Isaiah 53:4-6, John 10:9, Colossians 3:1,1 Peter 3:18-21, Hebrews 7:25, Acts 4:12

Summary: The Ark that God commanded Noah to build serves as a portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation He provides to anyone who calls upon Him.

All throughout Scripture, the Lord God Almighty gives us specific guidelines on how to approach and worship Him. Scripture shows us the necessity of repentance and the means by which we must be saved. The act of salvation, or rescue from our sins, is not of our own planning, thought, or actions. Our salvation is from the LORD, and He makes that point clear with every page of Scripture. For the majority of fallen man, the idea that they cannot redeem themselves grates against their thinking and actions, all too often leading to an eternity apart from the saving grace and mercy of God they could have had if only they had swallowed their pride, admitted their sins, and turned to Him for true peace and an eternity with Him, forever safe in the Ark of safety He provides (Isaiah 45:22, 53:4-6, 64:6; John 14:6; Romans 5:6-11, 6:23, 10:9-10, 13; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; 1 Peter 3:18-21).

The first book of the Bible, Genesis, describes how God provided an opportunity for sinful man to repent and come to Him for forgiveness and eternal life. The Ark that Noah built on the commands of God was that opportunity. The sad fact is that only eight people had the faith to enter the Ark. Everyone else mocked, ridiculed, and harassed Noah until the day that God closed the door. When God shuts the door, the day of decision is settled forever. The Ark was the only hope for survival in Noah’s day. Likewise, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the ONLY hope we have for eternal survival and life. The Ark is a symbol of Christ; its structure and purpose reflect what Jesus has done on our behalf.

The Substance and Security of the Ark:

Noah was told by God to build it out of “gopher wood” or cypress, which is almost indestructible, durable, and will not rot. In my home state of Louisiana, cypress trees grow bountifully in the swamps and bayous, often centuries old. When cut down and used in the construction of homes, furniture, and the like, they never show signs of mold, decay, or rot within the structure of the wood.

Wood is a picture of humanity, and more specifically, shows the humanity of Jesus. The trees were cut down to build the Ark. The Lord Jesus had to be “cut down” (Isaiah 53:4-6) on the cross of Calvary in order to provide the place of sanctuary for you and me. After the Ark had been built, God told Noah to cover the interior and exterior with “pitch” (Genesis 6:14). This word is used seventy times in the Old Testament, and each time refers to a “covering” or atonement. Wood alone could not keep the water out. There had to be a covering. The word “atonement” brings to mind the shedding of blood as a cover for sin (Leviticus 17:11). The shedding of the blood of Christ provides full atonement for our sins and keeps us safe from the wrath of God (Mark 10:45; Romans 5:9).

The Size, Shape, and Structure of the Ark:

The Ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It could contain 3,000,000 cubic feet. It was plenty big enough to hold all who would desire to enter. This is a picture of the sufficiency of Jesus. He is able to save all who will come to Him (Hebrews 7:25). There is room for you as well.

The shape of the Ark was that of a floating coffin. This speaks to us of the fact that Jesus died for us, and when we receive Him, we die to the world. When Noah entered his Ark, he was identifying with death. When we come to Jesus, we are identifying with His death upon the cross and our own death to sin (Colossians 3:1).

The Ark had one door, one window, and three stories. The one door was set low so that all could enter (John 10:9). The window was high so that all would have to look up (Colossians 3:2). The three stories remind us that salvation is a work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It also reminds us that when a person is saved, the whole person – body, soul, and spirit – is changed (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Sustenance, Schedule, and Supply of the Ark:

Noah was saved by the ship, and he was also satisfied in the ship. He had everything in the Ark that he and his family would need to survive the flood. In Jesus, the believer will find satisfaction for the soul. He is bread to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Those who come to Him will find that He is all they need to be satisfied.

The Ark came to rest on the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Why is that important? The seventh month is when Passover (Exodus 12) takes place. Jesus died as they were offering the sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month. He was raised three days later – the seventeenth day of the month. The Ark rested on the same day that Jesus would rise again from the dead. The name Noah means “rest.” When he and his family entered the Ark, he found rest, safety, and salvation. Being in the Ark saved his life, and believing in Almighty God saved his soul (Genesis 6:21, 8:4; John 6:35).

You can see that the ancient ark pictures Jesus. Please understand what I am about to tell you: the wrath of God IS about to be poured out on this world. There is only ONE place of where safety and salvation can be found. We do not have an Ark, but we do have a Savior, and His name is Jesus. He died for your sins on the cross, rose from the dead, and is calling you to come to Him for salvation. You can reject what I have written and adopt any religion you choose; you can follow any plan you wish and believe any kind of guru, shaman, teacher, or your own sense of inspiration, but if you are ever going to be saved, you MUST receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Yes, it sounds “narrow-minded,” but it is the ONLY way that God provides us to have true peace and eternal life. It is only through Jesus that you or I will ever be saved (John 14:6; Acts 4:12, 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 5:12).

