The Ark of Safety

Good job, Cousin Bruce. I called him Cousin Bruce this morning. He called me Cousin Pastor. I guess that's our new nicknames for each other. Cousin Pastor. That's the first one. I've been called a lot of names, and some of them not so good. I think I'll keep that one. That's pretty good. Just like Noah, who was called by God to build the ark, we too are called to prepare for the judgment to come.

Alright, guys. We're back in Genesis chapter 6, talking more about Noah. Last week, we looked at the first portion of chapter 6 and talked about the sinners—the sons of God taking wives of the daughters of men. Have you all figured that out yet? Anybody? It's okay. It's okay.

But we talked about the sexual revolution that was going on during the time before the flood. We talked about verse 3, how God saw the wickedness of man, and He declares, "My spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh, but his days shall be 120 years." And we talked about how we believe that was 120 years until God would send the flood. God would give Noah 120 years to build the ark, to preach, to prepare people, to warn them of a flood to come.

And we also read about the giants in the earth in those days, and that the Lord saw the wickedness of man, that it was great in the earth, and that every intent and thought of his heart was only evil continually, and it grieved God in His heart that He had made man. And so He declares in verse 7, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them, and I will destroy them."

Here's a turning point in that chapter, verse 8: Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now let's talk about the scoffers for a moment. We talked about the sinners last week, about sexual revolution, about violence, about vice, and how that mirrors our own time—but now let's talk about the scoffers.

And 2 Peter 2:5 calls Noah a preacher of righteousness. So while building, he is also preaching. His life becomes a living sermon. Imagine Noah sawing wood, taking measurements, making cuts, boring holes, driving nails—yet proclaiming a message of warning as he does all these things. And he's saying: God is just, and He must judge sin.

But what happens? People scoff. Remember what we read this morning in 2 Peter 3? They scoff at the coming of the Lord, just as they scoffed at the coming of the flood. Jesus himself said that the days before his return would be like the days of Noah. For they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark. And they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away. Matthew 24:38 and 39.

Now, Noah's words of warning seemed foolish until the flood came. It seemed like foolishness to build a boat so far from any sea until the flood came. He seemed like a madman crying out, "Prepare, a flood is coming," until the flood came. His message might have sounded old-fashioned, archaic, that dumb old man telling us to prepare, until the flood came.

Some people thought God's too loving to do something like that. He'll never judge us. God's a God of love. He doesn't judge sin. He accepts all people. They rejected the message until the flood came.

Maybe the ark looked like a massive eyesore. That big monstrosity, being built out there in the desert. Stupid foolishness. Man can't be saved by getting into that thing. But the ark was God's means of salvation, wasn't it?

Some people might have thought, "This is a waste of your life, Noah. Why did you spend 120 years planning on building this thing? Why don't you live your best life now?" until the flood came.

It's also reasonable to believe that people didn't take Noah's message to heart, simply because they didn't take time to listen. They were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, doing life. They thought, well, maybe one day I might listen. Maybe one day I'll help him build. But most people failed to prepare simply out of apathy and indifference. They were too busy living their life here and now. They failed to take thought for their eternal soul.

But Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3 that the flood was simply a preview of the final judgment, the day of the Lord. And just as people scoffed at the coming flood, people scoff at the Lord's return, don't they? Surely Jesus is not coming back. It's been nearly 2,000 years. If He was going to, He would have done so by now.

Ever since the fathers fell asleep, things have continued as they were. But the Lord warns us through the prophets and apostles, time and time again, of the Lord's return. In fact, the New Testament contains nearly 300 references to the coming of the Lord across its 260 chapters. Is that important? Absolutely.

The Lord makes it known He is coming back, and it will be a day of redemption for those who are saved, but it will be a day of judgment, just as the flood was for those who were unprepared. Peter says these scoffers mock, just as people mocked Noah in the flood. The reason they do so is because they walk according to their own lust. They don’t want to believe in a God who judges sin. They deny the Judge because they love their sin. But Peter says they are willfully ignorant. They ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?”

