CHRIST IS OUR ARK - OUR SALVATION 2

God was justified in HIS grave decision to destroy the earth which was ‘corrupt before God, and was filled with violence.’ ( Genesis 6:11 ) There was corruption in the disintegration of the human heart, violence in the sexual degradation; and in the physical ill feeling. No wonder when the Lord presaged our day, he spoke, ’As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of Man.’ We face Christ’s near coming and Judgment.

In verse12, ’God looked upon the earth, as though confirming HIS decision to proceed with the ultimate destruction. ’Indeed, it was crooked before God, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.‘ Except for Noah, the entire population ( that is, all flesh ) was degenerate.

God longed for communion with His highest creation, when HE spoke to Noah. ‘The end of all flesh is come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them.’ Note that man’s violence climaxed 2345 years later with the crucifixion of God’s Son at the hands of religious rulers. God had ruled, ‘I will destroy them with all the earth.’

And so God provided a way of escape for the believing Noah and his family. As it was then - so HE has provided for our salvation in our day. He stated, ‘Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark; and cover it inside and outside with pitch. In Hebrew, the word ‘to cover means to make an atonement’. The timbers of the ark were water-proofed with the pitch, inside and out. The blood of Christ would totally cover us from ‘our transgressions’, our external wrongs, while the inside of the ark vividly reminded the occupants that they were also clean from their iniquities ( their hidden, secret wickedness ) by the blood of our Lord Jesus. Preach the power of the blood of the Lamb.

For one hundred and twenty years, Noah persisted with the construction of this first-time ship. The bystanders mocked him, taunting him that the world had never seen rain nor the flood, which God warned would be sent. God’s grace kept Noah when the antagonistic pressure reached breaking point. Noah’s GOD will save and keep you.

God gave the dimensions of this structure, ‘The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits ( 150 yards );its width fifty cubits ( twenty five yards ); and its height thirty cubits

( fifteen yards ).’ These dimensions agree with those of modern ocean-going vessels, according to nautical principles. Such a vessel would be of 13, 960 tons. Not until 1884 did the Cunard Line build a ship greater than the ark. The ark had a capacity of 51,800 cubic yards, sufficient to take each species God had called. Indeed, God is the Source of all wisdom.

Further directions were, ‘You shall make a window for the ark,’ This allowed light to shine through ; air to be admitted to the entire ark; and enabled a glimpse of the blue sky and the heavens at night once the rains had subsided.

‘You shall set the door of the ark in its side.’ A type of the Lord Jesus, who said, ‘I AM the Door. By Me if any man enters in he shall be saved. And shall go in and out and find pasture.’

‘You shall make it with lower, second and third decks.’ (v16) Three decks suggest that the eternal God is a Triunity of three Persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They are co-equal and co-eternal. The three decks were part of a whole, that is, the ark. One, such as the Father, would be hidden in the depths of the flooded waters, while One has the door and window, speaking of the Saviour-Son; while one is the upper deck, drawing Noah and his family closer to heaven. namely the Holy Spirit. A precious type.

‘Behold, I am bringing the flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life, and everything that is on the earth shall die.’ (v17) God calculatingly initiated the entire judgment process, which the world had never seen before. Nor since, in terms of a flood of water. He is the righteous Judge of the whole earth.

God made an amazing promise when HE said, ’I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go in to the ark-you, your sons (to perpetuate the godly line ), your wife ( Noah’s helpmeet ) and your sons’ wives with you.’ God instituted the family, which will be entirely preserved after the judgment was finalised.

The Lord planned to restore each species after the months of trial, ’Of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. ’ He continued, ’Of birds, after their kind; of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind; two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.’ The Creator planned to repopulate the world with HIS beautiful creation: after He had devastated it.

‘Food was ordered by the Lord, both for the cattle, birds and for the humans.

Noah as the perfect child of the King, obeyed the Lord. ’He did according to all that God commanded him, so did he.’ (v23)

‘Then the Lord said, ’Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.’ The Lord invited Noah into the ark, just as Christ calls us to ’Follow Me’, and enter in to the great salvation He has provided.

‘’After seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.’ (7:4) God kept His promise. ’It came to pass after seven days, ( a breathing space for the men to repent and join Noah in the ark, that the waters of the flood were on the earth. No rain had fallen on the earth, for God had caused a canopy of mist to settle each day. The door of the ark remained open; until God chose the solemn moment to unleash the heavens and bring a powerful deluge on the proud, resistant sinners.

Now, God unleashed the violent flow of rain. Those who perished in the flood must have blasphemed God when the lightning flashed and the crashing, thundering torrents fell. In our dry Australian inland, children may experience their initial delight of rain after years of drought. However, God reserved no delight for the rebels- only sombre judgment.

God’s Word described the day, month and year when’ On that day, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.’ (7:11) The volcanic and artesian bores of the earth were unloosed as fountains pounded on the bottom of the ark.

Apprehension must have seized them at first, until they realised their absolute security in the faithfulness of God. All God’s judgment fell on the ark, not on Noah or his family secure in the ark. Christ was wounded; bruised; made sin for us. All fell on HIM. You are safe Trust the Lord Jesus for your eternal salvation. ‘There is no condemnation to them in Christ Jesus.’

GOD’S PLAN -in your mother tongue - Be sure you are in the Saviour’s ark. Click on it.