The Ark

Dear Boys and Girls,

The story of Noah and the ark is one you have known since you were very little. It is fascinating to think of all the animals that came to the huge ship, two by two, and it is very solemn to think of the many people who drowned. The ark was a safe place for Noah and his family while the sinful world was judged. The time in which Noah lived was a time when the Lord said, as it were, “Now it is enough. I will now punish this sinful, disobedient people.” The flood waters rose higher and higher, but the family in the ark was saved. All through the days, while the ark floated on the rushing, rising water, they were kept. God had told Noah to use gopher wood and seal the entire ark with pitch—not one drop of water could come through, and the wood would not rot. There was room enough on the three floors for all the animals and for all eight humans in Noah’s family. All the people outside of the ark were in the water—not one could escape it. They were all judged. They all died.

Very often, the ark is described as a picture of Christ. Just as the family in the ark was saved, so only those who belong to Jesus Christ are saved— not from flood waters, no, but from being cast into hell, the place where God’s wrath burns eternally. In Christ there is enough room for all His people.

Noah was not such a good man that he deserved to be saved—however, God had made a difference, had given him a heart that loved God and was sad about his sins. God’s people are also not good people who deserve to be saved—they are sinners like everyone else, but God has made a difference. The Lord keeps them safe; they are kept by Him, all through the troublous days of life. This doesn’t mean that they will never have difficulties, but it means that their souls will never perish. In the end, they are kept secure where judgment can never come.

What happens to those who are NOT saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, those who are NOT shown, in their heart, that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life? All those who are not, cannot escape…they WILL be judged…. One day, in each of their lives, the Lord will say, as it were, “Now it is enough. I will now punish this sinful, disobedient man, woman, boy, or girl.” Then there will be no escape. Then it will be too late. The doors of the ark did not unlock one more time. Not once more did it open even enough of a crack to let in one more person. Perhaps, when it began to rain, it did not immediately seem so serious, but soon, the people had lost their footing, could not climb any higher, clung to the sides of the ark, and then…the door remained shut, the waters rose and surged and pulled at them, and one by one, the people sank under the water. If only they had listened when Noah warned them. Now, it was too late…Soon, all that was outside the ark was death; only inside the ark was life…

The Bible says that as the days of Noah were, so will the day be when the Lord Jesus comes back on the clouds to judge all people (Matthew 24:37). The people will be completely taken up with the things in this life and not think about God at all. They will have received warnings but have ignored them. They will have been enjoying themselves, living for their own pleasure when they should have been praying and repenting. They will not believe that judgment will come, until it is there.

The days of Noah are not only a picture of the final Judgment Day. The days of Noah are a picture of the end of each person’s life who has not come to know that he or she has a wicked heart. Every person, by nature, is taken up by the things of this life. He lives for his own pleasure. He ignores the warnings that one day it will be too late to repent. Until…it is too late…unless…the Lord performs a wonder…

Think of the days of Noah and think of your heart…do you still live for the things of every day, and no more?

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