Disaster movies ominously predict the end of the world. Whether it be asteroids or aliens, nuclear war or epidemic, our poor old planet is constantly being wiped out by some larger than life disaster. These movies sell because we seem to thrive on FEAR.
One of the biggest disaster movies was the recent movie “2012.” In this plot, scientists discover the impending doom facing the earth and create a plan to rescue a small group to rebuild a new earth. One family discovers the plan and races to the ends of the earth to escape the coming disaster. Of course the arrive at the secret destination, but to their surprise, the government has not built a spaceship, but rather GIANT BOATS, called ARKS. A remnant of the world board these arks, complete with giraffes, elephants, and every other creation you would expect to see on Noah’s ark.
There are over 200 flood accounts from ancient cultures around the world, from cultures that never interacted with one another.
For instance, the Pawnee tribe in Nebraska has the following tradition: the creator Ti-ra-wa destroyed the first people, who were giants, by water because of his indignation about their corruption and after that he created a man and a woman like present people, who became the Pawnees’ ancestors.
In addition, the Miao tribe who resides in southwest China had a tradition which is like the Genesis account even before they met Christian missionaries. According to their tradition, when god destroyed the whole world by the flood because of wickedness of man, Nuah the righteous man and his wife Matriarch, their three sons, Lo Han, Lo Shen, and Jah-hu survived by building a very broad ship and embarked on it with pairs of animals.
95% of these flood traditions have common elements with Genesis, even though there is no possible literary or historic link between many of the various records.
by Nozomi Osanai, 8/3/05 “Answers in Genesis” www.answersingenesis.org/articles/csgeg/comparison-secular-historical-records
There is much that we can say about the importance of the FLOOD.
We can talk about the SIZE of the ark, and the accuracy of the Bible.
But we should not miss the LESSON that the ark teaches us.
Here’s our text for today. “This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.” (Genesis 6:9–14, NIV84)
“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22, NIV84)
“Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” (Genesis 7:23–8:1, NIV84)
The truth is that Everyone needs an Ark!
What is an ARK?
There are two Hebrew words that are translate “ark” in the Old Testament. The first is Tebah. It means a container, and is used to describe a basket, coffin or container.... even a boat! In Genesis 6-9 it is the word used for the BOAT that Noah built. In Exodus 2:3, 5, it refers to the basket that was built for MOSES. Both were covered in pitch. Both delivered their cargo to safety.
The second Hebrew word is Aron. It too can mean a box, chest or a coffin. The most frequent usage of this word is to describe the ARK of the Covenant! By comparison, Noah’s ark is mentioned 25 times in the book of Genesis. The ark of the covenant is mentioned 21 times in Exodus. It is interesting that both books focus on an ark.
The ARK is a PICTURE of SALVATION
1. Noah’s ark saved Noah’s family from the FLOOD
2. The Ark of the Covenant saved ISRAEL from their SIN
All THREE ARKS in the OT, Point us to JESUS CHRIST
The BASKET of MOSES is used by the Lord to save Moses, who would become the deliverer of Israel.
The ARK of the COVENANT is the place where the Glory of God dwelt, and the place where the blood of the covenant was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. This was Israel’s salvation, as they were led by the Glory of the Lord, and as their sins were covered when the blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. Christ has made ATONEMENT for our sins by his blood, as we read in Heb 9:11-14. So the Ark is also in a way, a picture of the work of Christ
But the greatest comparison with Christ is seen in the person of Noah, who is a PICTURE of CHRIST. Notice the ways in which Noah creates a picture of Christ, and ultimately a picture of salvation:
1. Noah would bring REST. Noah’s name means “rest.” Gen 5:29 “Lamech looked upon his son as one who should bring deliverance from the Curse, as one who should provide comfort and rest from the weariness of toil.” (Arthur Pink, Gleanings in Genesis, 96)
a. Jesus came to bring us REST. (Pink, 96)
b. “And His rest shall be glorious” (Isa. 11:10),
c. “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
d. Heb 4:1-11
e. What Noah did in TYPE, Jesus will do in Fulfillment, He will deliver the world from the curse, just as it was prophesied of Noah by Lamech.
2. Noah found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord (Gen 6:8)
a. Jesus was God’s beloved son (Mat 3:17)
3. Noah was a righteous man. (Gen 6:9)
a. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (1 Peter 3:18)
4. Noah was “blameless among the people of his time” (Gen 6:9)
a. Jesus was unique.
b. The “one and only” from the Father
5. Noah walked with God. Gen 6:9
a. Jesus came to do his father’s will
b. “A bruised reed he will not break” Matt 12:20
6. Noah had a special task “make an ark of wood” (Gen 6:14)
a. “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4)
7. Noah did the work ALONE
8. God saved the world through Noah. Gen 8:1
a. “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)
9. Noah completed ALL that God asked him Gen 6:22
a. “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.” (Luke 18:31)
10. Noah delivered his family out of the ark and into a new world. Gen 8:18-19
11. Noah blessed his sons Gen 9:2
a. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)
You and I need an Ark!
There is a limit to God’s patience! Just as in the days of Noah, Judgment is coming. Both Jesus and the New Testament authors use the days of Noah as a description of the conditions on earth when Jesus returns. Notice what happened during the days of Noah.
I. God waited while the earth grew more wicked. We see the patience of God demonstrated in Methuselah. His name is one of those strange Bible names that only comes up when playing a game of Bible Trivia. But there is an important lesson that God wants us to remember from Methuselah.
His name means,“When he is dead, it shall be sent” (Newberry, as quoted in Pink). Methuselah’s father was Enoch, the righteous man who “walked with God.” Jude 14-15 describes the preaching ministry of Enoch, who warned the world of coming judgment! Enoch knew 1,000 years ahead of time that judgment was coming. God honored Enoch’s righteousness, and allowed Enoch’s son to be a symbol of God’s patience and grace. Notice carefully the dates we read in Genesis:
Methuselah was 187 when Lamech was born (Gen 5:25).
Lamech was 182 when Noah was born (Gen 5:28).
Noah was 600 when the flood started (Gen 7:11)
Now when you add those up, you come to this equation: 187+ 182 + 600 = 969
The Flood came 969 years after Methuselah was born.
And for you Bible Trivia fans, how long did Methuselah live? According to Gen 5:27, he lived 969! This is not a coincidence, but a reflection on the patience of God to honor righteous Enoch, and to withhold his judgment as long as possible.
God is patiently waiting for you. He is slow to bring judgment. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).
“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.” (2 Peter 3:15)
Come to the ARK.
God told Noah to build an ARK, not several
There was only one door
Once you got on, you were safe
There was no rudder, no steering
There was no sail
Everything you need for this life was in the ark
Those you love can be there with you
There is only one door, and only God can shut it
Once it shuts, it’s too late
