Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. The true and living God is not
only in absolute control of this universe, but He cannot be influenced
nor moved from His determined purpose by anything which He
has created. This is a great comfort to those
who rest in His absolute sovereignty and have confidence in His holy
wisdom and purpose. But it is the greatest source
of irritation and outright hatred for those who think that they
can improve on that which He has designed. The Lord told Noah
to build a large ship called an ark. The Lord gave him explicit
instructions as to how this ark was to be built, including the
kind of materials that were to be used. He even explained to
him about the wrath that he was about to unleash on the unsuspecting
generation with which Noah dwelt. The Lord has been pleased to
manifest His purpose of redemption for His people from the very
beginning when He made coats of animal skins for Adam and
Eve to cover their nakedness. Then He had Noah to build an
ark of safety and preservation into which He was pleased to
bring every member of His creation. that he had not marked out for
destruction because of their wickedness. This ark in its every
detail is a type and foreshadow of Jesus Christ, who is the one
in whom all of his elect shall be preserved from destruction
forever. This ark was many years in its
preparation. We read that Jesus Christ came
into the world with the purpose of saving His people from their
sins. In fact, the scripture even says
that He was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
In other words, He has always been the Redeemer of His people,
and He did not design the salvation of His own as a stopgap method
of solving a problem that had arisen which was out of His control
or design. So he was born as a babe, and
learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. The greatest and most
glorious mystery of all the ages is this, that he who knew no
sin became sin for us. A window was prepared in the
ark. A window serves several purposes,
to look out of and to let fresh air in, and most importantly,
for illumination. The salvation of the animals
and Noah was in the ark that carried them to safety, and not
in the window which let the light in for them. In the same fashion,
we contend that men are not rescued by the preaching of the gospel,
but the gospel is that which brings life and immortality to
light. The Lord has sent his preachers
into the earth to declare the salvation which is found in Christ. The gospel is a proclamation
of the finished work of the Lord Jesus. Just as the ark's window
let in fresh air, so is this gospel as a breath of fresh air
to the weary and as a fountain of water springing up into everlasting
life to those who are thirsty. A door was built in the side
of the ark. There was only one door. The
Lord said, I am the door. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. This door
was built to accommodate the tallest of animals as well as
the smallest, the fattest, and the skinniest. All who will be
saved must be found in him. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved. Christ is the door of
the sheep. There was no mechanism for shutting
the door, nor any lock for Noah to actuate to keep it closed.
Noah could neither shut himself in nor let himself out. When
Noah was safely in the ark, the scripture says that the Lord
shut him in. Wherefore he is able to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them. And then a flood came which
destroyed every human which was not aboard the ark. Many criticize
the concept of the everlasting destruction of all those not
found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet the scripture is clear that
God will manifest the glory of his grace in the redemption of
his elect as contrasted with the demonstration of his justice
and power in the continuing total destruction of all those who
have loved the wages of unrighteousness. Have you entered the ark of God?