May I go back and mention that the gopher wood mentioned was probably
cypress, but there is no absolute proof of this.
Genesis 6:15 “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.”
This ark was to be made by specific directions of God so that it could
hold up to the terrible strain of the high water. This boat was to house
approximately 45,000 animals, which would cover several of all the species
known on the earth today. God also had specific places for Noah to place the
animals, the foodstuff, and for the family of Noah. Noah had to follow every
detail of instruction for this ark to be functional for the use God had
intended it. The exact number of animals is just an estimate. No one knows
for sure how many were aboard.
There is a controversy of how long a cubit is. Some believe 18 inches,
and some believe 21 inches. I guess it is according to how long your arm is,
because actually a cubit was the distance between the elbow and the end of
the longest finger on that hand. I will give you the dimensions both ways,
and you can choose whichever figure fits your belief. 450 feet long, 75 feet
wide, 45 feet tall, or 525 feet long 87 feet wide, and 52 feet tall. At any
rate, it was a very large ship. It really does not matter which is correct.
We need only know that this was a ship large enough to take care of Noah’s
needs and the animals’ needs.
Genesis 6:16 “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.”
This was a very precise and complicated ship to build. I assume that
this window went the full length of the ship, and was 18 to 21 inches tall.
This would give light and air to all inside. This door had to be a tall one
to let in animals like giraffes. The three stories were to separate the
different types of animals, and for Noah’s family to have separate quarters,
as well. If I understood earlier in this chapter, it said to make rooms.
Some animals could not stay with other predators.
Genesis 6:17 “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon
the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life, from under
heaven; [and] every thing that [is] in the earth shall die.”
God was very specific that this judgment was from Him. This was not
something Satan did. It is terrible to fall under Satan’s attacks, but we
can withstand him with the blood of Jesus. The worst is to fall under the
judgment of God. There is no hiding or protection from this. This judgment
was on all except Noah’s family, and the few animals chosen to reproduce on
the earth. God was angry and would, without repentance, bring judgment.
Genesis 6:18 “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou
shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’
wives with thee.”
God not only saves Noah because of his fellowship with God, but saves
his family as well, God establishes His agreement (covenant) with Noah and
his family. They alone would be saved. ” Eight” means new beginnings, God
would begin with Noah’s family. God invites us today to come into His ark of
safety. Jesus Christ is the door we enter in by. Again, God was angry with a
perverse generation. The Day of Judgment was here. God would not tolerate
open and perverted sin.
Genesis 6:19 “And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every
[sort] shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep [them] alive with thee; they
shall be male and female.” Genesis 6:20 “Of fowls after their kind, and of
cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his
kind, two of every [sort] shall come unto thee, to keep [them] alive.”
God planned to repopulate the whole earth with these couples. The birds
would not even have a place to rest, so even they had to be repopulated.
There was no specific mention of fish. They would not die in the flood.
If you will notice in the Scriptures above, Noah did not go out to find
these pairs of animals. The animals came to Noah (“shall come unto thee”).
This was the only way to stay alive. God did not want these animals crossbred. These were all their kind.
Genesis 6:21 “And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and
thou shalt gather [it] to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for
them.”
The one thing that stands out so clearly in all of this, is that God
did not put the food in the ark for Noah. God told Noah to put it in the
ark. Noah had to do the work himself. Truly he was directed by God, but Noah
had to prepare. It reminds me very much of the famine in Egypt in Joseph’s
time. God revealed the disaster to Joseph, and Joseph had to do the legwork
to prepare for the famine. God never changes. He will reveal a problem to us
before it happens so we can prepare for it. God will help us, but He will
not do it for us.
Genesis 6:22 “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him,
so did he.”
Noah recognized the instructions of God. Noah not only said yes sir,
but he did something about it.
Noah had to be a man of extra-ordinary faith. All this time, it had
never rained upon the earth. People had to be laughing at Noah. He never
once stopped working on the ark. He never once stopped warning of the
impending doom.
The Bible is not very explanatory whether the sons worked to help Noah,
or not.
I can just hear the people saying, “What makes you think you are so
special that God will save you?” Noah was busy building the ark for 100
years. I do not find the exact 120 years that most attribute to this period
in the Bible. I think the 120-year period comes from a history book of that
period, and not from the Bible.
The Bible said Noah was 500 years old when his sons were born, and then in
the next lesson Genesis 7:6 “And Noah [was]
six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.” That is
100 years, not 120. This, like so many other things that people believe
about the Bible are not facts. We must not add to, or take away from the
Bible. If God wanted us to know the exact time, He would have put it in the
Bible.
Let us remember throughout this study, we are studying the Bible and
not the history of the Bible times.
As a quick over-all look again at chapter 6, let us remember that sin
covered the earth. God judged everyone lost except Noah’s family. Noah’s
moral life and great faith in God won God’s favor, and God showed Noah a way
out. Jesus Christ is our ark of safety (our way out). In Chapter 7, we will
go into more detail about the flood and Noah’s preparation for it.
For the next lesson read chapter 7 three times