Noah’s Ark

(Gen. 6:9-22)

Introduction: Last Sunday’s sermon title was ‘Abel’s blood’ based on Gen. 4:1-15. Adam’s two sons, Cain and Abel made offerings to God. Cain offered grains to God from his harvest while Abel made an offering with the first born from his flocks. God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. Cain had some unresolved sin with God and made an offering with grains, not following proper procedures although he must have learned the offering procedures from his parents. Instead of resolving his sin, Cain killed his brother Abel. From that time on, Abel’s blood has been representing the voice of the oppressed. However, the blood of Jesus is the power to wash away all sins of mankind. Because of the blood of Jesus, we are all forgiven and receive eternal life. Today’s passage is Gen. 6:9-22. The event of Noah’s Ark is written. Noah’s Ark is the symbol of God judgment and salvation for corrupted human beings.

1) Noah and corrupted human beings (9-12): Noah means comfort in the Hebrew language. He was described as a righteous man, which meant a person who had a right relationship with God. Noah walked with God every day. That is why he was blameless. All human beings during that time were corrupted and violent as people are these days. But Noah maintained a right relationship with God. When we are considered righteous through the blood of Jesus, we are in the right relationship with God. Before we were saved, we were enemies of God due to our sins. But the blood of Jesus washed away our sins forever and gave us the privilege of becoming God’s children for the right relationship with God. We can have a good relationship with God through reading the Bible and prayer. You can make all excuses for not having the quiet time with God every day. But, a righteous man and woman will maintain a good relationship with God with the Word and prayer. God’s word is spiritual food to us (Matt 4:4).

2) The Ark (13-16): God told Noah that He would destroy all human beings along with the earth. Before the destruction, however, God decided to save Noah and his family. God told Noah to make an ark with cypress trees. The size of the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet tall, and it had three stories. So, it was a bit larger than three football field. It was large enough to contain all animals on earth by one pair for each unclean animal and seven pairs for clean animals. The important meaning of the Ark is that it is the symbol of salvation (I Peter 3:20). God saved Noah and his family out of the destruction of all people and animals on the earth. On the final judgment day, we will be saved from the judgment because of the blood of Jesus.

 
3) Judgment and salvation (17-22): When God punished humans during the time of Noah, He destroyed all humans except Noah’s family. When Jesus comes to this world for the final Judgment Day, He will destroy this whole world with fire (II Peter 3:6-7). As God gave a promise to Noah and his family to save them, He will save us according to His promise through Jesus Christ. If we are in Christ, we are a new creation (II Cor. 5:17), we will not be condemned because we have crossed from death to life (John 5:24). God will save us from the condemnation. This gospel is given to us to preach. As Noah obeyed God’s command to build the Ark, we should obey God’s command to convey the gospel to others. Thank you and God bless you.