If you would, please be turning
to Genesis 7, verses 17. And you may as well just stay
there. I'll go to some other passages, but I'm going to be
going back and forth in Genesis 6, 7, and 8. Genesis 7. Verse 17, and the flood was 40
days upon the earth, and the waters increased and bear up
the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed
and were increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark went upon
the face of the waters, and the waters prevailed exceedingly
upon the earth. And all the high hills that were
under the whole heaven were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the
waters prevail, and the mountains were covered. 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. All in whose nostrils was the
breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. We read here in this passage
of the great deluge, or the flood, we're talking about total destruction
of everything on dry land, it says, including animals and all
human life. As most already know, but I do
want to mention it anyway, this was not an accident. This was
not a natural phenomenon. This was the will and purpose
of God that this happened. What we read in this passage
and the surrounding chapters includes the judgment of God. Was this God being mean? Well,
what does it say about man in our passage? According to God,
he was greatly wicked evil continually, filled with violence, and man
had corrupted God's way. Nothing has changed from that
day. Man is still that way today, and there are plenty of scriptures
to back that up. This is if you believe God. We
have other accounts in Scripture where God destroys man, whole
cities and peoples in other places in Scripture, though He did not
do it with a flood again. What is this? This is the severity
of God. This judgment in our passage
is not God being mean, but it is God being severe. The God
of Scripture is severe. Romans 11.22 says, Behold, therefore,
the goodness and severity of God on them which fail severity,
but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness,
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Just as we have today,
and I mean currently going on with the virus, God is severe,
and it is God who has brought this about. Man as he is born
in Adam is always greatly wicked, evil continually, filled with
violence, and he corrupts God's ways. What does it say in our
account in Genesis 6? Genesis 6 verses 5 and 7. 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. And it
repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it
grieved him at his heart. 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. Then we see in this account that
we have a but. that little word from God which
he uses in his word from time to time. Along with this severe
God, there is also a God that is merciful and gracious. Verse
eight in chapter six. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Someone finds grace. Here it
says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Second Corinthians
4.6 says, for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness
has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So God shined
in Noah's heart to give him light to the knowing of Jesus Christ.
In knowing Jesus Christ, Noah found grace in the face of Jesus
Christ. God has no face but Jesus Christ's
face. God is spirit. If he was looking
at the eyes of the Lord, it was in the face of Jesus Christ. There were others that knew this
was coming. They had been told by the servant
of God, Noah. However, they were only concerned
with their way and not God's way. There are those who are
sin of God who proclaim the justice of a just God. That judgment
will come to all who corrupt God's way and find no grace in
the Lord's eyes. Just as Noah did, there are those
who in faith proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified. And in doing
so, doing this, those for whom God has grace will be saved.
That is the family of God and condemn everyone else. Hebrews
11.7 says, 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. This storm or rain was like no
other ever seen. It says the waters increased.
The waters were in abundance. They prevailed. They were strong
and increased greatly. Behemoth is the word. God's judgment will not be abated
against those for whom it is intended. There is only abatement
for those who find grace in the eyes of the Lord. Psalms 93.3
says, the floods have lifted up, oh Lord. The floods have
lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves.
God's people come to know His wrath is coming down on them
unless He does something. It rained so much the mountains
were covered. When we got down to the beach
this past week, David and I was talking, we mentioned little
things, and this won't be word for word, but we were just standing
out there looking at the ocean, and just in the place we were,
you look out there and it's vast. You can't even see the end of
it. And we're not even seeing but just a little piece. When we see something like that,
like the ocean, it just puts us in awe of who
God is. But how sad it is that we often
forget what we've seen just a few minutes before. But thank God
we get to come here to the gospel and be reminded of this awesome
God, and I mean the one that we stand in awe of. God has done
many wonderful works in creation, and men can see that God has
done these things. Romans 1.20 says, for the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. But here
we have mountains covered, and this is something where there
has never been like it before. Nor is there going to be anything
like it afterward, not a flood. God will not destroy man by water
again. God has said he would never destroy
the earth with a flood again. That does not mean we will never
see judgment of God again. As I've already said, we see
God judging the world all the time. This storm was so great
that it covered the mountains. There was not a place to put
your feet to gain any footing to stay above water. There were
no other boats that you could climb aboard. The water was on
the earth for some time, longer than 40 days and 40 nights. It
just rained 40 days and 40 nights. But it was on the earth long
enough that there was nothing on dry land that was still alive.