But they deliberately forget that God has judged the earth once before. He has judged the entire earth with a global cataclysmic judgment once before in the flood. But Peter says He will do it again, but not with a flood. But with fire. Not with a flood, but with fire. Therefore, the flood is the first global cataclysmic judgment. The Word of God came, and He sent a flood, the entire earth was flooded, and everyone died.

Now, we were talking in the teen Sunday school class. I didn't want to interrupt the adults, because I've been running back and forth all morning. It's funny, I've heard people talk about Matthew 24 this morning, about the days of the Lord, or the day before His return being like the days of Noah. And guess what? What was the teen's class about? This very text. I was like, it must be meant to be. We're studying the same thing.

And it was global. It was cataclysmic. But we were talking about how we romanticize the flood. We give coloring books to children, and these little giraffes sticking out of the windows, and Noah's happy in his tiny little boat. No, this was devastation. This was global destruction. Everyone died. Except for eight people. That's global. That's cataclysmic.

But Peter is saying the flood is just a preview of the day of the Lord. Just as men mock the flood, they mock the return of Christ. But when God sends the word, this creation will dissolve. It will experience a grand uncreation. The elements will melt with the fervent heat, and the heavens will be on fire. What is Peter describing? He's describing atomic disintegration, long before the atomic bomb was invented. He says the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. It will be inescapable for the ungodly.

He's already judged the earth before. He will judge it again when he returns. But the good news is that there is an ark of safety for those who will believe. God provided a way of salvation and redemption, in Genesis, and God has provided a way of salvation and redemption in our time as well. This time it's not an ark of wood. This time it's the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And he will bring us safely through the fire, as Peter says, to a new creation, a new heaven, and a new earth. Just as Noah and his family stepped out on a sin-cleansed earth, they inherited the earth. We will also inherit eternal life. When he makes a promise, when he makes all things new.

So why does he delay? For the same reasons God delayed to bring the flood. He's given people time to repent. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Therefore he sends his Noahs out, saying there's a flood of judgment coming, except this time in the form of fire. So get in through the ark of safety, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's talk about Noah the saint. Verse 8, "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." In verse 9, "This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God, and Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to 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. Make yourself an ark.'"

Let's spend a few moments talking about Noah the saint. We've talked about the sinners and scoffers; now let's focus on the saint. The flood was God's plan, but Noah was God's man. God had a deliverer for this time. He would wipe humanity from the face of the earth, destroy His good creation corrupted by sin, yet bring salvation and redemption. God's patience would preserve a righteous remnant. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And by the way, this is the first time in Scripture that the word "grace" is used—and it's used of Noah.

Now, we can be sure this passage includes an impressive assessment of Noah. He's a righteous man. He's blameless. He walks with God. Hebrews 11 verse 5 and 6 says, "He pleases the Lord." He's a godly man, but he is not saved by any of these virtues, is he? The first on the list, before Moses lists his good qualities, is that he receives grace. Not that he earns grace, but he finds grace. Not that he deserves grace, but God lavishes grace upon Noah.

Long before Noah was a righteous and blameless man, long before he walked with God, because Noah, for all his good points, was still a sinner, as we're going to see when we go into chapter 9. The only reason he was spared from judgment was God's grace. Likewise, Hebrews 2:8-9 says, "It is by grace we are saved, not of works, lest any man should boast." The only reason any of us are saved this morning is because of God's undeserved, unmerited favor, which he has lavished upon us in Christ. It's not because we somehow managed to earn or deserve his favor. It's because God looked upon us with eyes of mercy and decided in eternity past he was going to lavish his grace upon us just as he lavished it upon Noah.

God chose Noah. He lavished his grace upon Noah. And then, as a result, Noah believed, and being moved with godly fear, he built an ark, and he became an heir of righteousness that comes by faith, Hebrews 11 says. So many people ask, "Well, how were people saved in the Old Testament before the coming of Christ?" Very simple answer. By grace through faith in Christ, the same way we are. See, they looked ahead to the coming of Christ, both Abel and Noah and Abraham. They all looked forward and they saw the coming of Christ at a distance and they embraced him by faith. We look back at Christ and his finished work on the cross. Either way, on either side, we're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ. In Christ alone.

