THE ARK PREFIGURES THE ATONEMENT

BY THE BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Noah was commanded by God to cover the Ark "inside and outside with pitch." (Gen. 6:14) Pitch is a petroleum by-product which is the base material for coal tar, asphalt and bitumen. It is in great abundance in the region where Noah and his family lived. Pitch is still used as a waterproofing compound in the building industry today. The word 'pitch' is translated from the Hebrew word "kopher" which literally means 'covering'. It is the root word for "kaphar" that means atonement. The pitch that covers the Ark on the inside and the outside therefore prefigures the atonement by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. God declares: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." (Lev. 17:11) Again the word of God states: "And according to the law almost all things are purged by blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." (Heb. 9:22)

The Ark was covered "inside and outside with pitch". Christians are cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on the inside and the outside. The internal cleansing is effected in two ways. In the Holy Communion the Christian partakes of the blood of Jesus Christ. (Mt. 26:28; 1 Cor. 10:16; Jn. 6:53-56) When the Christian walks in the light, fellowships with one another and confesses the sins "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 Jn. 1:6-9)

After Jesus had died on the cross "one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." (Jn. 19:32) By this miracle of the blood and water God had combined the two important events in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The water points to His baptism in the Jordan river and the blood points to His crucifixion on Mount Calvary. The apostle Paul wrote: "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death." (Rom. 6:3) When a Christian is baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ he or she is baptized "not only by water, but by water and blood." (1 Jn. 5:6) Water, by itself, has no cleansing power, but when it is combined with the blood of Jesus Christ sins are remitted. Baptism is the external cleansing by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, brethren, having the boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinklered from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Heb. 10:19-23)