Applying Noahâs Ark (An appeal for sensible biblical exegesis and accountability)
By Missionary Ken Barber
Misinterptretation of the Ark of Noah has led to misapplication, isolation and a cancelization of the commission of our Lord Jesus Christ to his church. This is what happens when you fail to rightly divide the word of truth. Because of this misinterpretation and its application you would think Noah moved his family into the ark to keep them from the world around them. When in essence it was against the Day of Judgment to come that he was preparing. Noahâs family was saved because they were in the ark when Gods judgment fell. Rightly divide and rightly apply Gods truth!
When looking back at the Ark and Noahâs day we must not only view the similarities of that day and what Jesus said would be the same in His day, but we must also look at the differences of that day and this. In order to make a proper application to any scripture we must always get the historical significance as well as the historical context in order to make a proper application today.
We have seen the similarities that Jesus said would be present in his day. Eating drinking, marrying, giving in marriage etc, this implies the mundane everyday business as usual and therefore APATHY. Jesus said, ''they didn't know until the flood came and took the all away. IGNORANCE. We cannot go beyond those comparisons and similarities that Jesus said and to make it more or less than it is in regard to our responsibilities in preparing for his coming. First is because the warning is not to us, his people, it is to the apathetic, indifferent world around us that this is written. These things are simply statements of fact to help us be able to deal with what we see and to help us in preparing ourselves to live now and for his coming.
Now then we also must look at some of the differences in How and why God dealt with Noah and see if it is possible or even necessary to make Noahâs commission ours today and if we should, how could it apply.
1. Noahâs commission was to build An Ark. The Churches commission is to Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, making true disciples.
a. We would point out here at this juncture that Noah's commission to build the Ark was not in order to live in it and save his family from the world around them. That is nowhere in the text and so for one to draw that conclusion and to apply it for today has made a mistake that should and must be avoided at all costs. Creating something out of scripture that is not there. That is to add to the scriptures and become an offender!
b. In seeing that this commission of Noah was not to escape the influence of the corrupt world around him, we see that it was ''to'' not ''for'' the saving of his house from the wrath to come, the judgment of God upon the rest of the world. Now today in Christ we find that same refuge, deliverance from the wrath to come. If you would save your house Paul says ''believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, ''and your house''
So if we are going to apply this biblical truth to our lives we must let it apply where it does and avoid making more of it than scripture does and so finding ourselves offenders of God. We should avoid those extreme misrepresentations of the Word and be scriptural in our interpretation and therefore in our application and as Paul told Timothy, that we will both save ourselves and those who hear us. Teach separation from an appropriate text and you can avoid extreme teaching even on that subject.
2. Noahâs Ark as the anti-type, depicts the eternal salvation of Gods people in Christ, who is our Ark of safety. The very word for pitch with which the Ark was pitched round about is the Hebrew word ''kaphar'' from which comes the word expiate or atonement. It is that which keeps out the wrath to come.
So in conclusion we must again say that it is very important not to create a picture from scripture that is not actually there and then try to use it to develop a life plan. God has said what he means and he means what he says. He doesn't need you or I to add to it or to take away from it. The Great Commission still stands. Be a missionary or send one. Otherwise you have forfeited your reason for the churches existence. The only right the church has to exist is to fulfill Our Lords Command. Go ye therefore and teach all nations... Baptizing...teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded.... I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. When the world ends, the commission ends! God bless his word as it goes out!