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Genesis 7:1 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. Notice the security of the occupants of the Ark. Evidently the Ark had no sails, no oars, no motor or engine, no rudder, and no pilot house. God Himself directed the course of the great ship. Genesis 6:14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.

While the door was open, anyone and all who believed God’s word could come in, but once the door was shut, no one else could come in. However, there is one little phrase which is often overlooked. It is the record that when the door was shut, no one could get out again. Genesis 7:16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.

In conclusion, there was only one Ark. God did not provide a fleet of ships and say,  “You may have your choice, but it was the only ship available. There are religions without number, but here is only one way of salvation.

Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved…(John 10:9). ..I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).” God had vivid lessons for us in the ARK. The richness of the imagery and typology of the Ark119 show:

  • that like Jesus, the Ark was a place of Divine Salvation. SALVATION IS DIVINEGenesis6:13-14a:
  • SALVATION IS PERFECT RESTGenesis6:14b
  • SALVATION DEALS WITH SIN Genesis 6:14c
  • SALVATION GIVES US A NEW VIEW Genesis6:16
  • SALVATION IS BY INVITATION: Genesis 7:1 S
  • ALVATION IS EXCLUSIVE 7:13-15
  • SALVATION IS ETERNAL7:16

 

SALVATION IS DIVINEGenesis6:13-14a:

Genesis 6:13-14 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. 14a Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; The ark pictures the Provision of salvation in Jesus. The Ark like Salvation, was planned by God, not invented by man.

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (KJV); The ark not only saved mankind, but also the creatures within it; just as Christ’s death will one day deliver creation from the bondage of sin. Notice further the faith of the occupants of the Ark. They had no sails, no oars, no motor or engine, no rudder, and no pilot house. They only had God Himself directed the course of the great ship. Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, (NKJV);

 

SALVATION IS PERFECT REST Genesis6:14b
“Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark. God’s plan said to construct many resting places in the ark, so Jesus calls all who come to Him in their weariness to find rest for their souls.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Also in His Father’s House are many resting places! John 14:1-2 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Next Sunday you are to talk about Heaven. I am interested in that land, because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for more than fifty-five years. I did not buy it. It was given to me “without money and without price.” But the donor purchased it for me at a tremendous sacrifice. I am not holding it for speculation, since the title is not transferable. It is not a vacant lot.

For more than half a century I have been sending materials, out of which the Great Architect and Builder of the Universe has been building a home for me, a home which will never be remodeled nor repaired, because it will suit me perfectly, individually, and will never grow old. Termites can never undermine its foundations, for they rest upon the Rock of Ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods cannot wash it away. No locks nor bolts will ever be placed on its doors, for no vicious person can ever enter that Land where my dwelling stands, now almost completed and almost ready for me to enter in and abide in peace eternally, without fear of being ejected.

There is a valley of deep shadows between the place where I live in California and that to which I shall journey in a very short time. I cannot reach my home in that city of gold without passing through this dark valley of shadows; but I am not afraid, because the best Friend I ever had went through the same valley long, long ago and drove away all its gloom. He has stuck by me through thick and thin since we first became acquainted fifty-five years ago, and I hold His promise in printed form that He will never forsake me nor leave me alone. He will be with me as I walk through the valley of shadows, and I shall not lose my way when He is with me.

I hope to hear your sermon on Heaven next Sunday from my home in Los Angeles, but I have no assurance that I shall be able to do so. My ticket to Heaven has no date marked for the journey, no return coupon, and no permit for baggage. Yes, I am all ready to go, and I may not be here while you are talking next Sunday-but I shall meet you Over There some day
Jesus Christ said: “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also…. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

 

SALVATION DEALS WITH SIN Genesis 6:14c

The word for “pitch” is the same as the word “atonement” used later in the Old Testament. That word pitch was kaphar this is the 1st of 70 times this word is in the Old Testament and each time it is translated atonement. So there is no other place in all the Universe to hide from the penetrating wrath of God than under the covering of Christ’s blood. Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (NKJV); John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (NKJV);

The pitch was to cover and protect the ark, as bulrushes sheltered Moses and the ark of the tab the stone tablets; put together Jesus Christ is the ark that shelters us from God’s Wrath (like Noah), Satan’ attack (like Moses), and the Law’s Condemnation (like the tabernacle). The ark saved them from judgment; Christ saves us from the wrath to come.
First Peter 3:18-22 connects the ark with the resurrection of Christ; the waters buried the old world but raised Noah to a new life.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, [even] Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come; I Thess. 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, (NKJV) So Jesus Christ is our only place of safety, as death threatened all in Noah’s day, so we are all guilty. The Ark was the only place of safety from the coming wrath, so Jesus is the only Savior.

 

SALVATION GIVES US A NEW VIEW Genesis 6:16

“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. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. A window above! They were to look toward their deliverer and not at the wrath and judgment! As the pillar and cloud in the Wilderness drew their gaze above so we are to Colossians 3:1-2 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

SALVATION IS BY INVITATION: Genesis 7:1

God invited Noah and his family into the ark Genesis 7:1 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.

This is the 1st time “come” is in God’s Word and it appears over 500x rest of Word. It was come and invitation, not go a command. Also it implies coming to be where the Lord was! The Ark120 was a place of security because the designer and architect Himself was present in the Ark with its occupants.

John 6:37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (NKJV).

Remember the pitiful words of the disciples? “Lord, save us: we perish” (Matthew 8:25).

They had not yet learned the lesson that when Jesus is in the ship, it cannot sink. When God invited Noah and his family into the ark they were safe; and once they were in, God shut them in so that they were secure as we will see soon in v.16.

 

SALVATION IS EXCLUSIVE 7:13-15

The ark pictures the Provision salvation only through Jesus. There was one door not many. The animals and Noah’s family did not have multiple entry points. There was only one pathway to safety. As the Old Testament Tabernacle in Exodus would later be constructed at God’s direction with only one door, so the Ark shows there is but one way to God. So, there was only one way of salvation; there was only one ark and only one door in the ark.

John 10:9 Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved…

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJV);

Acts 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (NKJV).

Could it even be that the door in the side of the ark points to the pierced side of Jesus by which we boldly come to the very heart of God no matter how guilty and ruined we are by sin. There was only one Ark. God did not provide a fleet of ships and say, “You may have your choice”. It was the only ship available. There are religions without number, but here is only one way of salvation. There was only one way of salvation; there was only one door in the ark.

 

SALVATION IS ETERNAL 7:16

Because the Lord shut them in. the ark pictures the Provision of Security in Jesus. Remember the inner and outer covering Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. As they were hidden in the watertight walls of the ark so are we in Christ.

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Noah didn’t have to protect himself, he rested in the Protector.

I Peter 1:5 says, “who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Finally all who went in came out safely, none were lost! Genesis 8:18-19 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. So all who entered survived; none were lost, none perished. God preserved them all and perfectly portrays our Lord Jesus. While the door was open, anyone and all who believed God’s word could come in. but once the door was shut, no one else could come in.

However, there is one little phrase in the account which is often overlooked. It is the record that when the door was shut, no one could get out again; and once they were in, God shut them in so that they were secure.

Hebrews 7:24-25 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Jude 24-25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present [you] faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, [Be] glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

 

118 M.R. DeHaan M.D., Portraits of Christ in Genesis, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1966, p. 92-95.