02-01-2026 Come Into The Ark
Text: Genesis 7:1-7
This morning we are going to begin a series of sermons that show us God’s Invitations that are contained throughout the Bible. There are many in both the Old and New Testaments – from Genesis to Revelation - and each one is God’s call of love to each one of us.
The first is found in Genesis 7:1-7 that says: “ (1) And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all your house into the Ark; for you have I seen righteous before Me in this generation. (2) Of every clean beast you shall take to you by sevens, the male, and his female; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. (3) Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male, and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the Earth. (4) For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the Earth forty days and forth nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the Earth. (5) And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him. (6) And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the Earth. (7) And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his son’ wives with him, into the Ark because of the waters of the flood.”
Noah has already built the Ark according to the specification given to him by God. It’s interesting to note that the word “come’ used by God in verse one tells us that God is the first one in the ark. Had He been outside, He would have said, “Go into the Ark.” The New Testament letter to the Hebrews tells us that Noah prepared this ark because he believed the divine warning from God. Noah experienced rejection because he was different from his neighbors. God commanded him to build a huge boat in the middle of dry land, and although God’s command seemed foolish, Noah obeyed. His obedience made him appear strange to his neighbors, just as the new beliefs of Jewish Christians undoubtedly made them stand out from theirs. As we obey God, we shouldn’t be surprised if others give us labels or regard us as different. Our obedience make their disobedience stand out. Remember, when God asks us to do something, He will give us the necessary strength to carry out the task.
We also learn in verse one that Noah had faith in the coming Redeemer, because that’s the only faith that God will recognize. Paul wrote in Hebrews 11:7 it was by faith that Noah, being warned of God of things not yet seen was moved with fear (meaning awe) and prepared the ark to save him and his household and became an heir to the righteousness which only comes by faith in the Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Other people were warned of the coming disaster but chose to ignore it. Today, things haven’t changed that much. Just as in the time of Noah, there are those who are wicked in their thoughts and actions, corrupt in their moral decisions, and choose violence in their dealings with one another. Everyday thousands of people are warned of God’s inevitable judgment yet most of them don’t really believe it will happen and could care less if it does. We can expect that our warnings of God’s coming judgement will also be ignored no matter how hard we try to tell them. But God’s promise and deliverance from calamity to Noah and his family inspire us to trust God for deliverance in any judgment that will certainly come.
The animals that were brought weren’t a reference to the Levitical Law because that wouldn’t be made known for another nine hundred years. It was more likely the clean animals known from the days of Adam and Abel and had been offered as a sacrifice. So God was making provisions for Noah’s ability to sacrifice when he left the Ark after the flood waters subsided.
The command to enter the ark was given a week before the rains would begin and rain such as the world had never known would destroy everything that God had ever made. At six hundred years old, Noah and his family obeyed God.
Destruction will ultimately come to the wicked because as we are told in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. But Noah was offered grace by God and that grace is still offered today to anyone who chooses to accept it. Grace is the underserved favor of God that we can’t ever earn. It’s a gift that comes from Him that we receive when we choose Jesus as Lord and Savior.
God issued an invitation to Noah to take a step of faith when He told him to come into the Ark with his family. He was also told to bring pairs of every animal walking the earth with him. Seven pairs were taken of those used for food and for sacrifice – the “clean” animals. It has been estimated that almost 45,000 animals could have fit into the ark. The invitation included Noah’s whole family when God said, “and all thy house.”
God wants entire families to be saved as we read in Acts 16:30-31. He wants an unbroken circle, and His faithfulness is to all generations as told in Psalm 119:90. It’s important for each of us to work to lead our families to Jesus. It can be very difficult to do this but if we are faithful, God will give us the wisdom and the power to do it.
We learn in Revelation that there’s a storm is coming that will ultimately result in a recreation by God of the world as we know it. The question is who is going to be there to be part of the new earth? Anyone can be part of it by accepting God’s invitation by faith to come to Him through Jesus Christ. It becomes the task of those of us who have already accepted the invitation to ensure that we are doing everything possible to ensure that those we care most about in our lives accept it as well. We can’t make the decision for others, but we can guide them to what is needed and show them the benefits of accepting God’s offer of grace by faith.
Noah built the ark on faith, and he had to enter it by faith to be saved from the destruction of a flood that hasn’t yet begun. Noah’s salvation was by grace through faith. Our salvation is also by grace through faith as we are shown in Ephesians 2:8-9. Noah was saved from the wrath of God in the flood by faith. We are saved from the wrath of God by faith in Jesus as John tells us in John 3:36 when he wrote “He who believes on the Son has everlasting life; and he who believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.” The only way to be released from sin is by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and our faith in that finished work on the Cross. Anyone who doesn’t do that remains a fallen sinner and will the wrath of God who is forever opposed to sin and those who allow it to remain in their lives. Every person ever born can accept God’s invitation to eternal life or reject it and experience the benefits or consequences of their choice.
Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.