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).
A phrase in this verse sparked a new thought: Noah prepared an ark to the saving of his house. In times past, my mind’s eye would see Noah and family patiently constructing the immense ship that would carry them to safety, but as I’ve grown older, with our five children all in their teens and twenties, that part of Noah building the ark to the saving of his house strikes me differently. Noah, after hearing God’s warning, was moved with fear to prepare a place of safety for his family. And while the construction of the ark was an amazing feat, it is just as impressive that Noah was able to successfully communicate to his family the importance and urgency of building that huge boat in spite of the teachings of science and religion of his day.
To prepare that ark, Noah first had to prepare his family.
There is a clear parallel of Noah’s experience to our own challenges in the present day! In fact, the difficulties he faced are extremely relevant today, even more so than to any previous era in the history of the world.
I feel the personal challenge as I consider Noah’s life-work of preparing an ark to the saving of his house. What have I accomplished to this point? Have God’s New Testament warnings of things not seen as yet convinced my faith? Am I so moved with fear that I act in lifestyle-changing fashion as Noah did? Have I prepared an ark to the saving of my house? I hope so, but looking back, I see errors, faults and inconsistencies. And the job is not done.
Noah worked tirelessly, 120 years perhaps, at building a huge ark. He preached of a coming flood from God, and his righteous living validated his title of prophet. Yet there was a major obstacle in the minds of his countrymen: there was no threat of a flood to be seen and nobody had ever heard of water falling from the sky. The picture is similar to the sincere Christian’s experience in the present day. Yet again, I am first impressed by Noah’s success in preparing his family spiritually. Noah’s three sons chose to follow the God of their father too, and their wives in turn chose the God of their husbands, all in spite of great pressure and ridicule from the rest of the world. Noah was a just man and perfect (Gen 6:9), a preacher of righteousness (2Pet 2:5) whose life and message condemned the world (Heb 11:7). Apparently his evangelistic efforts were considerable and yet the results were meager.
But he did save his house.
I see much merit in emulating the mind-set of Noah to prepare an ark that will safely preserve the spiritual integrity of my family. The final destination is a new hope and future, a new world and life that is eternal in the heavens (2Cor 5:1). Sure there are churches, missions, books and programs that are helpful to living righteously, but Noah took the task seriously and personally. He took up the hammer and saw and went to work himself, first in convincing his family and second in doing the dirty, sweaty work. The success of our own attempt is no less dependent upon a full and serious commitment to not just build an ark, but to build a quality spiritual vessel that will withstand the tests that are sure to come.
Noah prepared the ark faithfully and exactly as God had commanded, and the ark itself gives testimony to the quality of his work! On its maiden voyage, it survived a year upon an endless sea, and it safely carried its cargo to the new land. Noah didn’t just hear God’s warnings, he believed them completely and fervently; he was fully convinced that the lives of his family depended on all-out action to do exactly as God commanded. A less than complete effort would have meant failure.
If, as we have just implied, the most important rule to preparing an ark in today’s world is to follow the directions that God has given in His Word, then the second-most important rule is to seek out like-minded families of faith with the same mindset of saving their house from the coming destruction! Noah was very alone in a world of wickedness, but he did find three other souls who believed and joined him. One family became four families, and the little group invested all their resources to the assignment ahead. The world has never been so filled with vices and deceits both secular and religious, and the companionship of fellow builders is increasingly important to avoid pitfalls and errors.
Unfortunately, many fathers choose to lead their families alone. They follow their own private interpretations of the Scriptures and their own personal compasses. It is sad to see a single family sailing the seas of the world without even one other family with whom they can fellowship. Under the guise of following the Bible, they succeed only to manipulate their wives and rule their children according to their own specious interpretations of the Word of God. They are not so much moved by the fear of the Lord as by self-promotion and requiring complete familial allegiance simply for being the God-ordained head of the home. The result is conflict and pride, as the pure and simple milk of the Word is replaced by countless individual creeds. Would Noah have been able to build that ark all by himself? I doubt it. Noah needed the help of others who were also moved to action, and we also need help to build a quality spiritual vessel that will withstand the coming destruction.
Another parallel between Noah and true followers of Christ today can be seen by comparing the character of the two world eras. Describing the world of Noah’s day, Genesis 6:5 says that 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…The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence (Gen 6:11). That is a fitting description of the state of the world today, and it agrees with Jesus’ warning that conditions at the end of this present evil world will be similar to those at the time of the Great Flood: 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 (Mat 24:37-39). Among the nations and tribes of the world, the fear of God is waxing weaker and weaker, and in many religious settings that subject has been largely rejected or forgotten.
Obviously, nobody knows when the Lord will return to this world in judgment, so we should not insist that His coming will happen in the next few weeks, months or years. Nevertheless, it is also plain that the End has never been closer than it is now! It appears from Scripture that the best sign that Christ’s return is momentarily imminent is the absence of signs. The population of the world will be as oblivious to their impending doom as the people of Noah’s day. Jesus warned His disciples, Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Mat 24:44). The Lord will come as a thief in the night, at a time the people of the world are thinking, “All is peace and safety, life is good! Let us eat, drink, and be merry” (1Thes 5:2-3).
Surprisingly, many prophecy scholars teach the opposite, and point to conflict in the Middle East, famines in Africa, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and meteors. All these are certain signs of the End, they say. Yet Jesus Himself said, But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by…Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven (Luke 21:9-11; Mat 24:6-8).
No sign was given to the careless Jews of Jesus’ day except the silent, misunderstood sign of Jonas the prophet (Luke 11:29f), and no sign will precede the end of the world except for the too-late sign of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven (Mat 24:30). Again Jesus warns, “Take heed so that the Day does not come upon you unaware. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 11:34-35). The best sign of the end is that very few will be ready because they are not expecting it to happen at that time.
They have not prepared their arks to the saving of their house.
We could cite many Scriptures that describe the state of the world at its end. Instead, let us summarize them by making two observations. One, general world conditions will be characterized by unchecked selfish living and pleasure seeking in an era when virtually all are living oblivious to the coming destruction which will fall without a hint of warning. Two, within the churches that profess the name of Christ, the era will be characterized by unprecedented deception, apathy and apostasy. See passages such as 2Tim 3; Jude 1:18-19; 1Tim 4:1-3; Rev 20:7-9; Mat 24; 2Pet 3; 1Thes 5:1-8; Luke 18:8; Mat 24:24; and 2Thes 2:1-12.
Clearly we must overcome the same challenges that Noah faced, and those tests will only intensify as the day approaches. Noah proved himself to be faithful, living a just and holy life in a world filled with violence and wickedness of every kind. He passed the test of perseverance, patiently enduring the constant pressures to compromise with Religion’s deceived ideas of God, and to Society’s depraved ideas of living. Noah preached, but nobody listened. He warned of coming judgment, but nobody cared. He lived righteously and honored God in all holiness, but was scorned for doing so. Let us not miss the obvious parallel!
We live in a wicked and self-seeking world, filled with “christians” who do not honor God, do not live in holiness, and who ridicule and obstruct kingdom saints that do seek to follow God’s Word in its entirety. May we bear such persecutions bravely (John 5:16), resting in the knowledge that as God remembered Noah, so will He surely see every soul that suffers for living in His will. Noah was probably thought to be an eccentric, religious crazy for building a ship on dry land, and we too will be taken for radicals and fundamentalists for seeking to believe all that the prophets have spoken (Luke 24:25).
Seeing that we know these things before, let us take Noah’s example to heart, who because he walked with God…found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen 6:8-9). Here is the secret to success! To walk with God is to develop a heart/mind relationship with Him, to search out what He really wants from us, and then to go out and do it (Mark 12:30). That is why God specifically chose Noah…for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation (Gen 7:1). Noah heard God’s instructions and according to all that God commanded him, so did he (Gen 6:22).
These Scriptures should warn us gravely against that greatest deception in all Protestantism, the everywhere-prevalent and multi-form idea that under the New Covenant, obedience is not important to God. Be not deceived…unrighteousness shall not inherit the Kingdom of God (1Cor 6:9; Gal 6:7).
