The Ark was Salvation
The intent of God when he instructed Noah to build an Ark was to "keep ... alive" Noah, his family, and the animals (Gen 6.19). It was intended as the means of salvation from the coming "flood of water" which God had promised would "destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life" (6.17).
God provided the Ark in spite of the fact that no-one deserved His protection from the judgment for sin, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Gen 6.8). In the Bible, the whole concept of "grace" is best described as God's kindness shown to those who are completely undeserving of it.
Now, while this was true in those days, it is most encouraging to see in the New Testament that "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2.11). This "grace of God" appeared in the incarnation, perfect life, atoning sacrifice, and triumphant resurrection of the Son of God. The "Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4.14), He did not send His Son into the world "to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3.17).
So just as the Ark was the salvation of Noah and his family, Christ is the salvation of every soul who trusts Him. A short time after His birth He was brought to the temple and, when Simeon saw Him, he said to God "mine eyes have seen Thy salvation" (Luke 2.30).
The Ark was Submerged
In order to provide the salvation that Noah needed, it was essential that the Ark be able to endure the storm of divine judgment. The "fountains of the great deep" would be "broken up, and the windows of heaven ... opened" (7.11). The flood-waters would "prevail" upon the earth (7.18, 19, 20, 24). The flood was the outpouring of divine justice upon a world that was filled with corruption, violence, immorality, and wickedness of every kind. The result of this devastating outpouring of God's righteous wrath is summed up "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land died" (7.22). To be the means of safety, the Ark must be able to withstand, and endure, the divine judgment in it's entirety.
All of this beautifully pictures Calvary. There, He who was the perfect Saviour, became the holy Sufferer. He was surrounded in, and submerged under, the flood of divine justice. The storm of God's wrath against sin fell upon Him. Prophetically He said, "I sink in deep mire where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me" (Ps 69.2). "All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me" (Ps 42.7). "Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves" (Ps 88.7).
"On Him almighty vengeance fell
That would have sunk a world to hell
He bore it for a ruined race
And thus becomes my Hiding-Place"
While the Ark was for a period surrounded by the flood, it emerged triumphant and eventually "rested ... upon the mountains of Ararat" (8.4). The very day it rested (being the seventeenth day of the seventh month) equates to the day of the resurrection of Christ*. So Christ who suffered for sins, and was submerged under divine judgment, has emerged triumphant from the tomb! He not only "died for our sins according to the Scriptures", He "was buried" and "rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor 15.3-4).
The Ark was Secure
The security of all those who entered the Ark is confirmed in two ways.
First: Once Noah and his family took the step of faith and entered through the door into the Ark, they no longer needed to worry about their safety for "the LORD shut him in" (Gen 7.16). And, if the Lord shuts a door we can be assured that no-one is capable of opening it (Comp. Job 12.14; Rev 3.7)!
Second: All those who entered through the door into the Ark were, according to the divine record, kept safe from judgment, and landed safely on the dry land. Notice how explicitly this is stated "And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons wives with him" (8.18, Comp 7.13), and of the animals, "Every beast, every creeping thing ... every fowl ... whatsoever creepeth ... went forth out of the ark" (8.19).
We cannot help but see in this an illustration of the eternal security of all those who enter into Christ by faith. When a sinner comes to the Saviour, trusting Him as the only means of Salvation, they entrust their eternal preservation to Him, and they can rest assured in His ability to keep that which is entrusted to Him (comp 2 Tim 1.12). In a future day, the saying of the Son of God will be gloriously true "Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none" (John 18.9). "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8.1).
Safe in Christ the weakest child
Stands in all God's favour
All in Christ are reconciled
Through that only Saviour
Safe in Christ; safe in Christ!
He's their glory ever;
None can pluck them from His hand,
They shall perish never.
Once their sins on every side,
Seemed to tower over them
Christ has stemmed the angry tide;
Been through death before them.
In His death they've crossed the sea,
Passed through condemnation;
Well may they triumphant be;
Saved through God's salvation.
Now by faith the justified
Know that God is for them;
To the world they're crucified,
Glory is before them.
* This is one possible reckoning of the date. Remembering that the 7th month was changed to the 1st month by the LORD at the institution of the Passover.
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