The Ark

    "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.”

    Three arks are mentioned in the Scriptures. All three were places of refuge and means of salvation. All three were pictures of grace, typical of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. The ark of the covenant sheltered the two tables of stone upon which the law of God was written. There, in that ark, under the mercy-seat were found the broken law that demanded death, -- the manna that gave life, -- and the rod of power that led and protected Israel. The ark of bulrushes protected God’s chosen one, Moses, from the wrath and murderous designs of Pharaoh, the wicked ruler of Egypt. The ark which Noah built was the ark of God’s salvation for him and his family. This ark was also a beautiful type of Christ and a clear, instructive picture of the grace of God in him. Noah and his family were saved in the flood by a ship, an ark, which God commanded him to build.

    As there was but one ark in the days of Noah, there is but one way of salvation for poor, helpless, guilty sinners. The whole world was drowned under the flood of God’s wrath, except for those eight happy souls in the ark. Even so, the whole world shall be destroyed in the everlasting wrath of almighty God, except those happy, blessed men and women who are in Christ. Christ alone is the Savior of men. “There is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” If we would be saved, we must come into the Ark, Christ Jesus. We must be washed in his blood and robed in his righteousness. We must flee from the wrath of God, and fleeing, we must flee to Christ

    The ark was planned, purposed, and provided by God (Gen. 6:13-16). Long before the flood came, long before the first drop of water fell from heaven, the Lord God provided for the salvation of his own. The ark was not an afterthought with God. It was not hurriedly put together after the waters began to rise. It was something God planned and purposed long before. It was God himself and God alone who determined the size, shape, and material of the ark. God alone determined who would be saved by the ark. The ark was designed, built and stocked to house a specific number of residents, both of men and beasts. God determined where, how, and when the ark would be built.

    Are you getting the picture? In just this same way, the Lord God planned and purposed the salvation of his people by Christ in his eternal purpose of grace. The Lord Jesus was provided and set up in the purpose of God from eternity, long before the clouds of Divine wrath began to swell against fallen men. Our salvation was not an afterthought with God. The Lord our God made provision for the salvation of his people in his Son long before the world began (Acts 2:23; 1 Pet. 1:18-20; 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 1:3-6). Christ is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8).

    Long before we sinned in Adam, the Lord God planned the salvation of his elect in Christ. The plan of salvation is not a path you follow to find God. It is the path God follows to find his elect. It is an eternal plan! God determined from eternity who he would save (2 Thess. 2:13). God purposed from eternity that he would save his elect by the substitutionary sacrifice of his dear Son (Rom. 3:24-26). And God’s purpose of grace is sure and immutable (Rom. 8:28-30).

    In the fulness of time, God provided his own dear Son to be the salvation of sinners (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10; Gal. 4:4-5). As the ark was God’s provision for Noah and his family, Christ is God’s provision for sinners. As the ark was a provision of pure, free grace, so Christ is the provision of God’s grace.

    The ark which Noah built was an all-sufficient refuge for all who entered it. The ark was a huge, immense ship. There was no lack of room in it; but there was no wasted space. There was room enough for Noah and his family. There was room enough for two of every unclean bird, beast, rodent and insect in the world. There was room enough for seven of every clean animal. There was room enough in the ark to supply all the people and animals on board with food for a full year. The ark was an immense ship, about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, 45 feet high.; and it housed all kinds of creatures.

    Even so, the Lord Jesus Christ is a great and mighty Savior, an all-sufficient Refuge for sinners of every kind. As the ark was an immense vessel, in which a vast multitude of animals, as well as Noah and his family, floated safely through the storm of God’s wrath, so Christ is an immense Savior. His salvation is an immense salvation, delivering a vast multitude, which no man can number, from the wrath of God.

    There was one door, only one door, in the ark; but that one door was enough. All who entered the ark, clean and unclean, large and small, male and female, all came in through the same door. There is but one Door of salvation for sinners. That Door is Christ (John 10:9; 14:6). If we would be saved, we must enter in by the Door, Christ Jesus. Grace is a great equalizer It puts all on common ground. We cannot come to God, except as sinners in need of grace, trusting his Son. This one Door is sufficient. All who will may enter into life eternal by Christ the Door.

    There was only one window in the ark; but that one window was enough. It gave light to all and gave all the light that was needed. That window represents the Spirit of God through whom Christ, the Light of the world, the Sun of Righteousness, shines into the hearts of men. All who come to Christ and receive salvation by him are illuminated and taught by God the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; 1 John 6:44-45). And all who are taught of God are well taught. When God teaches, those who are taught of him get the lesson. He teaches and convinces all his own of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment – Of their own sin. – Of righteousness accomplished by Christ’s obedience. – Of judgment finished, atonement made, and condemnation ended forever, by the death of Christ who bore the wrath of God for us, as our Substitute.

    There was plenty of room in the ark for all who came into it. So too, every needy sinner who comes to Christ finds all his needs abundantly supplied in him. All the grace e need is in Christ (Eph. 1:3). All the temporal blessings we need in this life are in Christ (Phil. 4:19). And all the spiritual blessings we need, for all eternity, are in Christ (John 1:15; Col. 1:18; 2:9-10). Everything that God can or will do for sinful men and women, he has done for us in Christ. Everything that God can or will require of sinners, he has supplied in Christ. And everything that God can or will give to sinners, he has given to us in Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is a mighty, all-sufficient, able Savior for needy sinners. He is able to do all that he has promised (Rom. 4:21). He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by him (Heb. 7:25). He is able to keep that which we have committed unto him (2 Tim. 1:12). He is able to keep us from falling (Jude 24-25). He is able to raise us from the dead (Phil. 3:20-21).

