Lord’s Day, Vol. 8 No. 21
The Ark and the Flood
It is interesting the Chinese character for a ship “船” consists of an ark “舟”with eight “八” mouths “口”. It fits exactly the Genesis account of the global flood during the days of Noah where Noah and his wife, his three sons and their wives, eight members of Noah’s family, on board the ark, were saved from the global deluge that destroyed all the living on earth at that time. God preserves the truths of His judgment in the ancient record of the Chinese language as a testimony, I believe, to the Chinese people, to the veracity of the Bible.
船
Indeed, the ark was the vessel that delivered Noah’s family from the judgment. And we applaud the faith of Noah. He took heed to God’s warning and obediently constructed a vessel that saved his family.
The ark was a 3-storey vessel made of gopher wood that is 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high (it is approximately 135m by 22.5m by 13.5m). It has a roof that is 1 cubit of the top and a window and a door at the side. There was one roof opening for light and air intake.
We learn from Noah’s life the lesson of faith to take God at His Word and to act upon it according to His instructions.
Noah’s faith was an obedient faith and a faith that was undergirded with precise action according to God’s instruction.
Genesis 6:22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
What was the motivation for Noah’s obedient and submission to God’s Word? Hebrew 11:7 tells us that Noah was 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.
Thomas Watson observed well, “Divine fear is the reverencing and adoring of God’s holiness, and the setting always under his sacred inspection. Fear is the leading grace, the first seed God sows in the heart. God is so great that the Christian is afraid of displeasing him, and so good that he is afraid of losing Him.”
Noah was a man who fear God. There is a holy reverence, respect and honour that he accorded to God’s Word that distinguished him from his generation. He took heed to God’s Word and willingly obeyed. There was yet no rain, no flood ever seen on earth at that time. It was unimaginable that the heavens will open and water would pour out of heaven to overflow the earth and destroying it.
“By faith Noah … moved with fear, prepared an ark” (Hebrews 11:7).
Thomas Watson further observes, “When the soul looks either to God’s holiness, or its own sinfulness, it fears, but it is mixed with faith in Christ’s merits; the soul trembles, yet trusts. Like a ship which lies at anchor, though it shakes with the wind, yet it is fixed at anchor. God in great wisdom couples these two graces of faith and fear. Fear preserves seriousness, faith preserves cheerfulness. Fear is as lead to the net, to keep a Christian from floating in presumption, and faith is as cork to the net, to keep him from sinking in despair… The fear of God is mixed with industry. There is a fear of diffidence, which represents God as a severe Judge. This takes the soul off from duty (Matt. 25:25). But there is also a fear of diligence. A Christian fears and prays, fears and repents. Fear quicken industry. The spouse, fearing lest the bridegroom should come before she is dressed, hastens and puts on her jewels, that she may be ready to meet him. Fear causes a watchful eye, and a working hand, no greater spur in the heavenly race than fear.”
Psalm 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Proverbs 2:4-7 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as forhid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and findthe knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth comethknowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he isa buckler to them that walk uprightly.
God revealed to him concerning the judgment to come. God visited Noah with His sovereign grace. What amazing grace! The living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, condescended Himself to reveal Himself to Noah, making His plans known to him.
… to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world (v7ci)
The word “condemned” means “to judge against” or “to judge worthy of punishment”. Noah by his submission to God set himself as an example against the evil and the wicked in his generation who refused God’s truth. His very obedience to God in building the ark and preparing his family was a judgment against the mockers and scoffers who by their unbelief perished when God sent the flood.
By his walk, Noah was a witness against the world. This was his responsible response to the privilege God had bestowed upon him to be His witness against the world. Noah received a righteous man’s reward by (according to or by way of) faith. Noah passed from the old world to a new world. He inherited the new world together with his family. All who believed did not perish in the global cleansing God meted out upon all mankind.
God is similarly pleased to make us His witnesses in this world, prior to Christ’s Second Coming, to be heralders of God’s coming judgment, not by water, but now by fire (2 Peter 3:10-13). The Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest prophecy yet unfulfilled. His coming is imminent. The world certainly realized the impending judgment upon planet earth when the church is raptured, the world will go through a period of Great Tribulation when the Antichrist rules the world. This is the deception today as it was then in Noah’s time just before God brought on a global flood that destroyed the whole world (Matt. 24:37-39).
Are we not privileged that God has similarly visited us with His salvation grace, and given strength in our hearts to heed His warning of an impending judgment and take refuge in His Ark of Jesus Christ? May we urgently share the gospel to the unsaved while we still can. Amen.
Yours loving,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee