Scripture Reading: Gen. 6:14-16; 7:13; Phil. 2:12-16; 1 Pet. 3:20-21
Ⅰ
The ark is a type of Christ—not only the individual Christ but also the corporate Christ, the church, which is the Body of Christ and the new man to consummate in the New Jerusalem—1 Pet. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 12:12; Col. 3:10-11; Rev. 21:2:
A
The length of the ark was three hundred cubits, the width fifty cubits, and the height thirty cubits—Gen. 6:15:
１
The basic numbers in God's building are three and five (cf. Exo. 27), which signify the mingling of the Triune God with man through His divine dispensing—2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6.
２
God's building is to build Himself into us and us into Him, making Him one with us and us one with Him—Eph. 3:16-19.
B
The ark was of three stories—the lower, the second, and the third—Gen. 6:16:
１
The three sections of the tabernacle signify the depths into which we all must enter; the three stories of the ark signify the height to which we all must attain.
２
The three stories of the ark signify the Triune God:
ａ
The Spirit brings us to the Son, and the Son brings us to the Father; when we come to the Father, we are in the third story—Luke 15:4-7, 8-10; 18-23; Eph. 2:18.
ｂ
John's First Epistle unveils that the fellowship of the divine life brings us to the very source of grace and truth, which is God the Father as the divine love and the divine light, for our deeper and finer enjoyment in the fellowship of the divine life—John 1:14, 16-17; 1 John 1:3, 5; 4:8, 16.
３
We need to enter into the deepest and highest intimacy with our Triune God so that He can bring us to the "third story" to show us His mysteries, secrets, and hidden treasures—1 Cor. 2:9; 2 Cor. 2:10; Exo. 33:11.
C
In the ark there was one opening toward the heavens for the light—Gen. 6:16:
１
The Hebrew word for opening has the same root as the word for noon; this means that when you are under the opening, the window, you are in the noontime and are full of light—cf. Prov. 4:18.
２
Just as there was only one window, one opening, in the ark, there is only one window, one revelation, and one vision through one ministry in God's building—Acts 26:19; Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; cf. 2 Kings 2:2, 9, 13-15.
Ⅱ
The ark is a symbol of the salvation accomplished in God's economy:
A
There is only one door, one entrance, into the ark; this one door is Christ—Gen. 7:13, 16; John 10:9:
１
Noah's entering into the ark is a type of our entering into Christ—John 3:16; Gal. 3:27.
２
Once we believe into the Lord Jesus, we are "shut in" by God with no way to get out of Him—cf. John 10:28-29; Psa. 139:7-12.
B
The ark was made of gopher wood, a kind of cypress, a resinous wood that can withstand the attack of water; this is a figure of the crucified Christ, who can withstand the waters of death—Gen. 6:14; Acts 2:24.
C
The ark was covered within and without with pitch, which is a type of the redeeming blood of Christ, which covers God's building within and without—Gen. 6:14; Heb. 9:14; Exo. 12:13:
１
The Hebrew word for pitch has the same root as the word for atonement, which means "to cover."
２
Noah and his family were saved from the judgment of the flood by the pitch upon the ark, signifying that the believers in Christ are saved from God's judgment by the redeeming blood of Christ—Rom. 5:9.
３
Whenever we look at the blood, we have peace; whenever God looks at the blood, He is satisfied; whenever Satan looks at the blood, he is unable to attack; whenever the angels look at the blood, they rejoice—Rev. 12:11.
D
The water through which Noah passed is a figure of water baptism—1 Pet. 3:20-21:
１
The pitch on the ark, signifying the blood of Christ, saved Noah from the judgment of the flood, whereas the water of the flood, signifying the water of baptism, not only judged the world but also separated Noah from the evil age—Exo. 14:26-30; Acts 2:40-41.
２
The ark's passing through the water of death and coming to rest on the mountains of Ararat is a type of Christ's passing through death and resurrecting out of death—Gen. 8:4; cf. Exo. 12:2, 6.
E
To receive salvation by faith is once for all; to work out our own salvation, to carry it out, bring it to its ultimate conclusion, is lifelong—Phil. 2:12-16:
１
We are saved from murmurings and reasonings by the inner operating Triune God to shine as luminaries in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation for His good pleasure—vv. 13-15.
２
To work out our own salvation is to hold forth the word of life, which is to apply, present, and offer the word of life to the world by living out Christ; this is our building work—v. 16; 2 Tim. 3:16; John 6:63; 1 John 1:1-2; 1 Cor. 14:4b.