Noah was a blameless man. He was just and perfect. This doesn't mean that he was without sin. It simply means that he stood in stark contrast to his wicked neighbors. He had been declared righteous before God because of his faith. And now Noah walks with God. Like his great-grandfather Enoch, remember Enoch walked with God and God took him? His great-grandchild Noah does the same thing. He has fellowship and communion with God. He's walking in the light as he is in the light.

And Noah fears the Lord so much that he builds an ark. Notice: Noah doesn't fear the flood. He fears God. This reverence for God leads him to obey, and he builds the ark according to God's specifications, saving his entire household. So I want to ask you this morning: Do you fear God? Do you revere Him? Are you taking Him at His word? Are you preparing your house to meet God?

And through Noah, God would preserve a corrupted creation. Noah and his family would one day inherit a type of new heavens and new earth. And through God's mercy, there would come an unexpected deliverance. God's solution was the ark. It was both designed and directed by God. Noah was forgiven. He found grace in the sight of the Lord. Noah was faithful in that he walked with God amid a perverse people. And Noah was fruitful because he had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. It is from these three sons that the entire human race descended.

Noah's reverence for God caused him to obey. And by obeying, he saved humanity from extinction. He condemned the scoffers and inherited the earth. Let's look in chapter 6, verse 18. God says, "I will establish my covenant with you. And you shall go into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. I will establish my covenant with you."

By the way, Genesis, the book of firsts, the book of beginnings. So not only in this chapter do we find the first use of the word grace, we also find the use of the word covenant or promise. Now to be sure, God had a covenant with Adam, but now it's verbalized in that he has a covenant with Noah. And a covenant's more than a contract. It is a divine promise by God himself. And here God promises, I'm going to save you and your family from the flood. I'm going to keep you safe from judgment as long as you are in the ark.

Now let's look at how Noah builds the ark. Let's back up to verses 13 and read through verse 22. God says, "The end of all flesh has come before me. God is going to wipe humanity from the earth." And now verse 14: "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. We'll talk more about that here in a second. Make rooms in the ark and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: the length of the ark should be 300 cubits, its width 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. And you shall make a window for the ark and you shall finish it to a cubit from above and set the door of the ark in its side. And you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks." And behold, I myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth to destroy from under heaven all flesh, which is the breath of life. Everything that is on the earth shall die. Verse 18: God establishes his covenant with Noah and his family. Verse 19: "Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive. They shall be male and female of the birds after their kind, and of the animals and of every creeping thing. Two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten and you shall gather it to yourself, and it shall be for food for you and for them." Verse 22: "And Noah did according to all that God commanded him."

Let's talk about the dimensions of the ark. So I've sent some pictures, some of them from the ark encounter in Kentucky, if they will pull them up. There is the ark in comparison to some familiar ships. This was no little sailboat. This was a massive, massive vessel.

So according to the specifications here in Genesis, and this is if we use the cubit, that's about 18 inches. By the way, I didn't realize there were so many cubits used in ancient times. There's the royal cubit, the Hebrew sacred cubit, the Egyptian cubit. They're all within 18 to 21 and a half inches. So give or take, a few feet here or there. Here's the general consensus. Now this slide makes it around 500 feet. Most scholars believe it to be around 450 feet long to 500 feet long, around 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. That's a big vessel, isn't it? There's some more schematics. You can kind of see the layout. So this makes the ark roughly the same size of a modern container ship or a large cargo vessel. There you can see how it's divided. We've got three stories. There's a picture of Noah building the ark. And we'll just let those slides play, and I'll go through its dimensions and we'll talk about its capacity as well.

Now this was a massive enclosed space. It contains around 1.5 million cubic feet of volume. That is roughly comparable to about 522 standard railroad boxcars. 522 standard railroad boxcars. That can hold a lot of stuff, can't it?

Now, there are approximately 18,000 living species of land animals on the earth today. And if we double that number to account for extinct creatures and variations within the kinds, we would arrive at an estimation of around 36,000 animal pairs. Remember, they come two by two. Why do they have to come two by two, male and female? To reproduce, right? They've got to reproduce. Since the average size of most land animals is about the size of a sheep or smaller, the ark's internal capacity could have easily housed up to 72,000 animals. That's a lot of mouths. That's a lot of mouths to feed. That's a lot of racket.

