The Ark of Safety
Genesis 6:1-16 (v 14)
Genesis 6:1-16 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on
the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the
sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they
took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My
spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh:
yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants
in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of
God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to
them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and
that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the
earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will
destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both
man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air;
for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in
the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a
just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also
was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And
God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all
flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah,
The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with
violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the
earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the
ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is
the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall
be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the
height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and
in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt
thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories
shalt thou make it.
Introduction:
A. There are two words we would like to call our attention to:
"Danger" and "Safety."
1. There is something about the word danger that frightens us. None
of us like to be put in dangerous situation.
2. In like manner there is something about the word safety that
thrills us. It gives peace and tranquility.
a. A family in our church feared that harm had come to their
daughter as she was traveling on the highway. She had not reached
her destination, and there was no trace of her to be found. The
highway patrol could not find her, and there was no trace of where
she had stopped to buy gas, etc. Her parents were almost out of
their minds with fear. Finally she was found. She had gone another
route, and had stopped in a small town and had spent more time there
than she had intended to. When her parents heard from her they
screamed for joy. The mother said, "Thank God, she is safe."
B. May we see both danger and safety in this lesson before us.
I. The Condition of The World
A. By the world we mean the people in it. There is nothing wrong
with the world, the problem is with the people.
B. There was great wickedness (v 2).
1. Moral corruption. Sins of the flesh.
2. Spiritual corruption. Forgot God.
3. Social corruption. No longer did they regard the laws of
separation, but they mixed and mingled at will.
C. God saw it (v 5).
1. God is always looking on.
2 Chr. 16:9a For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth.
2. There is nothing that escaped the all-seeing eye of God.
Prov. 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of
the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.
Prov. 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place
beholding the evil and the good.
II. The Divine Verdict (vs 7,13)
A. God said that He would send judgment. There comes a time when God
gives up on people, and when that happens nothing but judgment is
left.
B. In case you question the statement that God gives people up I
only ask that you look at the scriptures and also the examples He
has given.
Prov. 1:23-26, 28 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out
my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I
have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no
man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would
none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock
when your fear cometh; Then shall they call upon me, but I will not
answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.
1. God gave up on some people of past civilizations. In Romans
chapter 1, we find the saddest words one could possibly utter: they
are "God gave them up" (vs 24,26,28).
2. God gave the Jews up.
Matt. 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate.
III. God Provided For His Own (vs 14-16)
A. We often hear this described as "Noah's ark"; but that is not
accurate. It was God's ark.
1. It was designed by God.
2. It was provided by God.
IV. Divine Invitation
Gen. 7:1 And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all
thy house into the ark.
V. Safety In The Ark
Gen. 7:16 And they that went in, went in male and
female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him
in.