Lessons from the Ark
Genesis 7:17 – 8:4
17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits [1] deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days. 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
The Ark: - is representative of Jesus Christ - He is our Ark of Safety.
I. The Security of the Ark (review 7:16 shut the door) (Genesis 6:14 “Pitch”)
Rains 40 days – Genesis 7:11 (windows/fountain = source) New! Never before rained.
(fountains of deep…volcanoes, earthquakes, spewing lava, gases, penetrating water canopy)
Waters increased -v.17, 18 waters prevailed v.18,19, “prevailed exceedingly” v. 20
(the drama - outside / inside…..do you think as the water rose….water pressure on that boat…Noah/ and his sons…had to go around mopping, plugging holes, catching water in huge pots.. The prison at Clifton (where I work)…has flat roofs…..when it comes a good rain….you come in…buckets everywhere..in bad need of roof repair…one of the inmate—cleaned our office…before leaving for the day…line up the waste can with the huge hole in the roof…….. (NOT for Noah…it was SEALED….Pitch)
The security of the Ark – relied upon the strength of the pitch. The Ark bore the wrath of the flood waters, and the pitch kept the waters outside….and kept it dry on the inside.
Jesus – as the Ark - bore the wrath of God’s judgment.
Jesus – His blood provided the “Pitch” to keep us sealed from the wrath of God.
Genesis 6:14 “pitch” 1John 2:1-2
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (satisfy the wrath of God)
Are you concerned about the security of your soul? If you are truly trusting Christ alone as your Lord and Savior, you need not fear. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Eph. 1:13-14
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 10:28-29
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
II. The Rising of the Ark - v.17 “bare up the ark lifted up above the earth”
Because God had shut the door…to make it secure…because of the pitch…because of the way the vessel was designed…..it did NOT SINK….it floated….the waters which became death to all those on the OUTSIDE…it lifted up the ark….
A. Above the earth (v.17)
The Ark rises above the earth because the earth is dying. There’s only death for those upon the earth. Our salvation is not on the earth, but it’s from the Heavenlies. It’s from Christ who sits on the right hand of God. Jesus tells us that bad things are coming to this earth. Judgment is coming, but we are to lift up our heads, our redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:28
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4
B. Above all the waters (vv.18-20)
Waters covered everything. The tallest mountains were covered at least with 20 feet of water. This is not a local flood. You can’t have water covering the mountains and it be just a local flood. The way water levels out makes it impossible to contain it in one area. It reads in verse 18 the ark went upon the face of the waters. The Ark rides high above the waters. They say the highest mountain is Mount Everest. It’s about 5 miles high. You have to have oxygen mask to breathe at that kind of altitude. If the Ark rose that high…how could they breathe? That’s simple. Do an experiment by taking an empty glass. There’s air in the bottom of the glass. You pour in water the air rises to the top. The oxygen rich air that was on the surface of the waters rose with the Ark. Many Creation Scientist don’t believe the mountains were that high prior to the flood.
The Ark rose above the waters. In Christ we rise high above the waters of judgment, the waters of this world, the waters of sin, the waters of death. When Christ comes, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we who remain shall rise with them in the clouds to be with the Lord.
III. The Survival of the Ark vv.21-24
21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
All flesh died that moved upon the earth, only Noah remained alive and they that were with him in the ark. No one outside the Ark survived except for the marine life. Verse 21 is plain “all flesh…every creeping thing…every man” v.22 “all…all that was in the dry land, died” v.23 “every living substance” “only Noah remained alive….”
The only safe place was in the Ark.
The flood was global because sin had gone global. Every person in the world had the virus of sin. Everywhere in God’s creation the effects of sin can be found. But here is the encouragement, Romans 5:20-21
But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
The flood waters prevailed and so did sin. Sin has reigned, or prevailed unto death. The good news is that grace has prevailed through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
I like how Charles Spurgeon describes the way the All-Sufficient Christ redeems us from sin.
“Oh! Who shall measure the heights of the Saviour’s all-sufficiency? First, tell how high is sin, and, then, remember that as Noah’s flood prevailed over the tops of earth’s mountains, so the flood of Christ’s redemption prevails over the tops of the mountains of our sins.”
In Heaven there are people who walk the streets of glory who at one time were known only as murderers, drunkards, prostitutes, dope-dealers, thieves, blasphemers, fornicators, self-righteous, God-profaners, rapist, wife-abusers, child-abusers, porno-watchers, and adulterers. Their sins were many. Their sin was as high as the tallest mountain. Yet they have found God’s grace flowing yet higher to wash away every sin and every stain, and every guilt. Jesus Christ, our Lord has redeemed them by another flood. I think the hymn writer said it accurately:
There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains:
The survival of the occupants of the Ark was due to the fact that God remembered Noah.
Genesis 8:1 God caused a wind to pass over the earth. (see 8:1-3) The 150 day flood began to lower its waters. The faucets of heaven were turned off. The rain stopped.
God remembered Noah and all that was with him.
It will be sad day for many who think they are on the Ark. They think they are saved from the judgment to come. God won’t remember them. Jesus will say, “I don’t know you.”
Matthew 7:21-23 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Listen to these verses:
2Peter 3:5-7
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Matthew 24:36-39
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Luke 17:26-27
26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
IV. The Landing of the Ark (Genesis 8:4)
4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
The time came for the Ark to land safely in a new world. The old world had perished. One day all who are in Christ will land safely in a new world.
2Peter 3:13
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Isaiah 65:17-19
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
V. The Looking for the Ark
People today are still looking for the evidence. There have been many expeditions searching the mountains of Ararat for the ark. The mountains are in the area of Northern Turkey. They can look all they want, dig all they want, take pictures…if they find something, or they don’t find anything….it doesn’t change the fact of this historical account in the pages of the bible.
And what about the evidence of a global flood?
There is much evidence in scripture to show us that the flood was a global flood.
1. The language of scriptures is clear. Every mountain covered…..the waters prevailed….
2. If it wasn’t global ---the ark would have been unnecessary…just evacuate.
3. The comparison of Noah’s flood with future judgment would not make sense..The judgment on this world in the future will be global, not a local thing.
4. God made a promise with the rainbow to never destroy mankind again with a global flood. (there have been local floods…continue even now with death occurring)
5. The earth is filled with evidence of a global, catastrophic flood. Himalaya Mountains fossils of fish, Mt Everest (the tallest mount. Fossil)… Fossil records…immediate burial that can only be explained by a catastrophic flood. Grand Canyon…strata of rock…deposited by layer after layer by the flood….(not millions of years…Mt Saint Helens shows you have canyons in a matter of days…)
You can have all the evidence in the world, but if a person will not accept the claims of scriptures, they will not believe and be saved.
Luke 16:29-31
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Trust Christ today. He is the only Ark of Safety from the coming wrath of God.
Chris Gowen
Swan Creek Baptist Church
920 Big Swan Creek Rd
Hampshire, TN 38461
Email: chrisgowen@msn.com
