Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/96

64 desire no more, either to make up our losses for God, or to make up a happiness for us in God, than to have his covenant established with us.

III. God here makes Noah a monument of sparing mercy, by putting him in a way to secure himself in the approaching deluge, that he might not perish with the rest of the world. I will destroy them, says God, with the earth, v. 13. "But make thee an ark; I will take care to preserve thee alive." Note, Singular piety shall be recompensed with distinguishing salvations, which are in a special manner obliging. This will add much to the honour and happiness of glorified saints, that they shall be saved, when the greatest part of the world is left to perish.

Now, 1. God directs Noah to make an ark, v. 14..16. This ark was like the hulk of a ship, fitted not to sail upon the waters, (there was no occasion for that, when there should be no shore to sail to,) but to float upon the waters, waiting for their fall. God could have secured Noah by the ministration of angels, without putting him to any care or pains or trouble, himself; but he chose to employ him in making that which was to be the means of his preservation, both for the trial of his faith and obedience, and to teach us that none shall be saved by Christ, but those only that work out their salvation; we cannot do it without God, and he will not without us: both the providence of God, and the grace of God, own and crown the endeavours of the obedient and diligent.

God gave him very particular instructions concerning this building, which could not but be admirably well-fitted for the purpose, when Infinite Wisdom itself was the Architect. (1.) It must be made of gopher wood: Noah, doubtless knew what sort of wood that was, though now we do not, whether cedar, or cypress, or what other. (2.) He must make it three stories high within. (3.) He must divide it into cabins, with partitions, places fitted for the several sorts of creatures, so as to lose no room. (4.) Exact dimensions are given him, that he might make it proportionable, and might have room enough in it to answer the intention, and no more. Note, [1.] Those that work for God, must take their measures from him, and carefully observe them. [2.] It is fit that he who appoints us our habitation, should fix the bounds and limits of it. (5.) He must pitch it within and without; without, to shed off the rain, and to prevent the water from soaking in; within, to take away the ill smell of the beasts, when kept close. Observe, God does not bid him paint it, but pitch it. If God give us habitations that are safe, and warm, and wholesome, we are bound to be thankful, though they are not magnificent or nice. (6.) He must make a little window toward the top, to let in light, and (some think) that through that window he might behold the desolations to be made in the earth. (7.) He must make a door in the side of it, by which to go in and out.

2. God promises Noah, that he and his should be preserved alive in the ark, v. 18, Thou shalt come into the ark.  Note, What we do in obedience to God, we ourselves are likely to have the comfort and benefit of; If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself. Nor was he himself only saved in the ark, but his wife, and his sons, and his sons' wives. Observe, (1.) The care of good parents; they are solicitous not only for their own salvation, but for the salvation of their families, and especially their children. (2.) The happiness of those children that have godly parents; their parents' piety often procures them temporal salvation, as here; and it furthers them in the way to eternal salvation, if they improve the benefit of it.

IV. God here makes Noah a great blessing to the world, and herein makes him an eminent type of the Messiah, though not the Messiah himself, as his parents expected, ch. 5. 29.

1. God made him a preacher to the men of that generation. As a watchman, he received the word from God's mouth, that he might give them warning, Ezek. 3. 17. Thus while the long-suffering of God waited, by his spirit in Noah, he preached to the old world, who, when St. Peter wrote, were spirits in prison, 1 Pet. 3. 18..20, and herein he was a type of Christ, who, in a land and age wherein all flesh had corrupted their way, went about preaching repentance, and warning men of a deluge of wrath coming.

2. God made him a saviour to the inferior creatures, to keep the several kinds of them from perishing and being lost in the deluge, v. 19..21. This was a great honour put upon him, that not only in him the race of mankind should be kept up, and that from him should proceed a new world, the church, the soul of that world, and Messiah, the Head of that church; but that he should be instrumental to preserve the inferior creatures, and so mankind should in him acquire a new title to them and their service. (1.) He was to provide shelter for them, that they might not be drowned. Two of every sort, male and female, he must take with him into the ark; and lest he should make any difficulty of gathering them together, and getting them in, God promises, v. 20, that they should of their own accord come to him. He that makes the ox to know his owner and his crib, then made him know his preserver and his ark. (2.) He was to provide sustenance for them, that they might not be starved, v. 21. He must victual his ship according to the number of his crew, that great family which he had now the charge of, and according to the time appointed for his confinement. Herein also he was a type of Christ, to whom it is owing that the world stands, by whom all things consist, and who preserves mankind from being totally cut off and ruined by sin; in him the holy seed is saved alive, and the creation rescued from the vanity under which it groans. Noah saved those whom he was to rule, so does Christ, Heb. 5. 9.

22. Thus did Noah, according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Noah's care and diligence in building the ark may be considered,

1. As an effect of his faith in the word of God, God had told him he would shortly drown the world; he believed it, feared the threatened deluge, and, in that fear, prepared the ark. Note, We ought to mix faith with the revelation God has made of his wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men; the threatenings of the word are not false alarms. Much might have been objected against the credibility of this warning given to Noah. "Who could believe that the wise God, who made the world, should so soon unmake it again; who had drawn the waters off the dry land, ch. 1. 9, 10, should cause them to cover it again? How would this be reconciled with the mercy of God, which is over all his works; especially that the innocent creatures should die for man's sin? Whence would water be had sufficient to deluge the world?  And, if it must be so, why should notice be given of it to Noah only?" But Noah's faith triumphed over all these corrupt reasonings.

2. As an act of obedience to the command of God; had he consulted with flesh and blood, many objections would have been raised against it. To rear a building, such a one as he never saw, so large, and of such exact dimensions, would put him upon a great deal of care, and labour, and expense; it would be a work of time, the vision was for a great