Rest Only in Christ
January 21, 2012

"But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark" (Genesis 8:9).

Unlike the raven, which Noah had sent out first, the dove could not live on the carrion floating on the flood waters. After nine months cooped up in the Ark, she had reveled in her freedom when Noah first released her from the window of the Ark. Unaware of the outside perils while safe with Noah, she flew gaily off into the open spaces beyond, just like many a professing Christian, eager to cast off the constraints of his or her parental religion. "And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness" (Psalm 55:6-7).

But the dove could find no rest away from Noah, whose very name means "rest"! His father, Lamech, by prophetic inspiration, had called his name Noah, saying, "This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed" (Genesis 5:29). So she finally returned, finding rest once again in Noah's outstretched hands.

Just so, the Lord Jesus, in His greater ark of secure salvation, is waiting at its open window, with arms outstretched, inviting all those weary of the doomed world outside to return to Him. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Christ's message to the weary wanderer is: "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, . . . return unto me; for I have redeemed thee" (Isaiah 44:22). HMM

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All the Fountains of the Deep
August 11, 2012

"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11).

Our text describes the primary physical causes for the Flood of Noah's day, as well as the primary sources for the vast waters which covered the earth. The first source is very interesting from a geological point of view, and to grasp some semblance of its meaning is necessary if we would understand the Flood.

As the "deep" in Scripture usually refers to the ocean (i.e., Genesis 1:2), so the "great deep" which was "broken up" evidently speaks of great subterranean reservoirs or chambers deep inside the earth, all of which spewed forth their contents at the same time. This breakup continued all over the earth for 150 days (see Genesis 7:11; 7:24; 8:2).

The reference to "broken up" merits attention, for it implies a wrenching of the earth's crust, a great tectonic event. The same word is used in Numbers 16:30-33 to describe the supernatural opening up of a great pit into which the rebellious Korah and his followers and their families fell, thereby squelching their mutiny against Moses's leadership.

Any such breaching of the earth's crust results in earthquakes and if occurring under water, results in devastating tsunamis (sometimes called tidal waves) traveling through the water at speeds approaching the speed of sound. Continued pulsation of these fountains all over the earth for 150 days would totally restructure the surface of the earth, demonstrating God's hatred for the sin of the antediluvian world. Coupled with the other factors involved in the Flood, it is no wonder that "the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" (2 Peter 3:6). JDM

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Mt. Ararat and the Resurrection
December 8, 2012.

"And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat" (Genesis 8:4).

The story of Noah's preservation through the awful Flood has been recognised by all Bible students as a beautiful picture of the resurrection. It is, of course, a true story which actually happened the way the Bible describes, but is also a beautiful analogy.

The Flood was sent as a judgment upon the sinful world of Noah's day (Genesis 6:5-7, 11-13, 17). The "wages of sin" (Romans 6:23) has always been death. But God provided a way of salvation (i.e., the Ark which Noah built) to those eight souls who believed, Noah and his family (Genesis 6:8-9, 14-16, 18-22).

Although the analogy is not perfect, it does beautifully illustrate the fact that the punishment for sin is still death, and that God has provided a perfect way of salvation to those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ and in His death on the cross.

In that light, it is interesting to note the date in today's verse, which has great significance. The calendar was changed by God at the time of the Passover, another beautiful prefigure of Christ's work. The seventh month became the first month (Exodus 12:2), and the Passover was to be observed on the fourteenth day of that month (v. 6) each year following. "Christ our passover" (1 Corinthians 5:7) was sacrificed for us on that day (John 19:14) and rose again the third day, the seventeenth day of the first (formerly the seventh) month.

This was the anniversary of the landing of Noah's Ark on the mountains of Ararat, providing its inhabitants new life following judgment of the world and its destruction because of sin. What a blessed picture of our new resurrection life based on Christ's death for our sins. JDM

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What ark
The one that never existed in the first place.
Good luck searching for the non-existent Ark.
You need it.

Zodiac61: What ark

The one that never existed in the first place.
Good luck searching for the non-existent Ark.
You need it.

You are still there arguing, you better jump into the Ark of Jesus to the saving of your soul.

Missing the boat?

NOAH'S ARK FOUND in 2010 on Mount Ararat?

A group of explorers from Hong Kong and Turkey believe they've made a discovery of Biblical proportions. The group say they have found the remnants of Noah's Ark, resting at 13,000 feet atop Mount Ararat. Previous ARK expeditions in decades past have also found evidence that suggested Noah's Ark may have come to rest on Ararat. However, until now, video evidence has been scant. Radio carbon dating, the researchers say, indicates this find is 4,800 years old. If true, THIS is the most significant historical discovery in human history. It will be very telling to see how this story plays out in the main stream media.

- See more at: http://gnli.christianpost.com/video/10-year-old-girl-owns-the-drums-21131#sthash.uTJLNlND.dpuf