The Foreshadowing of God’s Promises To Us That Were Fulfilled in Christ # 3

Noah was also a ‘type’ of Christ

C.F Romans 5: 14b

Imprinted in Noah, God was foreshadowing the promise of our salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior

C.F 2 Corinthians 1: 20a ‘For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ’

The Noah narrative begins in Genesis 6: 5-8

From the time of Adam to the time of Noah there were 10 generations, a period of about 1, 000 years. Adam lived for 930 years and 130 years after his death, Noah was born

Noah was about 550 years old when God commanded him to build a huge boat – an Ark that would save Noah and his family from a flood that God was going to send on the Earth in judgement upon Man’s sin

Genesis 6: 11-22

Now let’s consider some of the comparisons between Noah the ‘type’ and Jesus Christ the realization of the ‘type’ Who is also known as the ‘Antitype’

Noah was a ‘type’ of savior whose name means ‘rest’

Genesis 5: 29 LSB, NASB 1995, NLV,

Whereas Jesus being the realization of the ‘type’ said this, Matthew 11: 28 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”

In the days of Noah, sin was rampant on the Earth

Genesis 6: 5-7

And Jesus said that as sin was rampant on the Earth in the days of Noah it would be the same on the Earth just prior to His return Matthew 24: 37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day”.

C.F Luke 17: 26-27

Noah found favor with God and was described as, Genesis 6: 8-9 ‘a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.’

Whereas Jesus Christ is described in the New Testament like this, Hebrews 2: 10 ‘For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.’ NKJV

Yes, Noah was blameless, but Jesus was perfect!

Noah was the builder of the Ark and the savior of his family who would re-populate the earth

Genesis 6: 22

Whereas Jesus Christ is the Builder and Savior of the Church who will populate Heaven, Matthew 16: 18b ‘I will build My church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.’

C.F Hebrews 3: 4; Revelation 21: 2

For Noah and his family to be saved from God’s judgement on the earth, they had to go into the Ark because salvation was in the Ark

Genesis 7: 1a ‘When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family’”

For us salvation is in Christ! Knowing about Jesus is not enough to be saved – you must be found in Him to be saved; as the great Apostle Paul said, Romans 6: 11b (We are) ‘alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord’.

C.F Romans 8: 1 ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Jesus Christ’ NKJV

Romans 6: 11, 23; Romans 12: 5; Romans 16: 3, 7, 9 NKJV

For Noah and his family to be saved, they had to go into the Ark through the door that God had designed because there was no other way to enter the Ark

Genesis 7: 13

C.F 1 Peter 3: 20; 2 Peter 3: 5

For us, we enter salvation through Jesus Christ who is the only way to the Father; Jesus said, John 10: 9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” NKJV

C.F John 14: 6

Noah’s entrance into the Ark also reminds us that God’s offer of salvation is a ‘time limited’ offer - there was a limited time when the door of the Ark was open and when that time had passed, God closed the door, Genesis 7: 16b ‘the Lord closed the door’

C.F Isaiah 55: 6; Hebrews 3: 7, 15: Hebrews 4: 7

And in the same way, our salvation is also a ‘time limited’ offer from God, 2 Corinthians 6: 2 ‘For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation’. (Not tomorrow)

Salvation is not only a ‘time limited’ offer from God, it is also limited to only those who believe, 1 Peter 3: 20 ‘those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.’

2 Peter 2: 5 ‘And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So, God protected Noah when He destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.’

And concerning our salvation being limited to only those who believe, one time the Disciples asked Jesus this question, Luke 13: 23 ‘Lord, will only a few be saved?’ to which Jesus replied, Matthew 7: 14 ‘the door is narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it’ NLV & NLT

Q. Are you one of the few?

As the flood waters were receding, Noah released a dove (the dove was a picture/symbol of the Holy Spirit) from the Ark; if the dove didn’t return to the Ark that would mean that the dove had found new life on the earth

Genesis 8: 8

Following the resurrection, Jesus released the Holy Spirit upon the earth, not to find new life but to create new life within every believer, John 3: 6b ‘the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life’

C.F Matthew 3: 16; John 14: 16-17; John 15: 26; John 16: 5-8; Acts 2: 1-4

As Noah and his family were safe in the Ark, they were saved through the water

Genesis 7: 7

1 Peter 3: 21 ‘And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.’

Sadly, Noah and his message of salvation were rejected by the unbelieving world

Hebrews 11: 7

But even worse, Jesus was rejected by the unbelieving world and crucified by those that He came to save!

C.F John 19: 15a ‘Away with Him,” they yelled. “Away with Him! Crucify Him!’

Saved and on safe ground again, in his service to God Noah sacrificed animals and birds to the Lord Genesis 8: 20-21

Whereas in His Service to God, Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we might be saved and forgiven of our sin

Hebrews 7: 27b ‘Jesus...offered Himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.’

1 Peter 1: 19 ‘You were bought with the precious blood of the death of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb’ ICB

Here in these few references, we find ample proof that imprinted in Noah the Christ ‘type’ God was foreshadowing His promise of salvation to us that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior

Hebrews 6: 12 ‘follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance’.