Jesus in the Old Testament 4: Jesus and the Ark

Jesus in the Old Testament 4: The Ark and Jesus

Thesis: The flood narrative is a complete picture of the judgment and mercy of God working in concert.  Jesus is the future judge of all things and the means of redemption for all who will be saved.  He is seen both in the destruction of the multitudes of wicked men and in the salvation of the elect.

1. Nutshell with kids (<5 min)
1. What does the word “justice” mean?
2. What does the word “mercy” mean?
3. Can you think of times when you have received justice from your parents because of something you’ve done?
4. Can you think of a time when you’ve received mercy from your parents?
5. Can you think of a time when justice and mercy happened at the same time?
6. Jesus is going to come one day to judge the world.  When he does, he will bring justice.
7. Those of us who have believed in Him and have trusted in Him for salvation will not face that justice, though.  We have received mercy.
8. In the story of Noah’s ark, we see both parts of Jesus: justice and mercy. 
1. Justice: the destruction of all the wicked people.
2. Mercy: the saving of Noah’s family and the animals.

2. Deeper
1. Gen 6: Man’s favor vs. God’s favor
1. Vs 4: Nephilim, a product of sinful unions, “men of renown.”

a)    Hated of God, part of the reasoning for the flood

b)    Adored and storied by men (demi-gods in most ancient stories).

2. Vs 8: Noah “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

a)    Noah had good character (vs 9), but that isn’t how the story leads its description of him.

b)    First, he “finds grace.”  Passive verb. He does not earn grace.  He receives it. (vs 8).

c)    Hints of the sovereignty of God in salvation, although not leaving his own efforts without merit.

d)    This construction, “found grace” or “found favor” is used 67 times in the OT.  Always in the passive voice. The assumption is that the authority figure being addressed has chosen to see the petitioner in a favorable light, not strictly dependent upon the petitioner’s action.  Not “earned favor.”

e)    Similar to Paul’s description in 1 Cor 15:10

f)     Heb 11:7.  God’s warning brought about obedience, faith, and righteousness.

2. Universal wickedness of men.
1. Saw last time that, due to the headship of Adam over all humanity, that all are born into original sin.  All have sinned; therefore, all will die (Gen 3:19; Romans 5:12).
2. The universal evil is called out several times in Gen 6:

a)    Vs 5, 11, 12

b)    Very similar to language in Romans 3:10-18.

3. God cannot tolerate or overlook evil.  His nature requires justice and judgment.

a)    Vs 6-7, 13

b)    How different from our culture, which encourages us not to call out evil!  We are expected to tolerate evil, but God does not.

c)    We are not judges.  Jesus is the only one who has that right, but we certainly aren’t to accept it or call what is evil good.

(1)  Romans 1:32

(2)  Isa 5:20

4. People have looked at the flood as a moral failure of God in annihilating every living thing and all the people.  Sin→ Death for all.  All those people would have died anyway. 
2. God tells his plans to his chosen (vs 13-21)
1. Abraham before the destruction of Sodom Gen 18:17
2. Generally: Ps 25:14
3. Prophetically: Amos 3:7
4. God declares the way of salvation before he brings his judgment Num 23:19

a)    The salvific work of Jesus was revealed in great detail by the OT prophets long before it came to pass (Isa 53)

b)    Gods timing was announced clearly in both cases

(1)  120 years (Gen 6:3)

(2)  7 days (Gen 7:4)

(3)  173,880 days (Daniel 9:25)

From Chuck Misler (https://www.khouse.org/articles/2004/552/)

A very specific prediction occurs in 9:25:

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

— Daniel 9:25

This includes a mathematical prophecy. As we have noted in previous articles, the Jewish (and Babylonian) calendars used a 360-day year; 69 weeks of 360-day years totals 173,880 days. In effect, Gabriel told Daniel that the interval between the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem until the presentation of the Messiah as King would be 173,880 days.

The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 B.C. (The emphasis in the verse on “the street” and “the wall” was to avoid confusion with other earlier mandates confined to rebuilding the Temple.)

During the ministry of Jesus Christ there were several occasions in which the people attempted to promote Him as king, but He carefully avoided it: “Mine hour is not yet come”.

Then, one day, He meticulously arranges it. On this particular day he rode into the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey, deliberately fulfilling a prophecy by Zechariah that the Messiah would present Himself as king in just that way:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

— Zechariah 9:9

Whenever we might easily miss the significance of what was going on, the Pharisees come to our rescue. They felt that the overzealous crowd was blaspheming, proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah the King. However, Jesus endorsed it!

I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

— Luke 19:40

This is the only occasion that Jesus presented Himself as King. It occurred on April 6, 32 A.D.

When we examine the period between March 14, 445 B.C. and April 6, 32 A.D., and correct for leap years, we discover that it is 173,880 days exactly, to the very day!

5. 2Pe 2:5 calls Noah a “preacher of righteousness.”

a)    Did he actively preach?  Jewish extra-biblical sources have a tradition of Noah declaring, “Be ye turned from your evil ways and works, lest the waters of the flood come upon you, and cut off all the seed of the children of men.”

b)    Even if he did not say a word, the construction of the ark, over the span of 120 years, was a testimony to the coming judgment of God.

c)    2Pe 2:4-10

6. Destruction by water.  Remember that water was a symbol of the chaos out of which the world was formed.  God is “unmaking” the world. 
3. Gen 7:
1. God executes his plan, and Noah obeys.
2. Vs 16: God shut the door.

a)    Only one way into the ark.

b)    God kept the door open for a long time (120 years), but then in His time closed it.

c)    The age of grace is long and upon us, but it will come to an end (2Pe 3:9, 2Cor 6:2).

d)    Jesus is the door John 10:9

3. The rain came for 40 days and 40 nights. 

a)    40 a sign of judgment:

(1)  40 years in the wilderness for Israel

(2)  40 days in the wilderness for Jesus

4. During the judgment of God, there is a digital outcome (vs 21-23):

a)    Those in the ark survive and are carried into a new earth.

b)    Those outside the ark perished.

5. It is the same as the judgment of Christ at the end of time.

a)    Matt 25:31-34, 41

b)    Rev 20:11-15

6. There is no other option for salvation: Acts 4:12
4. Application:
1. God’s nature demands that he judge sin.  His love has made a way of escape.  He is both judge and savior. 
2. In which way will Christ relate to you?  There will be no middle ground. Jn 3:16
3. We live in the age of grace. The warning has gone out, but the judge has not yet arrived.  We are to be useful to God in spreading this double message of justice and mercy.

Family Discussion Questions:

1. Have you been living your life in a way to find favor with men or with God? Is there something you need to change in this regard?
2. How does it change the way you look at Jesus to realize that He is both Judge and Savior?
3. Since Jesus will be either your judge or your Savior, have you placed your faith in Him to escape His judgment?
4. Just like Noah, we live in a time of grace, between the announcement of the coming judgment and its arrival.  Are we doing what we should to help our friends escape judgment and find mercy?