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Worthy Brief - 8/8/2024

Friend, be protected even through the "perfect" storm!

Genesis 6:14 "Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch."

Genesis 6:17 "And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die."


Continuing from yesterday concerning storms; not sure we can place Noah's flood, a worldwide conflagration, in that category, but if there really is such a thing as a "Perfect Storm", that was...and Noah and his family were, anyway, prepared. And it's been said that we are in the recapitulated, "Days of Noah"; [Matthew 24:37].

"Make thee an ark of gopher (גפר) wood...". There's been much discussion about the identity of this "gopher wood". Some scholars say Cedar, some, Cypress, while others suggest an alternative reading, which once again demonstrates how the Hebrew language is used by the Holy Spirit in a suggestive and layered, even poetic manner, to point to "types" and profound spiritual truths. Whatever the species of the "gopher" wood, the similarity between the term, 'gopher' (גפר), and the Hebrew for "pitch", 'kafar' (כָּפַר), is noticeable and significant, to the point that some commentators suggest that the species of wood is not what's indicated here, but only the fact that the wood was "covered", "pitched", or "laminated" with something sticky, inside and out, to protect it from the flood waters.

But now, the spiritual point: The word for “pitch”, (כָּפַר) also means, "to cover, to cancel, to atone". The same root is used speaking of the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, 'kaporet' (כפרת), where the blood was to be applied. The word for 'atonement' or 'ransom' is the word, 'kapara' (כפרה). It's the same word that's used for the Biblical feast of the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippurim. (יום הכפורים), the day when Israel's sins were atoned by the sacrificed lamb or goat. So, whatever "gofer" or "kafar" were in the construction of the Ark, their similar sound and meaning point to a "covering", a source of protection from the flood, which of course, was the sole purpose of Noah's Ark. But they also point to this other "covering", the "atonement" which covers sins, a reference to the "Lamb of God"...

So, Friend, that vessel, Noah's Ark, is a type, a prophetic reference to Yeshua, our "Ark of Salvation" and His atoning (covering) work on the cross. He was our 'kapparah', our atonement, the Lamb who covered our sins. There is no storm, no flood, no catastrophe that can nullify Yeshua's salvation; if your faith in Him is genuine, your sins, you yourself, are "covered".... through the "Perfect Storm", in the days of "Days of Noah", whatever.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri)
(Baltimore, MD)

Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out!

Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information.

Around the World
U.K and Egypt Suspend Flights Throughout the Middle East
The UK has suspended flights over Beirut, Lebanon, and Tehran, Iran. Earlier, an Egyptian official stated that Iran had warned airlines to avoid flying over Iran between 4:30 am and 7:30 am Tehran time due to military exercises. In response, Egypt has ordered a halt to flights over Iranian airspace, according to Sky News Arabic.
U.S. Shoots Down Houthi Missiles and a Drone Over the Red Sea
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that U.S. forces intercepted one drone and two anti-ship ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels over the Red Sea.
Biden Under More Pressure To Prevent Iran-Israel War (Worthy News In-Depth)
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson demands that U.S. President Joe Biden will release any blocked American lethal aid to Israel after several soldiers were injured in an attack on an American military base in Iraq.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Sinwar, Orchestrator of Oct. 7 attack, Named as New Hamas Chief
The Hamas Palestinian terror organization has named Yahya Sinwar, the man who is believed to have orchestrated the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, as its new highest-ranking leader, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.

Inside the United States
Harris, Walz Campaigning For instance First Time; Trump Candidate Hits Back
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz spent their first full day as running mates, vying for attention with ex-President Donald J. Trump's running mate, who was also in the area.
Feds Crack Down on Half Billion-Dollar Guatemalan Smuggling Operation
A multi-agency operation led to the indictment of a major transnational criminal organization based in Guatemala smuggling thousands of foreign nationals through Mexico into New Mexico and throughout the United States.
Hawaii: Maui Wildfire Lawsuits Settled For Over $4 Billion
Hawaiian Electric Industries and six other defendants have agreed to pay over $4 billion to compensate plaintiffs affected by the wildfires that devastated Hawaii’s island of Maui one year ago, the Associated Press reports.
Google Created An Illegal Monopoly Over Online Searches, Judge Rules
In an important victory for federal authorities taking on Big Tech market control, a district judge in Washington DC has ruled that Google violated antitrust law by creating an illegal monopoly to become the world’s default search engine, Reuters reports.

Christian News
India: Dozens of Tribal Christians Forced to Return to Hinduism, “Christians Who Convert From Hinduism Are the Most Vulnerable to Persecution”
Local Hindu leaders have forced more than 100 tribal Christians in eastern India’s Odisha state to undergo a formal ceremony symbolizing a rejection of Christianity and a return to Hinduism, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Nigeria: Prominent Christian Politician Found Dead After Abduction From Church
Prominent Nigerian evangelist and politician Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor, who was abducted from her church in Nigeria’s Delta state on July 30, was found dead in a river on August 1, her body naked and showing signs of torture, the Gist Mania news outlet reports.

Worthy Insights
Netanyahu warns of proactive attack as Tehran speaks of Israel’s annihilation
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran and Hezbollah of proactive attacks, while Tehran spoke of the Jewish state’s annihilation and the region braced for the possibility of a second direct confrontation between the two arch-foes.
Billionaire Ackman: Democratic Party Needs ‘Massive Loss’ to Reform
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called for voters to deal Democrats "a massive loss" in the November election so that the party "will reform itself."
After Attack, Druze Israeli Soldiers, Residents Refute Global Myth of Israel as ‘Apartheid State’
Israel is often accused in international arenas of racism and even of operating as an Apartheid state, yet the recent attack on a Druze minority community in the Golan Heights tells a different story.