Now, studies have also shown that Noah's ark could carry the equivalent of 125,000 sheep-sized animals. Yet, the total number needed would have taken up less than 60% of the total capacity within the ark. Scoffers say, well, there is no way that the ark could have held that many animals. Do the math, genius. You've got 40% of the space still open for Noah and his family to live in.

Now, let's talk about animal capacity and the number of animals. They bring two of every kind of unclean animal and seven pairs of clean animals, according to Genesis 7, verse 2 and 3. We'll look at that next week.

Now, modern scientific estimates of the number of kinds range widely, but creationist researchers estimate around 16,000 to 35,000 animals, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. But remember: most of the animals did not have to be full-grown or very large. They could have been very young. They would require less space, less food, and be healthy and able to go out and reproduce upon the earth. So, don't think of big tigers. Think of cubs. That's all you needed. Don't think of big old gorillas. Think of babies.

Now, how God gathered these to Noah, I don't really know. It's a supernatural act of God in bringing the flood. God can, of course, direct these animals, and maybe they weren't even spread out across the earth like they are now. It could have been a concentrated area.

So, what did Noah's Ark look like? Now, the Bible doesn't really give us the shape, but it does give us the dimensions. Some people think that it was a basic rectangular box-like shape. But the Bible gives us specific details, and the more thoughtful construction would use a modern ship design. So, this just wasn't a large boat. It was a carefully engineered structure that was designed and built to withstand the waves of the flood.

Now, how many people built the Ark? Ever thought about that? How many people built the Ark? Did Noah build the Ark by himself? Did he involve his family? The Bible doesn't say, but we know that Noah was head honcho. He was the boss. God gave him the blueprints, and he followed them to a T.

Now, it's reasonable to think that Noah included his wife and eventually his sons. He could have possibly even hired help. It didn't mean they had to believe. Just means they're getting a payday. Right? So, he could have had help.

How long did it take to build Noah's Ark? Now, I want you to think about this. Noah was 500 years old when his first son Shem was born. Or, excuse me, his first son Japheth was born. And then Shem, his second born, was born shortly thereafter. Shem was 98 when the flood occurred.

Now, Noah's sons would need time to grow up, time to be big and strong enough to actually be of some help. It would take time to load the animals and the food. So, God gave him 120 years to do all this. But it's a good chance that Noah started on his own. Noah had the vision. Noah had the plan. And he had to step out in faith. And he had to lead his family. Noah followed God, and then his family followed suit.

So, parents, are you fearing God? Are you obeying Him? And are you leading your family to do the same thing? Noah probably started building by himself. And you may be the only believer in your home, in your family, at your workplace, but it starts out with one. You be faithful, you walk with God, you obey Him, and other people will follow.

Now, what kind of tools and technology did Noah have to build the ark? Well, we know that smithing and forging was already a thing. Remember Tubal-Cain? And ancient civilizations weren't these dumb cavemen Neanderthals running around mumbling at each other in loincloths. Fire! They were advanced. Look at the pyramids. Look at these monolithic structures. Look at how they traced the stars. Look at their understanding of mathematics and geometry. These were some wise people. Much smarter than we are today, even with our supercomputers. So he was well equipped.

We've talked about the animals on the ark. Now, the Bible doesn't say bring every kind of every species. It says kinds. There would be a cat kind. There would be a dog kind. There would be all these different kinds, and then they would spread out, and then speciation would take place as they adapted to their new environments.

What about dinosaurs? Were dinosaurs on the ark? Do you think dinosaurs were on the ark? Well, many of the fossils that are unearthed show that dinosaurs were actually quite small. So it's very possible that they could have been created as well. Now, of course, there's these large lizards that were alive in the antediluvian period. But it's very interesting that they found all these tiny dinosaurs as well. Most of them, according to the Creation Institute, were about the size of a cat. So they could have easily fit in the ark.