This is because there was and is no safe place for anyone against
this kind of judgment, except one place, the ark. The ark was
and is the only place where you will find safety from the judgment
of God. My title today is The Ark Lifted
Up. I have two points, man's need
for the ark and the ark. So first, man's need for the
ark. We've already talked about it,
God's judgment. In Noah's time in verses six,
verses 12, 13, and 17, it says, And God looked upon the earth,
and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his
way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, the end
of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with
violence through them. And behold, I will destroy them
with the earth. And then down in verse 17 it
says, 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 everything that is in the earth shall die. God was not pleased with man.
Man began to show that which comes from the natural heart.
He was evil continually. He could do nothing but corrupt
God's way. I have to say that man's heart
as he is born in Adam has not changed. In fact, God said it
wouldn't be to Noah in Genesis 8 and verse 21. He says in verse 21, and the
Lord smelled a sweet savor, and the Lord said in his heart, I
will not again curse the ground anymore for man's sake, for the
imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, neither
will I again smite anymore every thing living as I have done. The heart that man is born with
in Adam, that which is born of the flesh, is still only evil
continually. Every imagination of the thought
of his heart is evil. Genesis 6-5 says this. 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. This heart is desperately wicked.
Jeremiah 17, 9 says, the heart is deceitful above all things
and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I won't go through it again,
but God was and did kill everything on dry land that had breath of
life in it. God's wrath is revealed in that
he, that is God, turns them over to a reprobate mind. But then
we have God's judgment to come. And don't misunderstand me, God's
judgment still happens today. But there will come a time when
this same God, this God that does not change, he will totally
destroy not only the earth, but also the heavens as we know them. Matthew 24 verses 36 through
39 reads this. But of that day and hour knoweth
no man. No, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only. 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. Men and
women who have not bowed to the sovereign Lord of heaven, when
this time comes, will have the same end as those in Noah's time. They will be taken away. We have
those today who hate God. I hated God at one time. My flesh
still hates God. But there are those who think
of those who follow Jesus Christ, they think of us as silly religious
people. then there are yet others who
are religious but want their own way and not God's way. They
like to say those who tell the truth are just mean. They will
in no way listen to anyone's sin of God to tell them the truth.
They want their will and not God's will. They are corrupting
God's way. God says he will do whatsoever
hath pleased him. When our Lord returns to gather
his elect, They will then know that there were some who warned
them, but it will be too late for them, just as it was for
them in Noah's time. This is a scary thought. But
we also read in Matthew 7, verses 21 through 22, not everyone that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,
but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? And in thy name have cast out
devils? And in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then will I, that is Jesus
Christ, profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. God will destroy this world,
that is the earth and the heavens. 2 Peter 3 and 12 says this, looking
for and hastening into the coming of the day of God wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat. Then in Revelations 20 verses
9 through 15 we read this, And they went up on the breadth
of the earth, and passed the camp of the saints about, and
the beloved city. And fire came down from God out
of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them
was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast
and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night
forever and ever. And I saw a great white throne,
and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the
heaven fled away. And there was found no place
for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before
God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened,
which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out
of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works. And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them. And they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. There is, however, a remnant. These will not see the judgment
of God as these people we just read here. Those spoken of in
Revelation that I've just read as having their names in the
book of life, these are those who have been placed, those who
have their names written in this book are those who have been
placed into the ark of God. These have suffered the wrath
and judgment of God in another, so that they would not have to
go through this themselves. What this remnant finds in this
ark. First, they find safety. There
was no rain that was going to fall on any one of those in the
ark. Not one drop. Inside the ark,
you were shielded or protected from the wrath and judgment of
God. Nothing would be able to get into the ark to hurt you.
Everything outside of the ark was being destroyed. So what
is there to be worried about in the ark? God moved Noah and
everything that went into the ark, he moved them to go into
the ark. And then God shut the door. No one would be left out that
God intended to get in the ark. And no one else other than who
he intended to go into the ark would enter. He shut the door. Genesis 7, 16, we read this. And they went in, went in male
and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him. And the Lord
shut him in. We also read in Isaiah 22, in
verse 22, we read this. And the key of the house of David
will I lay upon his shoulder. So he shall open and no man shall
shut. And he shall shut and no man
shall open. So he opens and no man shuts.
And he shuts and no man opens. Not only is there safety in this
ark though, but in this ark you had provisions. You had food.
God specified to Noah to take into the ark the food that would
sustain them for the duration. In 6 and verse 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. This is not unlike what God,
that we've seen God do in other places in scripture. God not
only provides us with food for our bodies, but he also provides
us with that spiritual food from above, that manna from heaven. Jesus Christ is our portion.
