THE FLOOD
[Genesis:6:14-22 [14] Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. [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. [16] A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. [17] And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. [18] But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. [19] And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. [20] Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. [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. [22] Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. ]; [Genesis:7:1-24 [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. [2] Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. [3] Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. [4] For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. [5] And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. [6] And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. [7] And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. [8] Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, [9] There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. [10] And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. [11] In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. [12] And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. [13] In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; [14] They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. [15] And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. [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. [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. [18] And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. [19] And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. [20] Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. [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. ]; [Genesis:8:1-22 [1] And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; [2] The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; [3] And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. [4] And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. [5] And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. [6] And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: [7] And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. [8] Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; [9] But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. [10] And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; [11] And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. [12] And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. [13] And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. [14] And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. [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. [17] Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. [18] And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: [19] Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. [20] And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. [21] And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. [22] While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. ].
“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“ (Hebrews 11:7).
I God‘s Plan for Saving Noah and His Family
1. Noah was commanded to build an ark, [Genesis:6:14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
].
2. The specifications of the ark were given, [Genesis:6:15-16 [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.
[16] A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
].
3. A flood is promised to destroy all flesh upon the earth and in the sky, [Genesis:6:17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
].
4. God establishes a covenant with Noah, [Genesis:6:18-21 [18] But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
[19] And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
[20] Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
[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.
].
5. Noah obeys God‘s command, [Genesis:6:22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
]; [Hebrews:11:7By 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.
].
II The Ark Completed -- the Flood upon the Earth
1. A gracious invitation is given -- “Come thou,“ [Genesis:7:1And 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.
]; [Numbers:10:29And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.
].
2. The entry into the ark is made, [Genesis:7:2-3 [2] Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
[3] Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
], [Genesis:7:5-9 [5] And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.
[6] And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
[7] And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
[8] Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
[9] There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
], [Genesis:7:13-15 [13] In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
[14] They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
[15] And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
].
3. Grace is ended and the door is shut, [Genesis:7:4For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
], [Genesis:7:16And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
]; [Revelation:3:7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
]; [Matthew:25:10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
].
4. All flesh upon the earth is destroyed, [Genesis:7:10-12 [10] And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
[11] In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
[12] And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
], [Genesis:7:19-22 [19] And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
[20] Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
[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.
]; [Job:22:15-17 [15] Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
[16] Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
[17] Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
].
5. Noah is safe on the bosom of the waters, [Genesis:7:17-18 [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.
[18] And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
], [Genesis:7:23-24 [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.
]; [Isaiah:43:2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
].
III God Promises Continuation of Life
1. The floodwaters abate, and the ark rests upon the mountains of Ararat, [Genesis:8:1-5 [1] And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;
[2] The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;
[3] And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
[4] And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
[5] And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.
].
2. Noah sends forth a raven and a dove, [Genesis:8:6-12 [6] And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
[7] And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
[8] Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
[9] But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
[10] And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
[11] And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
[12] And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
].
3. The earth is dry, but Noah waits for God‘s word before leaving the ark, [Genesis:8:13-19 [13] And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
[14] And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
[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.
[17] Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
[18] And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
[19] Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
]; [Psalms:25:5Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
]; [Psalms:37:34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
]; [Isaiah:49:23And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
].
4. Noah worships God, and God promises preservation of life, [Genesis:8:20-22 [20] And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
[21] And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
[22] While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
].
IV The Days of Noah a Type of the Last Days
1. Wickedness is great in the earth, [Matthew:24:37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
], [Matthew:24:12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
].
2. The Flood is a type of the tribulation, [Matthew:24:38-39 [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.
].
3. The ark is a type of salvation in Christ, [Matthew:24:37-38 [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,
]; [Hebrews:11:7By 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.
].
4. Noah and his family are a type of the Bride of Christ, [Genesis:7:1And 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.
]; [Matthew:24:40-42 [40] Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
[41] Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
[42] Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
]; [Isaiah:26:20Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
].
