"THE UNSINKABLE VESSEL"

Press, 28 April 1980, Page 12

"THE UNSINKABLE VESSEL"

We ought to be interested in the world conditions of Noah's time for th© Bible tells us that similar conditions will exist in the day of our Lord's Return. Jesus said, "die world will be at ease banquets and' parties and weddings — just as it was in Noah’s time, before the sudden coming of the flood; people . wouldn't - believe what was going, to happen until the flood actually arrived and took them all: away. So shall my coming be.” Noah is associated with the idea of "rest — comfort or bring relief.''. Noah : is first mentioned in (Gen. 5) as a eon of Lantech and the last of ’ the 10 ante-diluvian.

patriarchs. Only Noah and his family survived the flood. Noah was 500 years old when his first son was born. The flood cams 100 years later, in obedience to God's instructions he built an ark and warned his fellow men that divine judgment was impending. To God's exact instructions Noah aided by his family built the ark which .was about 625 feet long, 104 feet wide, and .62% feet high. Upto 1850 AD there was'no ship in the history of the world as large as the ark. Of the world s steamers up to 1932 less than 1% were as large and only 160 were longer, 7 wider and 8 higher than the

ark. Only 6 had a greater tonnage. The capacity of the ark was equivalent in tonnage to more than 600 freight cars, which would form a train about 4 miles and capable of ' handling over. 90 million pounds. The -ark ' was easily big enough for all it was to hold. The fish and other sea creatures stayed in the sea; insects were small as well as snakes and lizards. The average size of most mammals was no larger than a dog. The birds could have easily lodged in .the ceilings or been hung- up in cages. An ox is allowed 20sq. feet on a modem vessel. If this : much room was allowed in the ark for each of the larger mammals there would have: been

ampla room for all including food for a voyage of one year and 17 days. Noah was regarded as blameless or faultless. "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (6:9). His pattern of living issued out of his intimate relationship with God characterised by the Genesis author as "walking with God" and by the author of Hebrews (11:7) as "heir of righteousness." God hates sin and must, because of His holy and just and righteous ..character, punish it. The

ark was God's voice to the people of that day. It was a long sermon — at feast 120 years. It was a righteous sermon. It was an illustrated sermon — they could see it. There was no excuse. God's invitation to Noah "Come thou and all thy house into the ark” (7:11 and they were saved. How then are men saved today from the judgment to come? "For by grace are you saved through faith in Christ; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8)