The building of the ark by Noah was the result of God's word and desire, we see that so early in the history of humanity people had already become entirely wicked and evil in both thoughts and motives (Genesis 6-8). The flood that the Lord sent upon the earth was first and foremost an action of the judgement of sin. This is also an essential element of what baptism is; it is a judgement of sin. The judgement of sin means death - Adam and his descendants had already found this out (Genesis 5), the waters of the flood reveal the baptism that is to be found in Christ Himself, where He takes upon Himself the wrath of God for us (1 Peter 3:20-22).
Noah wonderfully found grace in the eyes of the Lord - or 'grace found Naoh' as I have heard it rendered. Noah too was a human being with the problem of sin within him, this is seen after the flood with his drunkenness, and in the description of him as a 'man of the soil/earth' he is a man from Adam. Noah needed the grace of the Lord otherwise he would have been himself destroyed in the flood. For one hundred years Noah faithfully built the ark and preached to the people, who most likely returned to him ridicule and scorn, for it is thought that at this point in the history of the earth rain was an unknown experience and the earth was watered by the dew. But a new and heavenly experience was going to occur - this points to baptism in Christ - an unleashing of the water in the heavens. When this happened and as it began Noah his wife, three sons and their wives entered the ark and God shut them in...the sealing is God's work...Paul calls it the 'guarantee', that which we are marked in Christ with a seal - the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). Amazingly this salvation was not just for Noah but also for every form of the creatures of the earth, clean and unclean animals...all were included. We all need to know the work of the Holy Spirit saving us from the judgement of God, the righteous and unrighteous need it. How mighty were the waters that flooed the earth in Noah's day, think of the modern day experiences of floods, hurricanes, tsunamis' they are minor in comparison yet the destruction is great and our hearts torn for those who have suffered.
As Noah was in the ark, the water came down, lifted the ark off the ground and the ark for fourty days was surrounded by water below and above... Noah and his family were kept safe by his obedience to follow God and His words and God's work of sealing him into the ark. The ark is a wonderful picture of Christ in whom we find salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit is an esential part of it. The baptism into Christ and the Spirit are essentially one baptism. The baptism into Christ is the judgement of sin and the giving of new life in us by the washing of the water...the Spirit's work is to be in us, above us and all around us...we need to get wet! We are wonderfully saved from the judgement of sin upon ourselves by the cross of Christ Jesus, where he died for us. This baptism is cosmically devastating and renewing at the same time, what a wonderful Saviour we have - Jesus.
Matthew Armstrong
Issue 20 - Extended: 26th February
Blantyre
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