An Escape for the Righteous
In God‘s economy there has always been a way for those who desire to escape the damnation of hell. When the Lord revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham said, “That be far from thee . . . to slay the righteous with the wicked: . . . Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?“ [Genesis:18:25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
]). The Lord is merciful and desires to show mercy to all men, but He is also just, and men cannot with impunity violate God‘s righteousness and wilfully reject His proffers of mercy.
Corruption of Man
How quickly after creation did men defile this earth with sin -- this beautiful earth that the Lord gave man for his home! Men had become so corrupt that the Lord determined to destroy those unrepentant people from the face of the earth. But there was one righteous man found among all the living. The Lord has always had a remnant, a few people who love Him and live clean, holy lives.
Moved with Fear
“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“ [Hebrews:11:7By 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.
]).
How strange it must have seemed to Noah when the Lord told him there would be a flood! There had never been such a flood. In fact, there is no record that it had even rained upon the earth up to this time. “There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground“ [Genesis:2:6But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. ]).
“Noah was a Just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.“ There is the secret -- Noah walked with God and believed what God told him. Like Enoch of old, he had continuous communion with God. He walked “with“ God as in a voluntary, delightful companionship with a friend.
“Moved with fear,“ Noah prepared the ark to the saving of his house. Some today are moved with fear as they see the prophecies concerning the last days being fulfilled. They are fleeing to Jesus for safety. They want a hiding place when the storms descend. They want to hear the Lord say: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself‘ as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpass“ [Isaiah:26:20Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. ]).
Dimensions of the Ark
The Lord gave Noah the exact dimensions by which he was to build the ark. Perhaps He gave instructions for everything in minute detail, but Holy Writ does not tell us all. Skeptics have said that the ark was too small to hold all the animals and provisions that went into it, but mathematicians and scientists have said that there was ample room for the people, the animals, and a year‘s supply of food. It has been stated that it would take a train of freight cars thirteen and a half miles long to provide this amount of cubic space and carry this much freight. For stability, strength, and quietness of movements the ark‘s dimensions were perfect.
The following is quoted from an article taken from a Copenhagen newspaper, dated August 31, 1904. The article was written by Mr. Vogt, a well-known engineer and inventor:
“I have for some years been engaged in experiments in navigation. In the course of these experiments, in which it was most important to attain the best proportions in the dimensions of vessels, my attention was directed to some figures in the Bible, in [Genesis:8:15And God spake unto Noah, saying, ], where the measurements of Noah‘s Ark are given.
“The remarkable thing about these measurements is that after thousands of years‘ experience in the art of shipbuilding they must be confessed to be still the ideal proportions for the construction of a large ship.
“It is my opinion that the Ark rates as a masterpiece. I can hardy comprehend how anyone in that distant age could be possessed of such great knowledge of the subject and have attained such a brilliant result. I am convinced that if we gave the greatest living engineer in the world such a commission as this, to construct as large and as strong a vessel to lie as still as possible on the sea, and as simply constructed as the Ark, he could not make a better vessel.“
The reason is obvious: God was the Architect, and man cannot improve on God‘s plans.
Above the Mountains
For forty days the waters increased greatly upon the earth until “every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, . . . . Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.“ Shells and skeletons of fish have been discovered on some of the highest mountain peaks. The moose deer, a native of America, has been found buried in Ireland. The elephant, a native of Asia and Africa has been found in England. Crocodiles, natives of the Nile, have been found in Germany. The flood that covered the whole earth accounts for the fossil deposits found in the most unnatural places.
Abating Waters
When the waters were abated, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat, somewhere in Armenia. Two months and thirteen days later the mountaintops were seen.
Noah displayed the ripe Christian fruit of patience, born of a deep and loving trust in God. He waited forty days, then sent forth a raven, no doubt to determine if the earth was yet habitable. The raven, being a scavenger bird, found sustenance upon the carcasses floating in the water, returning from time to time only to rest upon the ark.
Then Noah sent forth a dove. The delicate dove lights only upon a clean, dry place, so finding “no rest for the sole of her foot,“ she returned to the ark and Noah took her in. After seven days he sent forth the dove again. The dove came back in the evening, bearing in her mouth an olive leaf plucked off.
