Genesis 6:1-8 The Ark
1. God's Preparation Of Noah
(a) Noah was living in an Age of Sin. 5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Wicked and ungodly leaders were trying to reshape society, calling evil good, and good evil.
Honesty was replaced by hypocrisy. Love was replaced by lust.
Holiness was replaced by hellishness. God was replaced by greed.
(i) Days of Confusion + compromise – 6 v. 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
(ii) Days of Conflict – 6 v. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
(iii) Days of Corruption – 6 v. 5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
(iv) Days of Condemnation – v. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
(b) Noah was living in an Age of Sorrow. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Sin may not bother a lost world, but it breaks the heart of a holy God.
(c) Noah was living in an Age of Suffering. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Sin not only breaks the holy heart of God, it brings the heavy hand of God.
2. God's Position With Noah 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
A. Noah's Conversion Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Grace Taught - Eph 2 v 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Grace Bought - 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Grace Sought - Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. because He sought It.
Noah was not saved because he built the ark. Noah built the ark because he was saved.
B. Noah's Character 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Noah was a "just man." righteous, or better translated, "justified."
Because Noah had accepted God, God had accepted Noah.
Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
C. Noah's Conduct 9 Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations,
Perfect literally means "without a blemish or spot." or "blameless." ie he was different.
D. Noah's Commitment 9 and Noah walked with God.
He Alone enjoyed an unbreakable friendship and an unbroken fellowship with God.
E. Noah's Confidence 22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him,so did he.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Faith is obeying God in spite of the circumstances and regardless of the consequences.
Noah was saved by grace through faith.
3. God's Provision For Noah 14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
Just as Noah was physically saved by God's provision of a ship,
we are spiritually saved by God's provision of a Saviour.
A. The Substance Of The Ship - Make thee an ark of gopher wood;
Gopherwood is what we call today cypress. it is almost indestructible. It does not easily rot.
This symbolizes the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as this wood was cut down so the ark could be built, the Lord Jesus was cut down and nailed to a cross that we might be saved.
B. The Security Of The Ship and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
Pitch.- literally means atonement.
Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
It was the pitch that secured the ship and made it waterproof.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
C. The Size Of The Ship 15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
The ship was 450 ft. by 75 ft. by 45 ft. ie 45 stories long, 8 stories wide, and 5 stories high.
It could contain three million cubic feet. the ark was plenty big enough for anybody & everybody
Jesus is sufficient to save anybody and everybody. There is room at the cross for you.
D. The Sustenance Of The Ship 21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
Noah was not only saved through the ship, he was satisfied in the ship.
4. God's Protection Of Noah 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
A. The Ark Was Graced By The Presence Of God
Noah was not commanded to go into the ark; he was invited to come into the ark.
God was not on the outside saying, "Go in and I'll watch you."
God was on the inside saying, "Come in, and I'll be with you."
ch 8:15 And God spake unto Noah, saying, 16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
God did not say to Noah, "Come out of the ark," He said to Noah, "Go out of the ark."
God was not on the outside saying, "Come out." God was on the inside saying, "Go out."
The ark did not and could not go down because God was on board.
Matt. 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
II Cor. 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
B. The Ark Was Guarded By The Power Of God Gen 7:16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
I Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
C. The Ark Was Guided By the Plan Of God (7:17) And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
The flood rose higher and higher. Verse 20 tells us that the flood eventually rose 22 ft. above the highest mountains. But notice that the higher the flood went, the higher the boat floated.
Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound.
When God shut the door, Noah was on the inside looking out, and the world was on the outside looking in. There was only one ark and there was only one door.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
One door, and only one, And yet its sides are two; I'm on the inside, On which side are you?
