Drawings that picture Noah’s ark as a fat little boat with animals hanging over the sides dishonour the Bible and cause young people to laugh at the reality of the Bible account of the flood.

Transition

This morning, we are going to examine Bible facts and applications about Noah’s Ark as we consider the Instruction, the Explanation, and the Construction of the ark.

The Instruction, 6:14-16, 19-21

God gave Noah the plans for the ark, 6:14-16.

  1. He was to build it out of gopher wood, v.14. This wood is unknown to us today. Some people believe it was cypress.
  2. The ark was to have rooms (lit. nests) in it for the animals, v.14. These would have varied in size according to the animals or birds they housed.
  3. Noah was to cover the ark with pitch, v.14. This “pitch” is also an unknown substance. Many believe it was some sort of natural bitumen.
  4. The ark dimensions, v.15, were in cubits: 300 long, 50 wide, and 30 high. Cubits varied in length from 44 – 61 cm. 45 cm is often used as a standard making the ark about 135m long, 22.5m wide, 13.5m high. See my model.
  5. Noah was to make a window in the ark 1 cubit high, v.16. This may have about around the outer edge below the roof or down the middle as on my model.
  6. Noah was to make one door in the side of the ark, v.16.
  7. The ark was to have three stories or decks, v.16.While these instructions give us the basic plans, they do not mention many details like the shape of the ark ends and the roof, the drinking water source, which animals were on which deck, the lighting source, etc.

God told Noah to fill the ark, 6:19-21.

  1. He was to fill it with every living thing of all flesh
    1. He was to bring in two of every kind of bird, cattle, and creeping thing, including dinosaurs.
    2. Of each kind he was to bring a male and a female. Later we learn that he was to bring in seven of each of the clean beasts and birds (Gen 7:2-3). This may means seven pairs of each.
    3. Even at this great size, people doubt that all the animals would fit. Henry Morris in his Defender’s Bible states,Assuming the ancient cubit to have been only 17.5 inches (the smallest suggested by any authority), the ark could have carried as many as 125,000 sheep-sized animals. Since there are not more than about 25,000 species of land animals known (that is, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians), either living or extinct, and since the average size of such animals is certainly much less than that of a sheep, it is obvious that all the animals could easily have been stored in less than half the capacity of Noah’s ark, each pair in appropriate “rooms” (literally “nests”).
  2. Noah was also to fill the ark with food for all the creatures, v.21.

The Explanation, 6:17-18

Noah would need the ark to escape a flood, v.17.

  1. The flood was global. Those who claim that Noah’s flood was local must twist the facts to support their idea.
    1. Flood of waters upon the earth
    2. To destroy all flesh that breaths under heaven
    3. Everything in the earth shall die
    4. The water covered the mountains (Gen 7:20).
    5. The flood lasted over a year (Gen 7:11; 8:13-14).
    6. Peter confirmed that the earth was overflowed.2 Peter 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
  2. If it was a local flood, Noah could have moved.Geological strata and their contained marine fossils provide critical evidence that the ocean once covered the continents, even the highest continental areas. Extremely widespread strata blankets argue for an intercontinental or global flood. Institute for Creation Research

God made a covenant with Noah, v.18.

  1. God made Noah a covenant (pledge, promise) that He would spare his life.
  2. The ark would protect Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their three wives.

The Construction, 6:22

Noah obeyed God and built the ark

  1. For Noah to build an ark of this size, it was a major project. His three sons helped him. Did anyone else help? The Bible does not say, but perhaps his father Lamech and grandfather Methuselah helped. Other relatives may have helped. He may have hired people to help.
  2. How long did Noah work on the ark? That is a good question that the Bible does not clearly answer.
    1. When God determined to destroy the world, man still had 120 years to repent (Gen 6:3). The most Noah could have worked on the ark was 120 years.
    2. It appears that Noah’s sons were already born when God gave him the ark instructions (Gen 6:10-13).
    3. Noah was 500 when his first son was born (Gen 5:32), and the flood started when he was 600 (Gen 7:6).
    4. Two years after the flood, Shem was 100 when his son was born (Gen 11:10), so he was 98 when the flood came. If Japheth was Noah’s firstborn son and Ham was born 2 years after Shem, Noah would have been 504. Allowing a minimum of 20 years for the boys to get married, Noah would then be 524
    5. If the boys were married when God gave Noah this covenant (Gen 6:18), then Noah could have only worked on the ark for about 75 years, maybe less. However, the ark was not yet built when God gave Noah this covenant prediction, so Noah could have started the ark shortly after the boys were born and worked for nearly 100 years building.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.

Noah preached as he built

  1. Peter tells us that God was longsuffering in the days of Noah. God never delights in punishment of sin.1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
  2. Evidently, while Noah built the ark he preached righteousness to those around him.2 Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
  3. Sadly, no-one heeded his warnings.Luke 17:26-27 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
    1. This verse seems to suggest that Noah’s ark is a type of God’s salvation. We certainly can find several similarities. It was the only place of safety. It was available to all for a limited time. It had only one door. We will see that God Himself shut the door.
    2. This verse also reminds us that “in the days of the Son of man” (the coming judgment), many will be unprepared and not escape. Are you ready?

Conclusion

Though the Instruction, Explanation, and Construction of Noah’s Ark are important, it is even more important for us to learn from Jesus’ application of the flood and prepare for coming judgment. Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Are you prepared to stand before God? Can you recall a time when you repented of your sins and trusted Christ alone to save your soul? Salvation is God’s ark. Everyone is welcome. Jesus is the only door. All who do not enter through Jesus will be doomed. Time is limited. Baptism and good works will not save you. Come to Jesus today

Song: God’s Final Call – 250
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Noah’s Flood: The Ark
13 April 2014 AM – Genesis 6:14-22 – Gen 14 – Scott Childs