfold." The word for the Tabernacle itself seems related: "mishkan" <4908>. All of these things bring rich biblical imagery up in my mind: the treasure hidden in the field. The pearl of great price. Christ as the gate of the sheep. Our lives hid with Christ in God.
A: This reminds me that the word "tabernacle" literally meant a dwelling-place. Was the deck of the Ark covered by a tarp made of skins, and did it serve as the dwelling-place for Noah and his family? Did they ride through God's wrath under cover of skin (like His covering for Adam and Eve in the Garden) and "atonement?" I always need reminding that I need HIS "covering" rather than mine.
P: Father, your Word says the one who covers his sins will not prosper, but the one who confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Let your love cover my multitude of sins.
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