In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark (Genesis 7:11–13).
In the days of Noah, the human race has become so wicked that the Almighty grieves in His heart over its many iniquities. It is said that every imagination of the thoughts of his (mankind’s) heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5), and because of this Jehovah God determines to completely annihilate the human race from the face of the Earth and start over afresh with Noah and his family. Noah is commanded to build an ark, and Scripture informs us that it takes 120 years to complete the project (see Genesis 6:3). Noah’s ark is an Old Testament type of the Lord Jesus Christ, for there are several similarities between it (the ark) and the work of our Master. In this message we are going to take the three letters in the word ark to demonstrate how it relates to Christ the Lord.
The “A” in ark represents Available, for it is accessible to any and all who would enter therein. There is only one door in the ark, and it is not shut until seven days before the great flood commences; therefore, it is an open invitation for individuals to enter and thereby be spared from the devastation that is to come. We have to believe that Noah warns the people of his generation of the impending danger they are facing, but when it comes time for God’s wrath to be poured out only he and his family enter the ark. By refusing to take advantage of God’s grace and seeking refuge in the ark, the inhabitants of Noah’s day all perish.
In much the same way the Lord Jesus Christ is available to all who would turn to Him in faith. Like the inhabitants of Noah’s generation, people today are facing great calamity in the form of eternal damnation once their life on this Earth is over; but like Noah’s ark there is a place to flee for refuge. Through the Psalmist Jehovah God proclaims he shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him (Psalm 91:15), which tells us that our Heavenly Father has made provision for His children.
As there is only one ark available for the inhabitants of Noah’s day, so is there likewise only one way for lost humanity to escape the horrors of hell. There are those who believe the many religions of the world offer a way of peace, joy and contentment when this life is over and being they all lead to eternal happiness it doesn’t matter which one a person chooses; but they are sorely mistaken. The Lord Jesus Christ informs His followers I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6), and the apostle Peter declares neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). There is one way and one way only for a person to be saved and set free from their sins, and that way is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His precious blood on Calvary’s Cross.
Not only is Jesus available as the means of our salvation and hope of eternal life, but He is likewise available to minister to our lives and to meet our present needs. The book of Hebrews reminds us that our blessed Lord has promised to never leave or forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5), which means He is always with us and in all situations. When the Master’s friend Lazarus is dying, the Lord tarries where He is located two additional days. Upon His arrival in Bethany Lazarus is already dead and has been buried four days. Both of Lazarus’ sisters (Mary and Martha) are grieving over his death, and when they learn that Jesus has arrived they believe He is simply too late. But the truth of the matter is Christ is always on time, for He always does the right thing, in the right way, in the right time. The Lord never sleeps nor slumbers (see Psalm 121:4); therefore, He is readily available to meet the needs of His people.
While the “A” in Ark informs us that Christ the Lord is available, the “R” reminds us that He is Reliable. In Noah’s day death and disaster are approaching in the form of a world-wide flood, and he (Noah) is relying upon God to make a way whereby he and his family might escape. Noah’s confidence is rewarded as the Almighty gives him instructions for the building of the Ark. Christ the Lord is likewise our Ark of safety, and we can always rely upon Him. The Psalmist places his hope in the Saviour with the words I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust (Psalm 91:2), and King Solomon encourages us to trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5–6). While we tend to rely upon family, friends and loved ones during times of great need, these individuals might let us down in one way or another; but Christ the Lord is completely reliable. We can place our full confidence in Him, for He will never fail us.
A song we often sing in our worship services contains the line on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, and this speaks volumes concerning the reliance we can place upon Him. When the Psalmist calls the Lord the rock of our salvation (Psalm 95:1), he is not speaking of a pebble; instead, he is referring to a granite boulder that is both steadfast and unmovable. In His great Sermon on the Mount our Lord likens those who both hear and heed His Words to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24). When the storms of life come this mans house fell not: for it was founded upon a rock (Matthew 7:25). When we place our confidence in the Rock of Ages, we will discover that He is more than adequate to sustain us in every circumstance we might encounter.
The Gospels present many individuals who place their trust in Christ Jesus and discover that He is indeed reliable. The woman with the issue of blood reaches out and touches the hem of His garment, and was made whole from that hour (Matthew 9:22); 10 lepers call upon the Master to cure them from their dreaded disease, and as they make their way to the priests they discover that they were cleansed (Luke 17:14); blind Bartimaeus cries out to the Lord thou son of David, have mercy on me (Luke 10:47), and Jesus restores his sight; Simon Peter gets his eyes off of Jesus as he is walking on the water, and as he begins to sink he cries out Lord, save me (Matthew 14:30) and Christ stretches forth His hand and catches him. In all these instances Jesus proves Himself to be reliable, and He will do the same in our lives as we continue to look to Him in faith.
The “A” in ark tells us Christ is Available, the “R” tells us He is Reliable and the “K” refers to His Kindness. God is showing kindness to Noah and his family by, first of all, informing him of the coming flood and by, second of all, instructing him to build the ark. In much the same way Christ ever lives to demonstrate the kindness and compassion of our Heavenly Father. When we say both God the Father and Christ the Son are kind, we are declaring the compassion, goodness and benevolence they bestow upon us. Again, we turn to the Psalms and find these words but thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth (Psalm 86:15). Being lost humanity is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), the Almighty could have simply allowed us die in our fallen condition and thereby be eternally separated from Him in the lake of fire. But because of the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7) Our Heavenly Father has made a way of redemption through Christ’s death on the Cross.
Because the Lord of the universe is kind, He cares about every single individual who inhabits planet Earth. The apostle Peter calls upon all of humanity to humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:6–7). If Christ were not kind He would turn a deaf ear to our pleas, turn His back to our troubles and simply allow us to live sinful, wretched lives. But our Lord is kind, and because of this marvelous attribute (trait) He reaches out to us with a hand of love, watches over us with an eye of grace and deals with us according to His tender mercy as opposed to His righteous wrath. The Word of God refers to the Lord’s kindness as being both marvelous (see Psalm 31:21) and merciful (see Psalm 117:2, 119:76); therefore, it is readily available, abundant and completely adequate.
There is a beautiful story in the Bible of a woman who is caught in the act of adultery and is subsequently brought to Jesus. Those who bring the woman declare that Law demands she be stoned, but they want to know what the Master has to say. We are told the entire incident takes place because those who are accusing this woman are doing so in order that they might tempt Jesus and thereby have to accuse him (John 8:6), but Christ turns the tables on them. In point of fact, the Master could have called upon the mob to stone the woman, for that is indeed the demand of Old Testament Law. Instead, Jesus calls upon anyone without sin to first cast a stone at her (John 8:7), and one by one those present drop their stones and depart. Jesus has indeed shown this woman a great kindness by not only sparing her life, but by also declaring neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:11). Where would any of us be today if the Lord had not shown us kindness and made a way whereby our many sins mighty be forgiven?
In the days before the flood God has been forgotten, His Word has been rejected and wickedness abounds. The Almighty is grieved over the deplorable conditions He witness taking place on Earth, and He determines to end it all and start over anew with Noah, his sons and their wives. He gives instructions concerning the building of the ark, and at the appropriate time Noah and his family along with the animals enter the ark, the door is shut and the deluge begins. While there is death and destruction all around, inside the ark there is safety and security. The ark is a beautiful representation of our Lord Jesus Christ in that it shows us He is Available, Reliable, and Kind.
—The Reverend Mike Scott
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