The Ark of Safety

[Nahum]

I have always heard that Noah's boat is "The Ark of Safety".
I've listened to many sermons comparing the church to this ark. Is this a good analogy?

Analogy Positives:
1. It was a safe ark - rescuing those who chose to obey the voice of God.
2. It was a transport from one world to the next.

Analogy Negatives:
1. This "safe" ark carried sin from one world to the next.
2. Our focus should not be on the church as our savior.

What do you think?

[Nahum]

Is there saving power in the church?

[LadyChocolate]

No the church cannot save you...............But you can find sooo much strength among good brothers and sisters. And many find healing there too. I know healing comes from God, but God also uses people to help heal others. There is a refuge and their is safety in the house of God!

[Ferd]

The UPCI is that ARK.... he says with bowed head...

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by Ferd

The UPCI is that ARK.... he says with bowed head...

That's what I have always heard....did he leave the ark?

[RevDWW]

Baptism in Jesus Name is the Ark.

[OneAccord]

Ive heard it preached like this: The story of Noah and the Ark represents the plan of salvation.


The ark.... repentance.

The water.... Water baptism in Jesus Name.

Dry Land.... the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

The apostle Peter taught that Noah and family being saved in the flood was a type of our being saved in baptism.

So then the ark would probably be analogous to, or a type of, being in Christ (not the church).

Noah and family were a type of the church, the flood event was a type of conversion-initiation, thus the ark must represent Christ.

Noah was instructed in the details of the ark's construction - as Moses also was instructed in the details of the Tabernacle's construction - pointing to the fact that salvation is by Divine Ordinance, and Revelation from God, and not by man's ingenuity.

Only in the ark were Noah and family safe from destruction, only in Christ are we safe from destruction.

The waters of the flood acted as a separating influence between Noah and family, and the ungodly, as did the Red Sea as well... and baptism in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST acts as a separating influence between the saints and the rest of the world.

In fact, the thing that carried the ark (the waters of the flood) is the very thing that destroyed the ungodly - baptism in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST will carry us to safety, but is the "test" by which the ungodly and unbelieving will fall.

The animals were sent into the ark with Noah and family, by Divine Order beyond Noah's control... provision has been made for our every need by Divine Order, in Christ....

The animals were saved from destruction in the ark - Christ will eventually redeem the entire planet from the corruption now in the world.

There were clean, and unclean, animals in the ark. Is it so today, in Christ? In a sense, as Jesus taught in several parables (wheat and tares, the man with the great net, etc).

So then it seems that the ark does not represent the church, but rather Christ, being in the ark means to be in Christ (ie to be in the new covenant).

Of course, every analogy will eventually fail at some point, if pressed too far.