After a full year in the ark, Noah and his family stepped out into a new world. It was a new beginning. All flesh had died, all “in whose nostrils was the breath of life” (Gen 7:21–22; 2:7). But now Noah and his sons were given the same commandment as Adam had received as they began their new life in a changed world: “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered” (Gen 9:1–2; 8:17). The repetition of the very expressions used to describe the creation of which Adam was the head (Gen 1:24–26), indicates that we are meant to see Noah as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the saviour of his house and who will have dominion over a new creation in which we hope to share (Heb 2:6–10).
A type of baptism
It is not surprising, then, to find that Peter uses the record of Yahweh’s salvation as extended to Noah as a type of baptism. The apostle writes, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth 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 Pet 3:21). Peter makes two important points here. Firstly, baptism is an act which is more than a ritual, but which has profound moral implications. He says that it has no physical effect: “not the putting away of the filth of the flesh”, but it is the answer of a good conscience. Secondly, we can now be saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul explains how this is possible: “Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). This new life is modelled on the example of Jesus, hence, we are “saved by his life” (Rom 5:10).
Peter makes a further reference to the flood when he says Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” or a “herald of righteousness” (2 Pet 2:5 ESV). To proclaim the truth we must be living the truth. Noah not only proclaimed the righteousness of God but he was also an example of righteousness as Yahweh said to him, “For thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation” (Gen 7:1). The Apostle John reminds us that, “Every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (1 John 2:29). We know that in our Lord, our sins are forgiven but that does not absolve us from our obligation to “do righteousness” in our daily life!
A warning for us
When Peter makes his third reference to the Flood, he says that the Flood provided a warning to all generations (2 Pet 3:5–7). Even though Yahweh may be longsuffering, He can destroy an entire generation off the face of the earth if their wickedness is beyond redemption and they mock His Word. He says that we look for “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (v13). Verses 12 and 13 are a quotation from Isaiah 65:17–18, which says that the “new heavens and new earth” refer to the time when Yahweh will make “Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy”, the Kingdom age when the Lord returns. We hope to be there if we heed the warnings sounded by Peter. We cannot become entangled with this world and its wicked society, which is about to be swept away, otherwise we too will be swept away with it.
The Lord also used the example of the Flood as a warning for us: “But as the days of Noe 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 Noe 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” (Matt 24:37–39). Here Jesus’ warning concentrates upon the suddenness with which the Flood took away the generation which did not heed Noah’s preaching. We can so easily fall into the same trap of indulgence in the present and not be concentrating upon the future.
The path to destruction described in Genesis 6 began when “the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (v1–2). The marriage bond was soon lightly regarded and the separation from the wicked world broke down. The apostle John says that we are the sons of God (1 John 3:1). The ecclesia was declining and affected by their society early in the story of Noah, not late! They were going in “the way of Cain” (Jude 1:11). The modern ecclesia would be well advised to note this warning as some similar signs are already observable in the ecclesial world of our day. Paul says Noah demonstrated his faith and “condemned the world” by the very action of building the ark (Heb 11:7). Likewise our actions should condemn the world by the very difference we exhibit in our way of life. Similarly, the Lord Jesus “condemn[ed] the world” by never sinning (John 3:17–19; Rom 8:3).
The Genesis record shows that Noah was responsive to God’s warning and believed Him. Noah believed in things, “not seen” as yet, this being the destruction of the Flood. Thus, he demonstrated the very meaning of faith as defined in Hebrews 11:1 as the “evidence of things not seen”. In verse 13, Paul says that the faithful see the promises afar off. We need to make a reality of the future, not the present. In Hebrews 11, Noah, Abraham and Moses are all said to have demonstrated this characteristic of faith. Paul also says that Noah was, “moved with fear” which means “devout care or wariness” (v7). Do we approach the future with wariness? We should be careful then that our walk in the Truth is one of faithfulness and obedience like that of Noah.
Walking with God
Noah is described as just, upright, obedient, righteous, having found grace (favour) in the eyes of Yahweh and walking with God (Gen 6:8,9,22; 7:1). We usually go for a walk with intimate acquaintances, friends, spouses and family members with whom we have a special and precious relationship. The prophet Amos said, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed”? (3:3). What a wonderful relationship Noah must have had then with his God! We must seek to have such a relationship also, through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was “to bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). The true accord which existed between Yahweh and Noah also existed between Yahweh and Abraham, who also walked before his God (Gen 17:1).
