Lamach's Messianic Expectation for Noah -- And Its Ironic Fulfillment

Lamach seemed to view his son as one who would somehow redeem him from the Curse. "Now he called his name Noah, saying, 'This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which Yahweh has cursed'" (Gn 5.29).

It's not clear in the passage how Lamach expected Noah to do that. Perhaps his hope was a godly hope, that Noah would reconcile humanity with God, thereby bringing the world true rest. Or, perhaps, Lamach's hope was less godly than that -- expecting that Noah would give him rest because he (Noah) would do the work while Lamach kicked back. Or perhaps it's in between -- with no social security, parents needed to depend on their children to support them in their old age.

Noah did, however, fulfill Lamach's expectation ironically. The Flood provided the vast bulk of sinful humanity rest from the toil of their hands arising from the ground which Yahweh had cursed.