Sometimes, you must do what you’re told, which won’t make sense.
Most of my readers will know this. Speed limits, for example. I often think speed limits are too low (sometimes, I think they’re too high in certain areas). Yet, I must obey them or risk the consequences.
How about when the Lord calls me to do something? Do I obey Him the first time? What about when what He’s telling me to do doesn’t make sense? Do I operate in faith or fear?
What about you?
As we’ve been going through Genesis, we’re in one of the more familiar parts. But for all our familiarity, there are details we might not know. After the judgment of the Lord was set, we move on to Genesis 6:13-22. It’s tempting to skim over this but read it slowly. Focus on the words.
13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Genesis 6:13-22, New International Version
God speaks to Noah. The name of God used here is not His covenant name (translated as LORD). It’s His “kingly name” (translated as God). This is the King of the Universe telling His creation what to do.
He declares the judgment on creation (verse 13). He is ending the lives of all the people because they have filled His Earth with violence. Left with their own choices, they have chosen evil.
The Lord then commands Noah to make an ark. Then, the architect of the universe lays out the plans for Noah to follow (verses 14-16). The ark’s material was cypress wood, and its general design was a cruise ship complete with rooms.
For waterproofing, it would have pitch on the inside and out. This black, gummy substance is usually extracted from pine. The Hebrew word refers to mineral pitches obtained from natural asphalt deposits. Regardless, it would have been a great waterproofing for this massive ship.
The dimensions might be hard to conceptualize in our minds. In modern terms, the dimensions would have made the ark 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. For those who enjoy the details, it would have had a displacement of 43,000 tons and been taller than a modern three-story building. The deck space on a ship this big would have been around the size of 36 tennis courts (IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Genesis 6:14-16).
In addition, it would have a roof, a door on the side, and three decks. Since this would have been the size of a modern three-story building, we can imagine that each deck might been one floor high. It also would have a skylight or space between the roof and walls (the Hebrew words could go either way).
Noah was to build this enormous ship and bring the animals and food necessary for survival.
Given the size of this ark, the preparations needed for its passengers, and the reason it was needed (the destruction of the earth), verse 22 truly stands out as impressive: Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
There’s no doubt that this was a unique situation. But Noah still had to obey the Lord. He still had to have the faith to do this even though the destruction had not been seen yet. It was faith: operating without seeing. Noah obeyed the Lord to do this enormous undertaking without so much as a drop of rain.
How about you? When the Lord calls you to do something, do you obey like Noah and do it? Or do you debate, rationalize, or doubt?
When the King of the Universe looks down on us, may He find us quick to obey like Noah.
Life Meets Theology 