Let's talk about food and provisions. Now, remember God told Noah: bring all the food and provisions into the ark. And Noah and his family would have to plan to have enough for approximately one year. Now, these provisions would include grain and hay and fruit. What about water storage? Think of all the pots of water they would have to bring in. And there may have been an advanced system of water collection upon the ark as well. They would also need to bring water and appropriate feed for the various animals. And then they would be spaced apart across multiple decks and rooms.

Now, what was the ark made out of? The Bible says that it was made out of gopher wood. Anyone ever heard of gopher wood? You got a gopher wood tree growing in your backyard? I don't either. Most scholars think that it is some type of hardwood, such as cypress, known for its durability and its resistance to both rot and water damage. Makes sense, doesn't it? And then it would be sealed inside and outside with pitch, like a waterproof rosin, to make it watertight. And then the rectangular shape with a flat bottom and a broad beam running through it would provide stability and buoyancy. And we also know it had many rooms, internal compartments.

Now, let's talk about how it floated, how it endured the flood waters. Now, this ark's large size gave it immense buoyancy. That means it displaced a huge volume of water and would be able to stay afloat on the surface of the waters, as Genesis tells us. And by the way, it is built with a length-to-width ratio of 6 to 1. Guess what modern shipbuilders use today? That same ratio. Did God know what He was talking about when He told Noah how to build the ark? Absolutely.

Now, it could have had a flat bottom typical of barges and cargo vessels. It would navigate shallow and calm waters, and allow it to rest on Mount Ararat after the flood. Also, this pitch coating on the wood structure would make it strong, flexible, and watertight.

Now, get this—Noah’s ark fits the same dimensions of many modern-day cargo vessels. The elongated shape would allow it to cut through the water. Now, I learned this week: Korean engineers ran simulations on a craft with the same dimensions and found it to be seaworthy, capable of floating on the water without capsizing and riding 100-foot waves. As the water rises and falls, waves crash from all directions. And guess what? It stays afloat, gliding through the water like a knife through butter. It can rock, but it won’t capsize. God is the perfect engineer.

It's a large floating warehouse. It had everything they needed. But where do we read here that God put a steering wheel? How was Noah to guide this ark? He wasn't. He was to get in; God would shut the door, and then he would have to trust the sovereignty of God for 370 days. He would have to trust that God is guiding this vessel and that this vessel would land at its appropriate destination. He also had to trust the Lord to make the floodwaters abate in time, before they ran out of food.

Now, this mirrors the Christian life, doesn't it? We get into Christ. We don't have the steering wheel. We're not in control. But we're safe and secure in the ark of safety, and we trust God to guide us safely home to our destination.

Now, let's talk about finishing up how Christ is the ark of safety. How does this ark point us to Jesus Christ? Well, I'm glad you asked. Turn with me very quickly to 1 Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse 18. Peter is going to link, just as he did in the second epistle, the flood and the day of the Lord. He will connect the ark of Noah's time with Jesus Christ, the ark of safety.

1 Peter 3:18. He says, "For Christ also suffered for sins, once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us. Baptism. Not the removal of filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him."

Peter begins by saying that Christ suffered once for sins—the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. His death and resurrection are the ultimate act of salvation. Then he says that Christ, by the Spirit, went and preached to the spirits in prison. Now this is traditionally understood as these fallen angels, or even the disobedient generation of Noah’s time, that the Spirit of Christ was in Noah preaching to His generation. And then after Jesus’ death, He descends to the lower parts of the earth and He declares Himself to be the victor, to be the champion, to have wrought redemption.

And then in verse 20, He says that Noah and his family are saved through water. Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives are saved through water. Then He says this baptism is a symbol of salvation. There's a parallel to Christian baptism. And just as Noah and his family were saved through water, baptism now saves them. It saves believers. Not physically washing their sins away, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God that comes through faith in Christ. This baptism is our identification with Jesus through faith. Just as Noah and his family were in the ark, we are in Jesus Christ. And baptism is an outward symbol of that inward work that God has done in our hearts. It's the spiritual inner work that happens when we place our faith in Christ.