    Noah and his family came into the ark by divine invitation (Gen. 7:1). I will leave it to others to argue about whether the gospel call comes as an invitation or a command. Being the call of the sovereign God, it is certainly a call that no man is allowed to despise with impunity. That makes it a command. Yet, it comes to needy sinners like the sweetest, most gracious, most magnanimous invitation imaginable.

    God graciously revealed his thoughts of mercy, love, and grace to Noah. Had the Lord not made himself known to Noah, Noah would have perished with the rest of the world. In the same way, the Lord graciously reveals his love, mercy, and grace in Christ in the hearts of his elect by the gospel (2 Cor. 4:6).

    Look at God’s call to Noah and learn about the call of grace. This was a divine call. God himself spoke to Noah. It was a personal, particular, distinguishing call. “The Lord said to Noah, Come into the ark!” Noah’s family benefited from the call; but only Noah was called (1 Cor. 7:14). This was a sovereign, powerful, effectual, irresistible call. Noah went in (Gen. 7:5). Most gladly, most willingly, most cheerfully, all who are called by God the Holy Spirit flee to Christ, the Ark of salvation. All who hear his voice enter into the Ark (Psa. 65:4; 110:3).

    This ark, by which Noah and his family were saved, beautifully represents our atonement for sin in Christ. There are two things in particular which set forth our Lord’s work of atonement. First, Noah was commanded to pitch the ark within and without with pitch (Gen. 6:14). The word which is here translated “pitch” simply means “to cover”, or to “take away”. At least seventy times in the Old Testament it is translated “to make atonement”. The pitch was a covering which sheltered Noah, and all who were in the ark, from the terrible storm of God’s wrath. As the blood-sprinkled mercy-seat covered the broken law of God on the day of atonement, so the pitch covered the ark. This is a picture of Christ’s blood atonement. The pitch without portrays redemption accomplished (Heb. 9:12). The pitch within pictures redemption applied (Heb. 9:14). Second, the storm of God’s wrath fell upon the ark with all the fulness of its fury. As the rains descended and the depths of the earth were broken up, the angry, merciless billows of God’s unmitigated wrath beat down upon the ark. Everyone in that ark went through the terrible storm of God’s undiluted wrath. But it was the ark which took all the punishment.

    Do you see the picture? When Christ was made to be sin for us, the terrible storm of God’s wrath fell full force upon him and beat him to death, without mercy, until his justice and wrath were fully satisfied and totally expended. As our adorable Redeemer hung upon the cross, dying as our Substitute, he cried, “All thy waves and thy billows have gone over me” (Psa. 42:7). As those in the ark went through the flood, in Christ all God’s elect have gone through the storm of his holy wrath. But it was Christ, our Ark, took all the punishment. Having once endured God’s wrath, Noah had no cause to fear another flood. He was assured that he would never again suffer the flood of wrath. He had God’s promise for it, and the bow of God’s covenant to attest it (Gen. 9:11-13). So too, those who endured the wrath of God once in Christ, the sinner’s Substitute, shall never endure it again, not to any degree, not at any time, not for any reason.

    All who were in the ark were perfectly safe “The Lord shut him in” (Gen. 7:16). Though the ark passed through the horrible storm of God’s wrath, all who were in the ark were perfectly safe and secure. The Lord brought them in. The Lord shut them in. And the Lord kept them in.

    There were three stories in the ark, the lower, the second, and the upper decks (Gen. 6:16). Perhaps, these three stories represent the believer’s threefold salvation in Christ: past, present, and future. We have been saved by election, redemption, and regeneration. We are being saved by divine preservation. We shall yet be saved in our translation into heaven at the death of the body, by the resurrection from the grave, and in ultimate glorification.

    Certainly, there is also a picture of the safety of all God’s elect in Christ. Some who are in Christ are in the lower deck of doubt and fear. Some are up in the second deck of strong faith. Some are in the upper deck of full assurance. Yet, all who believe are in the Ark. And all who are in the Ark Christ Jesus are perfectly safe and secure. God has shut them in. It is not the strength of our faith that gives us security, but the strength of our Savior, the Ark (John 10:28-29; Rom. 8:31-39). All who entered the ark passed through the flood and came out of the ark unharmed (Gen. 8:18; John 18:9; Rom. 8:29-30; Heb. 2:13). So it shall be with all who are in Christ.

    The ark was a place of peace and rest for those who were in it. It had many “rooms” (nests) in it (Gen. 6:14). In Christ we have something more than a refuge. We have a resting place. We are like young birds in their nests, the objects of another’s constant, loving care. As the dove found rest only in the ark, sinners cannot find rest for their souls except in Christ. Christ is our Rest, our Sabbath. Believing on him we find rest (Matt. 11:28-29). Though they were tossed upon the stormy tempests, all God’s elect are safe and secure in the Christ. Like frightened birds, we nestle down in our resting place. Is it not true with you? In Christ we pass through he storms of life and trials of faith unharmed, if not unalarmed (Isa. 43:1-7). With David, we say, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

    There is safety and security in the ark, Christ Jesus. All on board the good ship Grace are safe, immutably safe, and forever safe. Satan cannot harm us. The law cannot condemn us. God has sworn that his wrath shall not be poured out upon us again (Gen. 8:20-22; Isa. 54:9-10; Rev. 4:3). The Lord Jesus Christ cannot fail to save all who trust him (Isa. 42:1-4).

    “Firm as His throne the gospel stands, My Lord, my Hope, my Trust.

    If I am found in Jesus’ hands, My soul can not be lost!

    His honor is engaged to keep the weakest of His sheep.

    All that his heavenly Father gave, His hands securely keep.

    Not death, nor hell shall ever remove His people from His breast

    In the dear bosom of His love, We shall forever rest!”