GENESIS, CHAPTER 7 ------------------ THE ARK, A TYPE OF CHRIST ------------------------- The Ark was not called a boat, but the Ark. The dimensions were such that it was a rectangular box. Noah was not going to sail anywhere, but rather, this was a means of escape from judgement. It had no rudder, etc., only one door which was shut and one window which only looked up. There was only ONE ark, and only those in THAT ark were saved from the flood. There wasn't the Muslim ark, and the "good works" ark, or the any OTHER ark, but the ONE ark that God had provided. 1) The Ark was a Divine Provision - It was not the idea of Noah, or any man on this earth. Noah did not go to the library and look up "ark building." He had no idea of coming judgement until God revealed it to him, and God also revealed the Ark to him. Before the flood ever came, before one drop of water ever fell from the sky, the ark was in the mind and purpose of God as a means of ESCAPE for his people. 2) God revealed to Noah His own designs - so to Christ must be revealed to the sinner. Pending judgement is revealed to the sinner by God's Spirit and the means of escape are also revealed. Notice back in chapter 6 that God revealed to Noah the coming judgement first (vs 13) and then the means of escape for his house (vs 14). 3) The material of gopher wood - Before the ark could be made trees had to be cut down and destroyed. In Isa 53:2, Christ is described as "a root out of dry ground." In Dan 9:26 he was to be "cut off" in that he was crucified. He was also hung on a tree. The ark of the covenant was made of wood and overlaid with gold (Ex 25:10-11). 4) The ark was a refuge from Divine judgement - Christ is our refuge from divine judgement. Many are trusting in their works but Noah trusted in God's provision. God's provision of safety is Christ. There were no hand rails on the outside of the ark. It was pitched within and without. A person only found safety IN the ark. When Noah went in the ark, God shut the door, and Noah was covered and hid from divine wrath. Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 1Pe 5:14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace [be] with you all that are IN Christ Jesus. Amen. The ark was Noah's hiding place and Christ is the sinner's hiding place. Ps 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. Isa 32:1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. 2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Ps 32:7 Thou [art] my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. Ps 119:114 Thou [art] my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. Moses was hid by God in the rock. Ex 33: 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the LORD said, Behold, [there is] a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 5) Noah was invited to come into the ark by God himself (7:1). The provision was for Noah and his family and not the rest of the unbelieving world. Noah had no trouble entering in for he believed God was going to bring judgement upon the world of the ungodly, just as He had said. 6) The ark was a place of absolute security - The judgement fell upon the ark and on those outside of it. So too the judgement fell upon Christ and those in him are as secure as Noah was when God SHUT him UP in the ark (Gen 7:16). The proof of it is that after the flood waters retracted that Noah and his family emerged from the ark. When God had shut him up, Noah did not have to steer the ark but rather God took care of the whole matter. There was no provision for a diving board, just in case someone wanted to get off. In Christ the sinner is secure from the danger to come: 1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Ps 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Joh 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. Other Scriptures on Security: Rom 8:30,8:33-39 Php 1:6 Joh 17:11-15,17:24 1Pe 1:3-5 1Th 3:13,5:23-24 Psa 37:24,94:14,125:1-2,89:27-34 Jer 32:40 Mal 3:6 Joh 6:39-40 1Co 1:8-9 2Th 3:3 2Co 1:21-22 Eph 1:13,4:30 2Ti 4:18 7) There was only one door to this security - There was not one door for Noah to enter and another for the rest of his family and yet another for the animals and another for the birds. There was only ONE door. Christ is the door and the only door. 1Ti 2:5 For [there is] one God, and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Ac 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. There is NO salvation outside of Jesus Christ. 8) The ark had three stories in it - God is a Triune God. There are three persons in the Godhead. Our salvation is threefold in that our spirit, soul and body have been redeemed. We have been saved from the penalty of sin, we are being saved from the power of sin, and we shall be saved from the presence of sin. 9) One window which was placed above (Gen 6:16). In the ark we can see heaven. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (Joh 3:3). There was no provision to look down on the destruction around them but only toward God in heaven. 10) The ark was furnished with "rooms" or "nests" - The Hebrew word for rooms (Gen 6:14) is nests, which appears in the marginal notes. A nest is a resting place for a bird, and Christ is our resting place. Christ told his disciples, Joh 14:2 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. 11) The ark was covered with atonement - The Hebrew word here for "pitch" is not the common one for "pitch." Ge 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. "pitch it" - kaphar {kaw-far'} Stem = QAL AV - atonement 71, purge 7, reconciliation 4, reconcile 3, forgive 3, purge away 2, pacify 2, atonement...made 2, merciful 2, cleansed 1, disannulled 1, appease 1, put off 1, pardon 1, pitch 1; 102 1) to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch 1a) (Qal) to coat or cover with pitch 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to cover over, pacify, propitiate 1b2) to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement for 1b3) to cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to be covered over 1c2) to make atonement for 1d) (Hithpael) to be covered "with pitch" - kopher {ko'-fer} AV - ransom 8, satisfaction 2, bribe 2, camphire 2, pitch 1, sum of money 1, village 1; 17 1) price of a life, ransom, bribe 2) asphalt, pitch (as a covering) 3) the henna plant, name of a plant (henna?) 