So what is the link? Pay attention, guys. The flood waters that brought judgment in Noah's day are a type and a foreshadowing of the waters of baptism. They symbolize the believer's salvation and cleansing through Jesus Christ. And just as Noah and his family were saved by being in the ark, friends, we today are saved by being in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen? This ark reveals and represents God's salvation by God's provision and by God's grace alone, not by human works or by human merit.

So Peter is highlighting this link: Jesus Christ is the new and better ark of safety that delivers us from the flood of God's judgment that will be poured out on the earth during the day of the Lord. Let me point out some similarities between the ark and the Lord Jesus Christ.

One, there is one door. Remember, we don't read about two doors or three doors. There is one door in the side of it. And that is the door through which Noah and his family and the animals are to enter. Likewise, Jesus himself declares in John 10:9, "I am the door. If anyone enters in through me, he will have life." There is only one door, and there is only one way to be saved, and that is through Jesus Christ alone. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There are not many paths to God. There is only one God, and there is only one way to Him. That is the way He has provided. That is the door, Jesus Christ.

Number two, there were many rooms in the ark. There was space enough, plenty for Noah and his family and the animals. Likewise, Jesus says in John 14:2, "I will prepare a place for you." Aren't you glad that there is plenty of room in the Father's house? There is plenty of room in the ark of safety for whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Whoever will come to Christ, he will never cast them out. He won't say, "No, I don't have room for people like you." No, we're short on space. No, we're short on provision. No, there is room and provision enough for whoever will come.

Number three, it was covered with pitch. The same Hebrew word, kefer, used for pitch is also the term for atonement when referring to the blood of the atonement in the sacrificial system of Leviticus. This makes forgiveness possible, establishing a connection here that foreshadows Christ’s atoning blood, which is applied to the door of our own hearts that protects believers from God’s judgment. And just as the pitch sealed the ark and kept the water out, Christ’s blood covers us and protects His people from the wrath of God.

Number four, there is a window. Remember verse 16? This window was positioned upward. The Hebrew word for window refers more to a skylight or a roof opening—not like a side window, which would let water in. And it’s facing upward. Why? Because Noah was not to look out at the storm. He was to look up to God, who was bringing deliverance. God didn’t want Noah consumed by fear of what was happening outside. Noah could trust he was safe and secure inside. Noah was to look up. This window would provide light in a dark ark. It would provide illumination—enabling them to see where they were going and what they were doing. Also, probably provided ventilation. We’ll talk more about that next week. Can you imagine the smell with all these animals? Thank God for a window. Sometimes you just need to crack a window. Noah had that window—it was a source of light and hope. And it points to Jesus, the greater ark. Only one window, only one door. So where are your eyes focused this morning? Are you looking to Christ? Look up—your redemption draws nigh.

Fifthly, it was built according to God's exact specifications. Noah didn't wing this thing. God gave him divine blueprints. The details are scarce in the Genesis account we have. Yet somehow, God relayed to Noah the exact specifications. Noah was to follow God's blueprint. He was not to deviate from it. He was not to add or subtract anything from it. Likewise, whose plan is salvation? God's alone. And we are to follow His plan. Not adding to it. Not taking away from it.

Sixthly, the Bible says in Genesis 7 verse 16 when he and the animals were safe and secure in the ark, it says, it doesn’t say Noah shut the door. It says God shut the door. And when God shut the door, no one inside could exit, and no one outside could enter. This was the final act. This warns us that those who reject Christ when the door is shut will be excluded from salvation. It also teaches us that those who are in Christ are safe and secure. He’s not going to kick you out of the ark. You are secure in Christ. You are safe in His hand.

Seventhly, the ark was a place of protection from the storm but it was also a place of provision. This was their new home for a year. They would grow food, eat, play games, and do chores—lots of them. They would live together but they knew they had everything they needed in the ark.

Eighthly, this ark was an instrument of wood. Like I said, it was gopher wood. Did you know that they used gopher wood to build coffins back in those days? So it was a symbol of death. A symbol of judgment. But it was through this symbol of death, through this wooden instrument that salvation came. And I can think of another instrument of wood. A symbol of death through which salvation came. Called the cross. And it's through the cross that we are delivered. That salvation comes.