We are fed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified to carry
us on our way. There was something else though
that we have here in the ark that is light. This window, it
doesn't really tell us the dimensions of this window. I do believe
the indication of the word used here is that the window was in
the middle. That means that it would reach
all that were in the ark. The word means noon, it also
means light. Have you ever heard the expression
high noon? If what I read about that expression
is true, what they say is high noon is exactly 12 noon, where
the sun is at its highest point. The wind do I believe is a type,
a type of the gospel proclaimed. What is the gospel? It is Jesus
Christ and him crucified. This is what is proclaimed the
time when the light was at its brightest, him being crucified,
who is God. The gospel allows that light
to shine at its brightest because this was the sun being lifted
up at the highest point to be made, seeing for us that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. The gospel window
allows light to shine on the ark. That light that shines in
the ark That light that shines is the ark of God, and we've
already read it. But in 2 Corinthians 4, 6 we
read, for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness
hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This light or
this window gives us light so that we might see the ark and
the way in which we should move about in this ark. So what about
the ark? We have several things here specifically
that I believe are a picture of Christ and his cross work
in these chapters. So let me give you those as I
talk about the ark. First we have one man does all
the work. We first have one man, God made
a covenant with one man. In this one man, the whole world
would be saved. But I thought you told me that
everything with life in its nostrils died. Well, God does say that,
he does. So how did he save the world?
He made a covenant with one man. Through this covenant, all the
family would be saved. There were only eight people
with Noah, yet the world was saved. God tells us in his word
that he has a remnant, a small piece from the whole, and all
of them will be saved. Genesis 6.18 we read, 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. This one man built what God instructed
to be built. He did this exactly as God had
specified for it to be built. Jesus Christ the Son is the one
man, the very elect of God in whom all others are chosen of
God. The Father made a covenant with
the Son that He, that is the Son, would do the work needed
for the salvation of the whole world. And He did it. He did
it and did exactly as it needed to be done. Genesis 6.22, we
read. Thus did Noah, and Noah only,
according to all that God commanded him, so did he. How was this accomplished? This
was done through one sacrifice. That's my next point, one sacrifice.
We read in chapter seven that some of the animals were brought
in two by twos, yet others were brought in by sevens. Verses
one and two in chapter seven. 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. Of every clean beast thou shalt
take to thee by sevens, the male and his female, and of the beasts
that are not clean by two, the male and his female. So two by
two for unclean animals and seven by seven for clean animals. But
it says it this way. the male and his female, verse
two. Of every clean beast shall thou
take thee by sevens, the male and his female, and of the beasts
that are not clean by two, the male and his female. So how if
you have seven of these, can a male, how can it be a male
and his female for all of them? We read in Genesis eight, verses
20 and 21. And Noah built an altar unto
the Lord, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl,
and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled
a sweet savor, and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again
curse the ground anymore for man's sake, for the imagination
of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I again smite
anymore everything living as I have done. So one of the seven clean animals
of every kind was sacrificed. So there was sacrifice made for
every kindred, tongue, people, and nation as a sweet-smelling
savor unto him. He only made one sacrifice, but
we see it pictured in all these different types. In Revelations
5-9, we read this, and they sung a new song saying, thou art worthy
to take the book. and to open the seals thereof.
For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by the blood
out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Does this not make up the whole
world? It is the whole world for which the Son died, those
who have been chosen in Christ from before the foundation of
the world. And if all this is not good enough,
there's another one that I want to talk about, and that's what
I wanted to get at this morning, and that is the ark. Genesis
6, 14. It says, make thee an ark of
gopher wood, room shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch
it with in and without with pitch. This ark was made exactly how
God specified for it to be made. It was made of gopher wood. I'm
not sure if anybody really knows what the gopher wood really is.
I think the word means cypress. It says cypress. I don't know
if they know for sure that's what it was or not, but it could
have been. But I do know this. It was seaworthy and would float. It would protect all those inside
from any harm. But it was also this, it was
wood, normal building material for a boat or a house or anything
like that. The scripture tells us that Jesus Christ was made
flesh, just like you and I in that sense. Flesh and blood,
skin and bones. But this ark has something else.
