1 And the LORD said unto 1 And the LORD said unto

Noah, Come thou and all thy Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before have I seen righteous before me in this generation. me in this generation.

We begin today with the first We begin today with the first

gospel invitation in the Bible. gospel invitation in the Bible. The word “come” is used some The word “come” is used some 1,972 times in the Bible. Gen. 1,972 times in the Bible. Gen. 7:1 is the first time it is used 7:1 is the first time it is used as a command and as an as a command and as an invitation.invitation.

of invitations! Beginning here and of invitations! Beginning here and

continuing to the very last verses continuing to the very last verses of Revelation, God is involved in of Revelation, God is involved in the business of inviting people to the business of inviting people to come to Him for salvation, for the come to Him for salvation, for the help they need, and for the things help they need, and for the things they lack in life. they lack in life.

The Bible is a book

God looked upon the God looked upon the earthearth

There was intermarriage between There was intermarriage between

the godly line of Seth and the the godly line of Seth and the ungodly offspring of Cain. This was ungodly offspring of Cain. This was an attempt to pervert the human an attempt to pervert the human bloodline and prevent the birth of bloodline and prevent the birth of the Messiah, Gen. 3:15. The the Messiah, Gen. 3:15. The children born of this union were children born of this union were evil beyond words.evil beyond words.

God saw the wickedness of God saw the wickedness of

man and knew that man man and knew that man was hopelessly corrupt. was hopelessly corrupt. Every desire within Every desire within mankind drew him away to mankind drew him away to evil thoughts and deeds.evil thoughts and deeds.

God looked at man and saw God looked at man and saw

that man had ruined the that man had ruined the earth. Man was unjust and earth. Man was unjust and violent. Man had abandoned violent. Man had abandoned the ways of the Lord and had the ways of the Lord and had turned from God completely.turned from God completely.

God’s solution is God’s solution is to destroy to destroy mankind.mankind.

God extended His graceful favor to God extended His graceful favor to

Noah, Gen. 6:8. We are told that Noah, Gen. 6:8. We are told that Noah was “just”. This does not Noah was “just”. This does not mean that he was sinless; it mean that he was sinless; it means that his faith was in God means that his faith was in God and God counted him righteous on and God counted him righteous on the basis of that faith. That is the the basis of that faith. That is the way it has always been! way it has always been!

to build this great Ark, Gen. 6:13-to build this great Ark, Gen. 6:13-

22. Noah is told that this Ark will 22. Noah is told that this Ark will provide him, his family and all the provide him, his family and all the creatures of the earth, a place of creatures of the earth, a place of safety and sanctuary. That Ark safety and sanctuary. That Ark was the only place in the universe was the only place in the universe where Noah and his family could where Noah and his family could be safe.be safe.

Noah is commanded

Gopher wood – cypress, almost

indestructible, durable, will not rot. Wood is a picture of humanity in the Bible. This wood pictures the humanity of Jesus Christ. Just as those trees had to be cut down to build Noah’s Ark, Jesus had to be cut down to provide a place of sanctuary for you and me,

4 Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

Isa. 53:4-6 (AMP)

After the Ark was built, it was

covered with “pitch”. This word is used seventy other times in the Old Testament and each time it is translated “atonement”. It literally means a covering. The wood alone could not keep the water out, there had to be a covering.

B. Its Security

brings to mind the shedding of

blood, Lev. 17:11. It is not the humanity, or the life of Jesus that saves us, it is His death and the shedding of His blood! He did not come to set and example,

The word “atonement”

11 For the life of a creature is

in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.

Leviticus 17:11 (HCSB)

He came to die,

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45 (HCSB)

It is the blood that seals us and

keeps us safe from the wrath of God,

9 Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.

Romans 5:9 (HCSB)

The Ark was 450’ long, 75’

wide and 45’ high. It could contain three million 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,

C. Its Size

25 Therefore He is always able 25 Therefore He is always able

to save those who come to God to save those who come to God through Him, since He always through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. lives to intercede for them.

Heb. 7:25. There is room at His Heb. 7:25. There is room at His cross for you!cross for you!

Hebrews 7:25 (HCSB)

It was not shaped like a boat, it

would have looked like 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.

D. Its Shape

1 So if you have been raised with 1 So if you have been raised with

the Messiah, seek what is above, the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. the right hand of God.

When we come to Jesus, we are When we come to Jesus, we are identifying with His death on the identifying with His death on the cross and our own death to sin! cross and our own death to sin!

Colossians 3:1 (HCSB)

Gen. 6:16 – The Ark had one door; Gen. 6:16 – The Ark had one door;

one window and three stories. These one window and three stories. These elements are a picture of salvation. elements are a picture of salvation. The one door was set low so that all The one door was set low so that all could enter, John 10:9 (HCSB) could enter, John 10:9 (HCSB)

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasturein and go out and find pasture.

E. Its Structure

so that all would have to look so that all would have to look

up, up,

Colossians 3:2 (HCSB) 2 Set Colossians 3:2 (HCSB) 2 Set your minds on what is above, your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. not on what is on the earth.

The window was high

us that salvation is a work of the Father, us that salvation is a work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It also the Son and the Holy Spirit. It also reminds us that when a person is saved, reminds us that when a person is saved, their whole person – body, soul and spirit- their whole person – body, soul and spirit- is changed, 2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB) is changed, 2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB)

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. away, and look, new things have come.

The three stories remind

Gen. 6:21 – Noah was saved by Gen. 6:21 – Noah was saved by

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

F. Its Sustenance

35 “I am the bread of life,” 35 “I am the bread of life,”

Jesus told them. “No one who Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be believes in Me will ever be thirsty again. thirsty again.

John 6:35 (HCSB)

Gen. 8:4 – The Ark came to Gen. 8:4 – The Ark came to

rest on the seventeenth day of rest on the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Why is that Hebrew calendar. Why is that important? The seventh month important? The seventh month is when the Passover takes is when the Passover takes place. place.

G. Its Schedule

as they were offering the as they were offering the

Passover on the fourteenth day Passover on the fourteenth day of the month. He was raised of the month. He was raised three days later – the three days later – the seventeenth day of the month. seventeenth day of the month. The Ark rested on the same day The Ark rested on the same day Jesus would rise again from the Jesus would rise again from the dead.dead.

Jesus died

Noah’s name means “rest”. When Noah’s name means “rest”. When

Noah entered the Ark, he found Noah entered the Ark, he found rest, safety and salvation. Being in rest, safety and salvation. Being in the Ark saved his life; believing in the Ark saved his life; believing in Almighty God saved his soul!Almighty God saved his soul!

H. Its Supply