Now, the number forty is found multiple times in the Bible as a number of judgment and testing. Israel was in the wilderness for forty years. Both Moses and Elijah fasted for forty days, and Jesus fasted for forty days. It's a time of judgment and testing. Did the ark survive the test? Did it go through the flood waters just fine and come out unscathed? Yes, it did. Guess who else went through the flood waters of death and came out the other end victorious? Who offers us new life? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God for that.

My last point. In order to be saved, you had to be inside the ark. You couldn't just be outside of the ark. You couldn't be around the ark. You couldn't have knowledge of the schematics of the ark. You had to be inside the ark. Friends, it's not enough to know about Jesus. It's not enough to be around Jesus' people. It's not enough to simply be baptized and belong to a church. You must be born again. You must be in the ark of safety, Lord Jesus Christ.

And time and time again throughout Paul's epistles he uses that prepositional phrase "in Christ," "in Christ," "in Christ." In Christ we have forgiveness. In Christ we have redemption. In Christ we are adopted. In Christ we are chosen and loved. Are you in Christ this morning?

Because Jesus is the greater Noah. He's the greater Noah in that he brings true rest and comfort. He's the greater Noah in that he reverses the curse on humanity and creation by making peace between God and man through his sacrifice. He's the greater Noah in that he walks with God in continual fellowship and communion. He's the greater Noah in that he is truly righteous and holy and just and without blame. And he's the greater Noah in that he makes all things new. Noah's ark saved a remnant to repopulate the earth, and Jesus saved sinners to inherit the new heavens and the new earth.

So as they come and give us a hymn of invitation, I want to issue one final call. Are you in Jesus Christ? Have you been moved with godly fear and entered the ark of safety? Are you ready for the day of the Lord when the judgment is not a flood, but fire, that falls upon this earth? Because thank God, the ark is not only flood-proof, it's also fire-proof. Do you have a healthy reverence for God? Are you obeying His word? Or are you like Noah, warning others to flee from the wrath to come?

Because when the flood comes, it won't matter who you were, how wealthy, famous, or likable you were, how many followers you had, how many good deeds you did, how many churches you were a member of, or even who you were related to. The only question that will matter in that day is: Are you in the ark? Are you in Christ?

Ultimately, there are only two types of people. There are those who will be swept away in the flood of God's judgment, and there will be those who are saved. There are only two types of people on the earth. So which one are you? I plead with you as Noah pleaded to his generation. Flee to the ark. Right now, the door is open. God is gathering whosoever will. Flee to Jesus, the better ark of safety.

Page 413. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Would you please stand? Oh, so are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There's light for all. Look at the Savior and might walk free. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the wings of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Through death and to life everlasting. He passed and we follow him there. Over us in the world and dominion. For more than conquerors we are. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the wings of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

Alright, thank you for that hymn of invitation. Thank you guys for being out. Sorry I had to talk so fast this morning. There's a lot to get through. So I'll give you some helpful hints here. If you are interested in stuff like this and we just have time to scratch the very surface of the surface. But if you are interested and you want to nerd out like I do, go to the Center for Creation Research or go to Answers in Genesis. There are books and books of articles of anything Genesis, creation, flood related and it's by people with intellectual PhDs and not these numbskulls on Facebook. So if you want to read an educated, properly researched material, go read Answers in Genesis. Go read all you can about the book of Genesis and creation and the flood. I gave you just a little appetizer and believe me there's so much more but it's a sermon not a lecture we don't have all day.

So if you want to read up more on that, you can. Next week we'll be in chapters 7 and 8. We'll go through both chapters. We'll talk about the flood and some more evidences for the global flood, and then we'll talk about God's promise. Then next week we'll hit chapter 9 and we'll talk about God's covenant to Noah with the rainbow. Thank you so much for coming here. We love you guys. Always thankful to worship the Lord with you. Remember to meet Elaine in the back corner of the church. If you're interested in working with the outreach team, also we have deacons meeting today at 3 o'clock, and then remember at 5 o'clock we have our out of school summer party. So it is a busy church day, but we get to hang out with each other so that's awesome.

Alright well thank you guys for being here. I'm going to ask brother Samuel if he will dismiss us.