THE ARK POINTS TO JESUS CHRIST
AS THE LORD OF THE SABBATH

In the Genesis account of the Great Flood there is a recurrence of the seven day cycle that marked the important events concerning the Ark. God informed Noah, "For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights. . . And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth." (Gen. 7:4,10) From this we can see that forty days is the period of judgement whereas seven days is the period of grace. "So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the Ark which he had made. Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had abated from the face of the earth. . . And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the Ark. Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had abated from the earth. So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return to him anymore. . . . Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 'Go out of the the Ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you." (Gen.8:6-16)

How did Noah come to know about the seven day cycle? The Bible states: "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did." (Gen. 6:22) Noah must have received the revelation of the seven day week from the Creator. It was given to mankind at Creation. "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (Gen. 2:1-3)

The Seventh Day Sabbath is given to mankind for rest, blessings and sanctification. Our Lord Jesus Christ "is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." (Col. 1:15-17) As Creator of the universe Jesus Christ declared: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." (Mk. 2:27-28) Since the Seventh Day Sabbath is given to mankind Christians who accept Jesus Christ as Lord must honor His Lordship by worshiping Him on the Sabbath day.

The Great Flood began when "all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. . . The waters increased and lifted up the Ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the Ark moved about on the surface of the waters." (Gen. 7:11, 17-18) Regardless of the turbulence and upheaval in the external conditions Noah and his family experienced peace and rest inside the Ark. Whenever believers abide in the Lord Jesus Christ they can also enjoy the true Sabbath rest regardless of how dismal the conditions may be in the world. (Mt. 11:28-30) Our Lord gave these words of comfort: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (Jn. 16:33)