The title of the lesson for this week is "Noah Saved in the Ark," but the Scripture cited, namely, the 8th chapter of Genesis, does not correspond thereto, inasmuch as it tells us only of the closing scenes. We shall therefore have a brief study of the flood in general, without regard to the text referred to in the lesson outline.
Unbelief and Blindness
Everyone will have heard of the doubts that have been cast upon the Scripture record of the flood. Not only avowed infidels, but many professed ministers of the Gospel, do not believe that there ever was a general flood, covering the whole earth.
The same cause of unbelief exists in this case as in that of the story of creation. Satan has instilled doubts of that in the minds of men, in order that they might become blinded to the power of the Gospel, and especially to the Sabbath, the sign of the cross, which creates new men.
As disbelief of the story of creation hides the beginnings of this world, so disbelief of the story of the flood hides the view of the end; for the days of Noah are referred to by the Saviour as a parallel to the days of the coming of the Son of man.
"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:37-39)
The adversary of God and man would be glad to have all men ignorant concerning the coming of the Lord; and that is the cause of the disbelief in the record of the flood.
Willing Ignorance
Still further: We are told that: "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." (2 Peter 3:3-4)
How is it that these scoffers thus throw discredit upon the promise of the Lord's coming, and declare that there is no evidence of any such thing? The answer follows: "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water, and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:5-7)
Further on we are told that "the elements shall melt with fervent heat," (2 Peter 3:10) and that "all these things shall be dissolved." (2 Peter 3:11)
At the day of Judgment there will be a sea of fire overwhelming the earth, just as the waters covered and destroyed the earth in the days of Noah.
From the margin of our Bible, together with the reading of the Revised Version, we can get a more clear idea of the text than we now have. We know that when the earth was created it was a watery mass.
"Darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:2)
Then the waters were separated, some remaining on the surface of the earth, and the larger portion of it being stored up in the earth. These are called "the water under the earth." (Exodus 20:4)
That is, in the beginning, "of old," the earth was "compacted out of water and amidst water," or "consisting of water," a large portion of which was stored up in the earth. Now by this water "the world that then was perished." After Noah went into the ark, "all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." (Genesis 7:11)
The very material out of which the earth was composed, and which was stored up in it, was made the agent of its destruction. If men were not willingly ignorant of this fact, they would not be blind to the coming of the Lord, and the approaching destruction of the world by fire.
The flood reduced the earth almost if not quite to its original chaos. At that time all the changes took place, which by unbelievers are attributed to the lapse of ages. Whole forests of huge trees were buried deep in the earth. These have since turned to coal, which has generated large amounts of oil and gas. As a consequence, there is a vast amount of fire stored in the earth, reserved till the flood of fire that is to overwhelm it.
As in the time of the flood the water out of the depths of the earth united with that which poured forth from the open windows of heaven, so in the last day the fires in the interior of the earth will unite with that which comes down from God out of heaven, to destroy the earth.
All things have not continued as they were from the beginning of creation. Once was the world destroyed by the very elements out of which it was composed, and all the agencies are ready for its second destruction, which, instead of leaving it more curse-marked than before, as was the case with the flood, will cleanse it from the curse, so that there will be a new earth, as in the beginning.
The texts already quoted prove that the flood was universal. It was as extensive as the fires of the last day will be. To deny this is to deny the writings of the apostles, and thus to undermine the Gospel. The 3rd chapter of 2 Peter mentions three worlds:
1. The world that was "of old," from the creation;
2. Another, the one that now is, since the flood; and
3. The third, the new earth, which will emerge from the fires of the day of the Lord.
The three worlds are the same world in three different stages of existence. The universality of the flood is denied only by those who do not credit the prediction that the earth is to be destroyed again, this time more completely than before, by fire.
Saved by Water
There is reference to the flood, which sometimes puzzles the reader. The first portion of the text tells us that by the same Spirit by which Christ was raised from the dead, He went in the days of Noah, "while the ark was a preparing," and "preached unto the spirits in prison," that is, to the captives of sin, shut up under the law. "The longsuffering of God waited one hundred and twenty years, while Noah was building the ark, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3:19-21)
Just a word about the expression, "saved by water." In the margin of the Revision we have this reading:
"Few, that is, eight souls, were brought safely through water."
The Greek word is the same as that in (Acts 23:24), where we read that the two centurions were commanded to provide beasts for Paul, whereby they might "bring him safe" to the governor; and a close parallel to the one in Peter is found in (Acts 27:43-44), where we read of Paul's escape from shipwreck, together with his traveling companions. Some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship, "they escaped all safe to land." (Acts 27:44)
By means of the boards and broken pieces of the ship the people who were with Paul were all conveyed through the water to a place of safety; and by the ark Noah and his family were brought safely through the water. So here we see that the ark, and not the water of the flood, is referred to as the means of salvation.
Baptism Does Now Save Us
"The like figure whereunto baptism does also now save us." (1 Peter 3:21)
How does baptism save us? By the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21)
"Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4)
"As many of you as have been baptized into Jesus Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27)
Baptism means being enclosed in the life of Christ as really as Noah was shut up in the ark. Only in the ark could he find safety, and only in Christ is there salvation for any man.
Baptism saves us, but not if it is only a form. It is not the washing of the body in water, but "the answer of a good conscience toward God;" it is the cleansing of the conscience by the water of the life of Christ.
Riding on a Sea of Fire
But there is a still further parallel. When the waters overflowed the earth, destroying it, Noah and his family, safe in the ark, rode upon the sea. That which covered up the corrupt earth with its wicked inhabitants, bore righteous Noah in safety. Even so it will be in the last days, the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Before the final act of Judgment, the holy city, the New Jerusalem, will come down from God out of heaven, and will take its place upon the earth. We know that it comes down upon this old earth, before it is made new, because we read in Revelation 20 that at the close of the thousand years during which the earth will lie desolate, the second resurrection--the resurrection of the wicked--will take place, and that Satan will then go forth among them to deceive them, and to gather them together to battle.
"And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." (Revelation 20:9)
After that the new heaven and the new earth are seen. And where will the New Jerusalem be all the time that the flames are devouring the earth with its wicked inhabitants? It will be riding on the lake of fire as securely as the ark rode on the billows of the flood. The saints of God inside of it will be saved through the fire. They will be able to dwell with the devouring fire, and with everlasting burnings.
"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil." (Isaiah 33:14-15)
The Ark of Safety
It is just that great salvation that is secured by baptism into Christ, by being hidden in Him.
"We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks." (Isaiah 26:1)
Its walls shall be called Salvation, and its gates Praise, (Isaiah 60:18) because: "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved." (Psalm 46:5)
Its strength is simply the strength of the everlasting God, our refuge. The safety of the saints in the city, as it rides on the billows of fire that will rise literally "mountains high," will be only the safety that everyone now finds, who is hidden in the Rock of Ages.
Not rocks nor hills could guard so well,
Fair Salem's happy ground,
As those eternal arms of love,
That every saint surround.[1]--Present Truth, July 11, 1901--Genesis 7.
E.J. Waggoner
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