The Scriptures were not given as a mere suggestion on how to live a good life! They are God’s revealed will for Mankind, the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever (1Pet 1:23; Heb 4:12). He that keeps the commandments therein is the one that truly loves Christ (John 14:21; Rev 22:9; Rom 6:16), and only those who love Him are going to be saved (2John 1:6; 1John 2:4; Mat 7:24). The little-but-true church of Noah’s day were doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22). This is the Church that will be saved in the last day, and this, I believe, is the more serious test that the end-time churches of the Kingdom will face.
The Devil has learned that persecution of the body is generally counter-productive to his wicked corruption schemes, for a look back at history will show that more souls are won into the Kingdom by the sincere testimony of martyrs than what Satan’s men can kill. And even when he succeeds in killing a Christian, he loses! Another soul gone to be with the Lord.
How different it is with deception! Deceived persons sincerely believe that they are right, and thus become exceedingly difficult to restore to the truth. At the end however, they will stand before the judgment seat of God saying, “Lord, didn’t we prophesy in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils and do many wonderful works?” And Christ will profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from Me ye that work iniquity (Mat 7:21). The parallel passage in Luke adds, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able (Luke 13:24).
I’m afraid that many well-intentioned Christian leaders have presented that gate to be much wider than what Christ’s words will allow. Noah did not water down his message in order to gain more converts! Yes, salvation is free and open to all, but there exists a single way of truth that neither theology nor human persuasion can modify, and only those who find and follow it faithfully will arrive at the goal. To varying degrees, most Christian groups teach otherwise, over-emphasizing God’s grace and love while neglecting to fear His justice and holiness. Proverbs 14:26 says, In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge (also Pro 16:6).
What does all this have to do with me preparing an ark for the saving of my house? Everything! Somehow, I must convey these truths into the minds of my family such that they see and believe them too. Again, the final construction cannot be successful without first building a solid spiritual foundation. As far as other professing Christians are concerned, let God judge His own servants (Rom 14:4), and let us focus upon being found faithful in doing the big and little things that He has proclaimed to be His will (Mat 25:21).
There is an interesting detail hidden in the Biblical account of the preparation of the ark. God told Noah to pitch it within and without with pitch (Gen 6:14). The Hebrew word for pitch in the first case is kaphar, which is normally translated, “to make an atonement.” The Hebrew word in the second case is kopher, which is typically translated, “ransom.” The Author seems to have specifically chosen these words even though they are never used elsewhere outside of the contexts just stated, and in spite of the fact that normal words for “pitch” were available in the Hebrew language (see Ex 2:3 for example). It would be completely correct to read, “Make an atonement for the ark within and without with a ransom.”
For those of us that believe the Scriptures originated in the mind of Almighty God, this anomaly is not without significance. As we have already seen, the ark of Noah is used in several New Testament passages to represent a place of safety and salvation. It is like a spiritual vehicle that will certainly and surely carry her passengers to their eternal home. The apostle Peter uses the figure of the ark with her eight souls crossing the waters as a parallel to the Church’s salvation by baptism (1Pet 3:20-21), but the picture is more complete when we view it also “atoned within and without by a ransom.”
It is an amazing and beautiful parallel to the blood of Christ, who gave His life a ransom for many (Mat 20:28). The ark becomes a symbol for the Church of Christ and the souls within are those who are being saved. The door of the ark (alluded to in Gen 7:16), symbolizes Christ Himself (John 10:9). Someday that open door of salvation will be shut and the day of grace will have passed.
Noah’s human efforts could not ensure the ark’s fitness for purpose, even though he had done all at God’s direction. An atonement was required, a ransom that would seal it and secure its safe passage (Eph 4:30). The parallel holds true in our own experience in preparing a spiritual ark for our families.
Finally, my mind pictures the four families in that ark as they passed over the dark waters. Surely they experienced fear and uncertainty, troubles and doubts; months of constant wind and rain, waves and darkness. What did the future hold for them? Would they find good, habitable land? And yet they knew that God was with them, for they were acting on His orders. Isn’t that the true, final definition of Peace? We may be tossed and tested by doubts, trials and uncertainty, but inner peace and tranquility of soul comes when we know by His Word that we are doing His commandments. And that hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the veil (Heb 6:19).