The Ark and the Judgment of God

The account of Noah and the flood is well known. It tells of GOD’S WARNING.

God’s judgment fell. Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The world of Noah’s day was corrupt before God, and filled with violence. God’s wrath is against sin. God is just and must punish sin. In Noah’s day most people neglected the warning.

Hebrews 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.

God spoke. And Noah listened. Noah believed God.

Notice: GOD’S GRACE. God looked with grace: Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Grace means ‘Undeserved favour’ that God gives to those who don't deserve it.

Not only did ‘Noah find grace’, but ‘GRACE also found Noah’ - and his whole family. Genesis 6:9 …Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Noah was a righteous man in an unrighteous world. He had a living relationship with God. Noah walked with God. He knew God - he had fellowship with God. Noah was saved by faith.

Noah was courageous. He did not follow the crowd. He had godly fear. He walked with God. He walked blamelessly before a wicked people. His witness was clear. Noah and God walked together.

The name Noah means “rest” or “comfort”, which he found in God. Noah did not become conformed to his world. Noah walked with God. He took a different path. God invited Noah and his family to come into the ark. Only those who went into the ark were saved from the judgment of God.

What made all the difference? It was GRACE.

GRACE beckons still. As in the days of Noah, this is the day of grace. Grace is the only means of escape. What Noah did, we can do.

It had not rained before. Yet God told Noah He was going to flood the earth with rain. Noah trusted God. He obeyed God and built an ark.

Noah started building the ark when he was 480-years old. Noah’s faith moved him, with godly fear. Noah was a preacher to this hostile, ungodly world: 2 Peter 2:5 …a preacher of righteousness...

Noah was A FAITHFUL WITNESS to his generation. He wasn’t afraid to stand alone. He would have faced constant mockery, year after year, but Noah persevered.

He gave warning. He preached for 100 years… without a single convert. Only his family heeded his preaching.

In Noah's day men laughed to scorn his words of warning. They ridiculed and rejected the message. All the world was against him. But he kept on preaching.

Every day, as Noah laboured and built that ark, he was saying: I BELIEVE IN GOD! He persevered.

ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE survived the floodwaters.

Many are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. When judgment came the world was shown condemned. in unbelief they had refused the salvation of God. God took the initiative to spare Noah and his family.

Notice: GOD’S PROVISION.
God told Noah to build an ark and gave him its exact dimensions and materials to use. Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood…

Noah obeyed what God gave him to do. And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him (Genesis 7:5).

It was painted pitch black. It was nothing fancy. It had no decorations or name. It had only one entrance.

The ark, as designed by God, was virtually impossible to capsize! Experts in ship building say this is the optimum ship design for stability in rough seas.

It was a mammoth construction project. It took 120 years of labour to build the ark.

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.

The ark had over 100,000 sq feet of floor space. There was plenty of space to preserve the wildlife.

Noah was a preacher of righteousness. BUT no one listened. Men still refuse God’s message, even now…

ARE YOU IN THE ARK?
The ark of Noah is a picture of the salvation provided by Christ - Who today is our ark of safety - the rescue plan.

God took care of Noah. There was great security for the passengers of the ark. It’s the same for those who have fled to Christ for refuge. CHRIST is our ark.

The ark was a place of safety. Those in it had absolute security. It was a perfect shelter. It didn’t matter how hard it rained, or how high the waters rose. All inside the ark were secure.

Noah built only one ark. There was only one door to enter into the ark - as there is only one way to God and that is through Christ.
God shut the door.

Judgment is coming to planet earth again. The time of grace will end.

There is a place of sure shelter from the storm of God’s wrath.

There was only one ark provided by God. Likewise there is still only one way. Flee to Jesus for salvation.

God shut the door. Those who were shut in were safe.

The big question is: Are you in the ark?