But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky.”    Genesis 8:1-2

Read Genesis 8 here: Bible Gateway

The Hebrew term for remember means “began again to act on their behalf”.

After 150 days of reeling on the water the ark finally came to rest, most likely on Mount Ararat since it was the highest mountain in the region, Gen. 8:5.

After another seven months—totaling 371 days—Noah, his family, and the animals finally exited the ark.

The Ark: A true type of Christ

The Bible is full of parallels or “types.” We can see God arranging the affairs of several Old Testament people and events to show us similarities to Jesus Christ, the focal point of the Gospel. Consider the following parallels:

• After five months of providing refuge and laboring to accomplish its work of saving its occupants from judgment of sin, the ark finished its mission. After Christ came to earth and provided refuge and healing for many, He died on the cross and finished His mission: the work of salvation (John 19:30).
• The ark’s construction was made to be waterproof and resistant to decay by sealing it with “pitch” inside and out. The Hebrew word for pitch—kopher—means a “covering”. But it’s also the Hebrew word for atonement. This is the Bible’s first mention of atonement. Henry Morris writes: “It sufficed as a perfect covering for the ark, to keep out the waters of judgment, just as the blood of the Lamb (Christ) provides a perfect atonement for the soul.”
• The Jewish date that the ark rested (Gen. 8:4) and the date Jesus Christ rose from the dead are the same: “the seventeenth day of the seventh month”.
• The ark became the bridge from the old evil world to the present one (Gen. 7:7, 2 Peter 3:6-7). God would help Noah and his family with their new life in their new world. God also graciously provides deliverance from spiritual death to us through His Son, Jesus. This is symbolized through water baptism (1 Peter 3:21). He saves us from God’s judgment of sin. He not only gives us the opportunity for a new beginning, but also offers help in our daily walk.
• Although Noah wasn’t perfect, he is described as a “righteous man who walked with God” (Gen. 6:9). Jesus was the perfect, blameless man who consistently obeyed His Father (Heb. 4:15).
• Noah was like a “second Adam” since all people come from him (Gen. 8:15-9:17). Christ is called “the second man (Adam)” since He is the only source of eternal life (1 Cor. 15:47; Acts 4:12).
• Human evil had reached a deplorable high, so God decided to undo his creation with a flood (Gen. 6:6-7). In God’s timing, He will undo His creation again; this time by fire (2 Peter 3:12-13) and then re-create it (Rev. 21:1).

Questions

Each of us share some similarities with Noah as we look forward to the removal of sin and its curse.

• How is Jesus like a bridge for us to God the Father and new life?
• Have you accepted God’s gracious invitation of new life through Jesus Christ?
• How should we be living today? (2 Peter 3:12-14)

*For scientific evidence of the worldwide flood, read Starling Evidence for Noah’s Flood. Also, The Genesis Flood by Henry Morris is a comprehensive geological book that includes Biblical commentary.