Have you entered the Ark of Sanctuary? Time is running out (2 Corinthians 6:2). There is only one place of safety. Jesus Christ is our Ark of safety from the coming wrath of God upon this world, period.

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

(Adapted from an outline by Pastor Alan Carr and The Sermon Notebook)

Ezekiel 13:1-3; 8: “The word of the Lord came to me; “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts; ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing…. Therefore, thus says the Lord God; ‘because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you declares the Lord God.'” (ESV – all emphasis mine)

The above warning from all the way back to around 585 B.C. is just as relevant today as it was in the day of Ezekiel and Daniel. During that time, God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to conquer the Jewish people, and foreign kings kept them captive for about 70 years.

God had given the Israelites chance after chance to repent and turn from their evil ways, but they persisted in worshiping false gods and practicing many other evil activities. Even so, they did not repent and turn back to Him. Sounds like what is going on in this world today.

Our Lord God Jehovah is patient beyond all of our understanding, but He does have limits. In 2 Peter 3:9-10, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wanting that any should perish; but that all should reach repentance. But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are in it will be exposed.”

This will finally be completed at the end of the millennial reign as given in Revelation 21:1-4; “Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning; nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'”

Because our Heavenly Father sent a valuable part of Himself to this earth to be the perfect, sinless blood sacrifice for all humans who would receive and accept His Son, we can surmise that He’s very serious about His love for us. He is also very serious about those who reject the wonderful free gift we have been offered.

The world today is rapidly turning away from anything that has to do with our true Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. God is not surprised one bit by all that is taking place around this evil world. In Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Jesus foretold what would be taking place near the end of this age and that more would turn away from Him than would faithfully follow Him. That’s Matthew 7:13-14, the broad road leading to destruction, and the straight and narrow path leading to eternal life with Him.

Paul, Peter, John, and even Jesus’ half-brothers, James and Jude, tell about this evil world. Besides being the author of Revelation, John was privileged to write 1 John plus three other books. He gave us the mechanics of being forgiven when we sin and tells about false prophets and antichrists that were already present during his time here. He specifically states they will be a nemesis to all believers right up to the second appearance on earth of our Savior.

We can honestly say that we are seeing those events unfolding daily and turning more satanic continuously. What’s sad, even though we were told all this would be taking place, it’s hard to actually experience the increasing evil.

In the past, satanic activity was the subject of fantasy or science fiction movies. Today, it’s here and in the open. All the “alphabet” groups came to light within the past decade, and the “trans” people even more recently. Please note, they have always been here from the time of the fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), but not in the open and not as vocal as they are today.

The path is being cleared for the coming of the ultimate antichrist and his false prophet to rule this earth for Satan. During that terrible time, it will still be possible to call on the Lord and be saved, but most likely at the cost of martyrdom. According to Zechariah 13:8, by the end of the wrath/tribulation period, two-thirds of the Jewish people on the earth will perish. It will not be much better for all non-Jews either.

As rapidly as changes are taking place, we’re at the point of the “line drawn in the sand.” Everyone has a choice to make, and it’s totally an individual issue. Our Father has provided all the information we need to become a part of His Son’s precious flock. He is a loving, caring, and merciful God who would love it if everyone would choose Jesus and eternal life in Heaven with Him.

However, He will force no one to choose either way. If a person chooses to follow this world and what it has to offer over Heaven, God will allow them to do so.

All who would confess that they are a sinner in need of a Savior and will call out for forgiveness and to ask Jesus to come into their hearts will be saved. Romans 3:10, 3:23, 6:23, and 10:9-13 gives us the information we need to make a valuable decision. No one has sinned so greatly that they cannot be forgiven if they truly seek Jesus as their Savior.

On the other hand, all who refuse to receive and accept Jesus — when they take their last breath here — will have committed the unforgivable sin. They will not be able to be forgiven at this point. During the tribulation, one more sin will be unforgivable, and that will be to take the mark of the beast. That will signify that the one who has the mark has given their dedication to Satan and will end up in hell with him forever.

For today, all so-called “pastors” that are “tweaking” God’s word to keep seats and collection plates full and to carry forth their selfish agendas will give them a place in the lake of fire as well. James 3:1 is a very good warning about this; “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

Everyone who says it’s the word of the Lord, just be sure it really is His. Forever is a long time to choose Satan’s lies over the pure, true word of our Heavenly Father. Daily reading of God’s word can be a great help in getting His message to all of us. A chapter or two goes a long way. A Study Bible in a true version of your choice is an absolutely wonderful method of understanding what our Father wants us to know through His Holy Spirit-inspired word (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Today would not be too early to choose Jesus and eternal life. The event called the Rapture is getting closer and closer (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). This is definitely evidenced by the increasing worldwide evil that is taking place right now. As stated, God will be patient only for so long.

Call on Jesus today – He will turn no one away who truly asks Him to be their Savior.

Shalom! Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com