Sermon Tone Analysis

Thursday September 15, 2005

Genesis: Genesis 6:13-22-The Typology of the Ark

Lesson # 28

Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 6:13.

This evening we will study the typology of the Ark.

As we noted last night, biblical typology involves an analogical correspondence in which earlier events, persons, and places in salvation history become patterns by which later events and the like are interpreted.

A type is a specific parallel between 2 historical entities; the former is indirect and implicit, the latter direct and explicit.

A type is designed to teach us a lesson about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as Noah and his work life parallel the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross so the Ark itself parallels Jesus Christ and His work of salvation on our behalf.

Genesis 6:13-16 teaches that the Ark was a divine provision given to Noah before the Fall came upon the earth.

Genesis 6:13, “Then God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.’”

Genesis 6:14, “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.”

Genesis 6:15, “This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits (cubit: 17.5 inches long; 300 cubits=437.5 feet wide), its breadth fifty cubits (72.92 feet wide), and its height thirty cubits (43.75 feet high).”

Genesis 6:16, “You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.”

Before the flood came and before the ark was built, a means of escape for His own people existed in the mind of God.

God provided the ark before the waters flooded the earth and not after and so too, He already planned our salvation and provided us a Savior in the Person of Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world.

Acts 2:22, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know.”

Acts 2:23, “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

1 Peter 1:20, “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.”

Also, notice that God revealed to Noah the design of the ark and ordered him to build it as a place of refuge into which he and his family could flee from the impending judgment upon the earth.

Noah did “not” invent the ark but God had revealed to Noah His plan and design of the ark, which is a type of Christ and so in the same way, God has revealed by His Spirit the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Now, the material in which God commanded Noah to build the ark with is important as well.

Genesis 6:13, “Then God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.’”

Genesis 6:14, “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.”

The ark was built with gopher wood so before the ark could be built trees obviously would have to be cut down.

That which would deliver Noah and his family was obtained by the death of trees teaching the principle that life comes out of death and is secured only by a sacrifice.

John 12:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

John 12:25, “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.”

Just as trees had to be cut down in order to build the ark and deliver Noah and his family, so the Lord Jesus Christ would be cut down in order deliver us from the bondage to sin and Satan.

Daniel 9:26, “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.

And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.”

Just as the ark was a place of safety and refuge from divine judgment so the believer’s eternal union with Christ is a place of safety and refuge and protection from divine judgment.

Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 5:9, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Just as the ark was a place of total and complete security from the judgment of God so the believer’s eternal union with Christ is a place of total and absolute security from the judgment of God.

John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

John 10:28, “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

John 10:29, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”

1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Peter 1:4, “to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”

1 Peter 1:5, “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The door in the ark is significant.

Genesis 6:16, “You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.”

The Ark was to have only “one” door, which means that all must enter and leave by the same door and God wanted it this way since the door is a type of Christ.

John 10:9, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

The door in the Ark teaches that there is only one way to get saved, through faith alone in Christ alone!

John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Notice too that the ark had three decks.

What is the significance of them?

Well, first of all, remember the ark itself typifies Jesus Christ and the contents of the ark speak of our spiritual blessings “in” Christ.

The three stories speak of the three-fold nature of our salvation.

Salvation means “deliverance.”

Therefore, the three stories in the ark speak of our three-fold deliverance from the sin nature, and Satan and his cosmic system that is our permanent possession because of our union with Christ.

(1) Positional: At the moment we exercised faith alone in Christ alone we are delivered “positionally” (God’s work and viewpoint of the believer) from real spiritual death and eternal condemnation, the devil, his cosmic system and the sin nature through the death, resurrection and session of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph.

1:14; Titus 2:11).

(2) Experiential: After salvation, we are delivered from the devil, his cosmic system and the sin nature “experientially” by appropriating by faith our union and identification with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection and session, which constitutes our spiritual life after being delivered from real spiritual death (Phlp.

2:12; Eph.

6:17; 1 Thess.

5:8; 1 Tim.

4:16; 1 Pet.

2:2).

(3) Ultimate: At the resurrection we will be delivered “ultimately” and permanently from the devil, his cosmic system and the sin nature when we receive our resurrection bodies at the rapture of the church, which is imminent (Rm.

13:11; 1 Thess.

5:9; 1 Pet.

1:5).

This three-fold salvation or deliverance embraces our three-fold constitution meaning that our body, soul and human spirit are delivered.

1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The window in the ark is significant as well and was near the roof of the ark.

The window near the roof of the ark teaches us that Noah and his family were “not” to be looking at the destruction upon the earth but rather focusing their attention upon God who is in heaven.

In the same way, you and I must be concentrating upon our position with Christ at the right hand of the Father and praying to our heavenly Father rather than concentrating upon our problems and difficulties on planet earth.

Colossians 3:1, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

Colossians 3:2, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray without ceasing.”

Genesis 6:14 records that Noah was commanded to make the ark with rooms.

Genesis 6:14, “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.”

“Rooms” is the noun qen (/q#) (kane), which refers to a “nest, compartment.”

These rooms were resting places for Noah, his family and the animals.

These resting places typify the believer resting in the promises of God and his position in Christ.

Hebrews 4:10, “For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.”

Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”

Notice that the Lord commanded Noah to cover the ark with pitch inside and out.

“Pitch” is the noun kopher (rp#K)) (ko-fer), which refers to “tar, asphalt,”

Large deposits of this semi-liquid mineral have been known to exist around the Dead Sea and in Egypt and Mesopotamia since ancient times.

Noah coated the ark with this material inside and out to keep the ark waterproof.

The verb kopher means, “to make atonement” and was thus used many times in the Old Testament in relation to the day of atonement when once a year, the high priest in Israel would sacrifice an unblemished lamb and sprinkle its blood upon the mercy seat that rested on top of the Ark of the Covenant.

The cherubim looking down upon the blood on the mercy seat portrayed the righteousness and justice of God looking upon the death of the Lamb of God and being satisfied with His sacrifice as the payment for our sins.

1 John 2:2, “And He Himself (the Lord Jesus Christ) is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

Lastly, Genesis 8:4 records that after the flood waters receded that the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat, which is in Turkey.

Genesis 8:4, “In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.”

The ark resting on the mountains of Ararat typifies Christ finishing His work on the Cross for our salvation.

Just as the Ark “finished” its mission, so Christ “finished” His work of salvation.

John 19:30, “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’

And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”