This olive leaf was a symbol of the restoration of peace between God and the earth; and the dove with the olive branch in her mouth is pictured as an emblem of peace to this day.
Patient Waiting
Again, after another seven days, Noah sent forth the dove. Finding clean, dry places to rest and vegetation to sustain it, the dove did not return to the ark. Yet Noah waited, not running ahead of God, but waiting for and to open the way for him to leave the ark. A month after the dove had left the ark and had not returned, Noah removed the covering of the ark and saw that the ground was dry. Still he waited for orders from God; it was almost two months later that “God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark.“
Noah “walked with God.“ Those who live closest to God are often constrained to wait God‘s bidding; while others, trusting to “human reasoning,“ move ahead and find they are walking alone.
Worship
Immediately upon leaving the ark, Noah built an altar unto the Lord. God was pleased with his sacrifice, which acknowledged the guilt of man, his just desert of punishment, and the need for atonement outside himself. The Lord, Jehovah, “smelled a sweet savour.“ It is evident that Noah‘s sacrifice prefigured that of Christ‘s when He offered Himself on the Cross of Calvary for the sins of the world. The offering of Christ is similarly described in [Ephesians:5:2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
]:
“Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering, and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.“
Mercy
The prayers and obedience of one man called forth from the heart of God an expression of His great mercy toward all men -- clear-shining mercy against the dark backdrop of man‘s inbred tendency toward evil. The earth would never again be destroyed by a flood, but there is a significant warning in the words, “While the earth remaineth.“
Knowing the perverseness of men‘s hearts, God knew that men as a whole would not take advantage of His mercy. There would come a time when the earth would again be filled with violence, as it was in the days before the flood [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. ]). The earth would needs be destroyed, as we read in II Peter, third chapter -- this time by fire.
Three Stories
The ark is a type of salvation. Jesus is our Ark today. Noah was commanded to build the ark with three stories. They could well be a type of the three experiences we receive in the Gospel -- justification, sanctification, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Unheeded
While Noah worked away on the ark he preached repentance to the people. But they failed to repent. Jesus, looking over Jerusalem one day, said: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killeth the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!“ [Matthew:23:37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
]).
Jesus compared the times just preceding His coming to catch away His Bride to the days of Noah. For over forty years, in this last great outpouring of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit has been speaking through the anointed of the Lord and saying, “Jesus is coming soon.“ While the Bridegroom tarries, many are slumbering and sleeping. The world is going on in sin and darkness. One day people will wake up to the fact that they are left behind. Jesus has come and shut away in the ark those who were ready. Only those in the ark were saved from the flood. Only those who have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb and have oil in their vessels will be caught away to meet the Bridegroom when He comes.
Noah and His Family a Type of the Bride
Noah was perfect in his generation. The Bride of Christ is to be a pure, spotless bride. In [Psalms:45:13The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
] we are told that the king‘s daughter is all glorious within. And in [Revelation:19:7-8 [7] Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
[8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
]: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.“
As God called Noah and his family to come into the ark, so one day -- we believe very soon -- the saints are going to hear the trumpet sound and the Lord calling them to come up higher. They will then be borne above the tribulation that will come upon this earth, just as those in the ark were carried above the tempest of the flood. Jesus said: “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the son of man be. 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, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the son of man be“ [Matthew:24:37-39 [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. ]).
The Invitation
The Lord said unto Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark.“ What a wonderful invitation! “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb“ [Revelation:19:9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
]). No greater invitation could be given than to be called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The call has gone out into all the world. The invitation is to you. Accept it now. Jesus said, “All things are ready: come.“ The door is still open! Come! Just before the Book of all books closes its final page, it again sends out the invitation: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely“ [Revelation:22:17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
]) .
1. What was the approximate length, width, and height of the ark, in feet?
2. How does the size compare with modern ships?
3. How many stories were in the ark? and what spiritual application do we make?
4. How many windows and doors were in the ark?
5. How was food provided for Noah and the animals?
6. Why was Noah spared from the flood?
7. How many people remained alive during the flood?
8. How long was the earth covered with water?
9. What did Noah‘s sacrifice prefigure
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