Graphic by Michael J. Noll

By Rachav

In the one thousand, six hundred and fifty sixth year of Creation, the LORD saw the wickedness of man [1], and brought a flood upon the earth to destroy all of mankind [2], and started again with Noah and his family [3], eight people. [4] Noah had three sons, [5] and from these sons all of mankind has descended. [6] After the flood was over G-d made an everlasting Covenant with all of mankind, [7] and also with the animals [8] that never again would He bring a flood upon the earth to destroy it. [9]

What is a Noahide? The B'nai Noach, are not "Messianic Jews," nor are they "Christians." Six of the Noahide laws were given to Adam, and the seventh was given to Noah. A Noahide is a person who is keeping the oldest religious tradition known to mankind, a tradition and beliefs which have been all but forgotten. A tradition which is revealed in the pages of the book of Genesis.

Noah followed the tradition of his righteous ancestor Enoch, and while the "Seven Laws of Noah" were kept by Enoch and by Adam, they were called Noahide laws because of the Covenant, made with Noah by the LORD God after the Flood, and because an additional law was added at that time, forbidding cruelty to animals, and the eating of a limb of a living animal, and the eating of blood. The Rainbow with its seven colours, is the Sign of this Covenant for All Mankind. [10]

The Noahide Covenant which is the First Covenant God made with mankind, is binding upon all the Gentiles because it was confirmed at Mt. Sinai, after the children of Israel left Egypt. The only sources that the Gentiles have of this Noahide Covenant is the Hebrew Scriptures, and the Torah (Oral Law) which was commanded through Moses, to the children of Israel. The Mosaic and Noahide Laws are inextricably bound together. The Children of Noah, the righteous Gentiles, also known as "righteous among the nations" 'hasidei umot ha'olam' are obligated to fulfull the Seven Commandments because they were repeated on Mount Sinai, not just because they were given to Noach.
NOTE: 'hasidei umot ha'olam' does not mean 'hassidic' gentiles as some erroneously teach.

"From Moses' time to the present, Israel's rabbis have taught that God gave Israel the Ten Commandments to obligate the Jews to serve Him in a unique way. The Ten Commandments apply to Israel, and Israel alone. But everyone can, and should learn from this law - which does, after all, come from the Deity Himself. And, so long as the people of Israel follow this law, they will be worthy and able to serve God by bringing their fellow human beings - all the descendants of Noach - God's most fundamental, universal laws: the Seven Commandments, the laws of the Rainbow Covenant." [quote courtesy of Michael Dallen Author of The Rainbow Covenant.]

The Rainbow is the Sign of the Covenant that God has made with all of Mankind, and also the animals, that never again will He destroy them all with a Flood. Two of the Seven Laws are seen in this passage of Genesis.

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Footnotes

1 Genesis 6:11
2 Genesis 6:13
3 Genesis 6:18
4 Noach had three sons (Genesis 6:10) who each had one wife (Genesis 7:13), which makes six people.
Add also Noach?s wife and Noach himself (Genesis 6:18) and we find eight people in the ark.
5 Genesis 6:10
6 Genesis 9:19
7 Genesis 9:9
8 Genesis 9:10
9 Genesis 9:11
10 Genesis 9:12

One of the 7 Noahide Laws is the prohibition of murder, and another to set up Courts of Justice.