Noah built the first altar mentioned in Scripture and offered burnt offerings upon it (Gen 8:20–22). The record says that it was a “sweet savour” to Yahweh and brought a response from Yahweh’s heart. This further illustrated the wonderful relationship Noah enjoyed with his God. A covenant was then made with Noah, which reassured him and all generations ever since, that Yahweh will never again smite “every thing living”, but will continue to work with man and progress His plan of salvation though man is helplessly inclined to sin (v21).
We see in this episode the principles which became the foundation of the Mosaic sacrificial code later on in God’s purpose. We read that the burnt offering was uniquely examined internally, washed internally and laid in order on the altar with the head first, followed by the body and legs. It was totally consumed on the altar and ascended as a “sweet savour” to God (Lev 1:13). We know from Jesus’ discussion with the scribe in Mark 12:28–34 that the burnt offering stood for the total dedication of our heart, understanding, life, and strength to God, as well as moral cleanliness and the love of others. Thus was demonstrated Noah’s commitment to his God, who had saved him from the destruction of the Flood.
The law of blood
There was another law given to Noah: the ‘law of the blood’ (Gen 9:4). This law became fundamental to the Law of Moses’ sacrificial code as demonstrated in Leviticus 17:10–16. Here the truth is repeatedly expressed that, “the life of the flesh is in the blood”. This is a repetition of the same words given to Noah. However, in Leviticus 17, we see that the blood was given by Yahweh upon the altar as an atonement for their life (v11). It was the blood of an unblemished animal of the flock or herd, whilst the blood of a wild or hunted animal was not ‘related’ to the altar, but was poured out and covered with dust (v13,14). The blood which Yahweh accepted upon the altar can only represent the “precious blood” of Jesus’ unblemished life, whilst the other represents those who are unredeemed by the Lord’s sacrifice and who are consigned to the dust of the earth (1 Pet 1:18–19; Eph 1:7).
We remember the Lord’s sacrifice each first day of the week in the familiar words, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt 26:28). The Lord, like Noah, was a representative man, who saved his house whilst being saved himself; he also will ultimately bring the earth under his dominion. Jesus was sent by the grace of God to “taste death for every man”, “the children which God [had] given [him]” (Heb 2: 8–10,13). Being “in Christ”, by grace we are the Lord’s family and live in hope of salvation.
In the Genesis record we are again struck by the intimate terms in which Yahweh expressed to Noah His great covenant with “every living creature,” “his seed” and the earth. He said to Noah that this covenant was between “me and you” (Gen 9: 9–12). We find a similar exchange between Abraham and Yahweh when He said that the covenant of circumcision was between “me and thee” (Gen 17:2,7,11). This covenant was performed on the eighth day of a boy’s life and involved ‘cutting off of the flesh’ and was given at the same time as the promise of the birth of Isaac, the promised seed. Noah was the eighth person who saved his house whilst all flesh was “cut off ” by the Flood (cp Gen 9:11). The same principle is therefore expressed in both covenants. We are related to these covenants through Christ and hence we are called the “sons of God”, “born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13).
Another striking connection with Abraham is found in Hebrews 11 where Paul deals with both of these worthies in successive verses. In verse 7 Paul says that, by his faith, Noah “became heir of the righteousness which is by faith”. This is exactly what Paul also said of Abraham in his long exposition upon the faith of Abraham in Romans 4. Both men believed God and had righteousness imputed to them, “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith” (v13). The references to grace (God’s favour v16) and “walking in the steps of that faith” (v12), also call to mind Noah’s example. In Christ we are related to the great covenants given to those two men, as they both speak of God’s purpose to glorify Himself in the earth.
The rainbow
The covenant with Noah was sealed with the sign of the rainbow (Gen 9:12–17). This glorious phenomenon can be seen after a passing shower of rain as the light of the sun passes through the raindrops and is split into its seven component colours. The spectrum moves from red, representing sin, through to the blue end of the spectrum, representing God’s righteousness. It speaks of His purpose to glorify Himself in the earth and not to destroy it. The seven colours together make ‘white light’. Thus, the number eight is again associated with Noah to remind us of the eighth millennium and beyond, when mortal flesh will no longer be in the earth but immortality only.
How fitting then, that two of the great visions of the cherubim, associated with the rainbow, of which we cannot now speak, represent God’s glory revealed in His power and in the saints (Ezek 1:28; Rev 4:3). They are those who have been redeemed out of all nations by the Lord’s sacrifice and who will reign with him upon a revived earth (Rev 5:9–10).
What an incentive we have then, brethren and sisters, to look to our salvation with godly care like Noah did, walking with God and finding intimacy with Him as Noah and Abraham did! We do this through a close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We can only find that oneness with God if we are walking in His ways. What an advantage we have in the life of our Lord being recorded for us in the Word to direct us in the way of righteousness. When walking with these worthies of old, we walk in fine company!