4) village The storm fell upon the ark, but the ark was covered with atonement, and Noah (the sinner) was safe inside this ark that was pitched within and without. The sinner that is in Christ is covered with the "blood of Christ" which is the atonement. The judgement fell upon Christ, but we are safe in him. Shelter can only be found behind the atoning blood of Christ. 12) The ark rested on the same day that Christ arose from the grave. Gen 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. God had changed the seventh month to the first month. The Passover was on the 14th day of the first month which was the seventh month in Noah's day. Christ was crucified on Passover and three days later on the 17th day arose from the grave. 13) The final resting place of the ark was on the mountain top, signifying "on high." Christ will carry us "on high." Verse 1, God speaks to Noah again, after he has completed the ark. It appears that all the earth is corrupt and there is not a righteous man upon the face of the earth accept Noah and some of his household. Noah's righteousness was by faith. Heb 11:7 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. Verses 2 - 3, Clean beasts by seven, unclean by twos, clean birds by sevens. Gill says that some say 3 males and their three mates, which would be six and then one more male, which would total seven; but it appears that 7 males with their mates which would total 7 pairs or fourteen, makes more sense. The word "by sevens" is the Hebrew word for seven repeated, that is "seven seven." Gill says that the same thing applies to fowls of the air. The reason for the greater number for the clean animals, was for food and sacrifice. Notice that there is a distinction between the clean and the unclean animals long before the law of Moses. All this was to preserve the seed, of the creatures that he has created, upon the earth. Verse 4, The flood will not begin for another seven days after the orders were given. Some have thought that this was additional time for the old world to repent, but this is very doubtful. Some Jews have said that this time was for the mourning at Methuselah's death. It could be that this time was spent to settle all the creatures into the ark and his family also. I have heard it also said that this seven days was after God had shut up Noah in the ark, but it appears that it is from the time of the command to bring the creatures into the ark. The rain was to continue 40 days and 40 nights, by the providence of God. It had not rained before, just a mist (Gen 2:5). It was not merely the rain which cause the flood but the fountains of the deep (see verse 11). Every living substance, excluding plant life and fishes, that is that had the breath of life through the nostrils. See 6:17; 7:15; 7:22. Verse 5, Noah obeyed in faith. Verse 6, Noah 600 when the flood came. Methuselah died in the year of the flood. Mathuselah was 187 when he begat Lamech, Lamech was 182 when he begat Noah, and Noah was 600 when the flood came (Gen 7:11), the 2nd month and 17th day. 187+182+600=969 which was the age of Methuselah when he died. Verses 7-10, What follows happened in the space of the seven days. Notice verse 10 says after 7 days. Verse 11, Gives the exact day of Noah's life that the flood came. In the 600th year, not after the 600th year. Windows of heaven = flood gates, which describes the manner in which the water fell from the atmosphere. All the fountains of the great deep broken up: fountains = wells or springs, underground rivers, etc. It appears that all of the underground water was forced to the surface by some unknown means. Perhaps the land fell downwards and force the water upwards, only God knows. Verse 12, The rain did not stop for 40 days and 40 nights. It was continuous, as when it started. Verse 13, Looks back to verse 11, "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day..." This verse says that this is the day that Noah entered the ark, and not 7 days before. Mentions the names of the three sons of Noah, but not the names of their wives. Verse 14-16, All samples of creatures that had the breath of life went into the ark. "And the LORD shut him in." God shut the door to the ark and not Noah, which denotes security. Re 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; Job 12:14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. Verse 17, It seems that it was 40 days before the flood waters had increased enough to raise up the ark from where it did sit. bare up = 1) to lift, bear up, carry, take 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lift, lift up 1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure 1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive The judgement fell upon the ark, but this caused Noah to be lifted up and carried off. A type of Christ! Verse 18-20, The waters increased and prevailed (had strength over), that is succeeded in doing what God had intended for them to do. All high hills under the whole of heaven, that is, on the entire earth were covered (universal). The highest mountain is Everest, which is 29,028 feet. 15 cubits upward above the highest hill would not cover the highest mountain. Perhaps 15 cubits above the highest mountain. This 15 cubits would be enough to drown any creature standing on the top of any mountain. It is interesting that this is the first verse in the Bible that mentions mountains. Perhaps there were only hills before the flood, and that the creation of mountains was the result of the flood. The ground may have been forced up causing the water to come out of the earth and the end result after some time being mountains. Verse 21-23, All flesh (not plants) died that were breathers of air, that lived upon the face of the earth. Verse 24, And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. Gill says, from the beginning of the flood and not after the 40 days. The rain began on the 17th day of the 2nd month (7:11) and the ark came to a rest on the 17th day of the 7th month (8:4), which if a month is 30 days then it would be 150 days, so the 40 days must be included in the 150 days.