It was pitched within and without. Everything was sealed with that
which would ensure that nothing would be lost. This pitch means
to cover or to purge. Jesus Christ being our art totally
covered the purchase price, the propitiation needed for all those
that were in him. All those from whom he came into
the world to save. So nothing inside, even the smallest
of things would fall out or be harmed and nothing outside would
get in. No matter what it is, if it is
in the ark, it was protected because that which would seal
the ark was both on the inside and outside of the ark. It was
totally covered with pitch. This pitch was God manifest in
the flesh, being sacrificed under the judgment of God in a people's
stead. What else about the ark? It was
just the right size. It could and did hold all the
inhabitants that it was intended for, Genesis 7, 15. And they went in unto Noah into
the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. I've written down the wrong passage
there. Okay, I'm gonna move on. Not
only was it for who it was intended, but everything in the ark had
life. No death would enter into this
ark. That's where I'm supposed to
be. In 7 verse 15 it says, and they
went into Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein
is the breath of life. This ark, which provided all
those in it with sustenance, whether it was food, shelter,
or light, this ark, which was perfect, that could protect all
those inside from wrath and judgment of God, this ark had to be lifted
up. God's judgment was coming, but
in order for all those inside to be safe, the ark must be lifted
up. If not, all those inside would
certainly perish in the flood with everyone else. If the ark did not raise up,
it would have been just another boat that was not seaworthy in
the sea of God's holy judgment. So here we are in Genesis 7 and
verse 17. And the flood was 40 days upon
the earth, and the waters increased and bear up the ark. And it was
lifted up above the earth. It was lifted up above the earth. Walter spoke week before last
on the brazen serpent which must be lifted up, and that's what
we're talking about. In John 3, 14 and 15, we read this. And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus Christ, the one man,
the one sacrifice, the one arc of our salvation must be lifted
up, and he was. The cry made after all that he
did was this, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? This
is something I am glad I never have to experience being in Christ. First of all, I cannot cry that.
as I, as a man, have been told why I forsook God. I have committed
a crime against the holy, sovereign, just God, and I deserve to be
dealt with by him. This is what he was made to cry
on our behalf as the waves of God's wrath punished him in our
stead. Then he cried in victory, it
is finished. Salvation is wrought. The purchase
price is made. The pitch has been put within
and without. Christ our ark has been lifted
up to the salvation of his people from their sins. In John 12, 32, we read this.
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto me. This ark has been lifted up. This ark now rides on the face
or on the top of God's judgment, Genesis 7, 18. And the waters
prevailed and were increased greatly upon the earth. And the
ark went upon the face of the waters. Not only is this speaking about
Jesus Christ who now makes intercession for us because he was the perfect,
spotless, accepted sacrifice of God, so that he now sits at
the right hand of the Father and stays on high, but through
the gospel, Christ being lifted up, he draws all men to himself. He continues to be lifted up
and glorified for who he is and what he has done. Jesus Christ
will draw all men to him for whom he has paid the price. God
chose who would come into the ark and God shuts the door. We
read in Romans that God will have mercy on whom he will have
mercy. He has done this in Jesus Christ
the Lord from before the foundation of the world. We will be kept
by God. He has made sure we have provisions
enough for the journey. He gives us the light of the
gospel to illuminate us on the way. This journey will continue
until the waters of God's wrath, of God's judgment, are gone out
against this world in final judgment. We read in this account that
this ark had a window. And when the window was opened,
there were two birds, Genesis 8, verses 6 and 8. And it came
to pass at the end of 40 days that Noah opened the window of
the ark which he had made, and he sent forth a raven which went
forth to and fro until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from
him to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the
ground. Here we have one an unclean bird
and the other a clean bird. The unclean bird here just feeds
off of death, this raven which was an unclean bird. We are just
waiting for this bird to be gone and never return again. We have
him with us going to and fro, but there will come a day when
that bird never returns. This is that old nature. We as
believers still have this old nature, and it will be there
until we see him, that is, Jesus Christ, face to face. But this
old man will be gone one day. He will never bring us anything,
and we're just waiting for him to never return. But we also
have this other bird, a dove. The dove is indicative of the
spirit of God. This spirit being in the new
man, which is also sent out, this dove, this bird will at
the appointed time bring us evidence of life to remind us and let
us know that God has promised life to us and bringing us things
to give us evidence of that life. This evidence being faith in
Christ. When the gospel is proclaimed,
his spirit testifies to us that we are hearing the gospel when
it is proclaimed, that these things are true, that these things
are of Jesus Christ. We that are in the ark know that
God has saved us from being destroyed with the world. We are enabled
by his spirit to now have peace with God from his judgment. Let
us continue to lift up Jesus Christ in the gospel. I hope
that anyone hearing me might be one of those that are in the
ark. Maybe God is sending you an olive branch by his spirit
with the evidence that life exists in Jesus Christ. If he does,
it is all because he has been lifted up on that cross, saving
his people from their sins, being made a curse and sin for us so
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. My hope is that
God Almighty will shut you into Jesus Christ If he has done this,
then no one will ever open that door again. And may it be with
you, you can always rejoice in the ark of God being lifted up. Amen. Dear old God, we owe all thanks
for all things to you. Life in Jesus Christ. All these
things we ask in Christ's name. Amen.