After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. 1 Peter 3: 19 - 22
Let’s continue our story with talking about Noah and his building of the Ark. An important verse in this discussion is Genesis 6:3 “Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” This verse is often misinterpreted as a projection of normal human life span when it is actually the time Noah was given to build the Ark. Psalm 90:10 is the better gage of a human life span in this dispensation. “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures.” Time and human experience bear testimony to the accuracy of Psalm 90. However, Noah was operating in a time in which life spans were measured in centuries not decades.
Men grew in violence in an environment that was at peace. Animals had no fear of men in his dispensation and probably were not carnivorous. Truly, the lion would lay with a child and the child would be as safe as he would be in a crib. Genesis 9:2-3 is a historic moment that bears witness to the change in the physical nature of the planet and is reflected in the animal kingdom. “The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” The answer to how did Noah gather the animals is easy. The animals were not afraid of people. I am also postulating that they were not afraid of each other. Men clearly did not eat meat. I am making the argument that animals did not either. Admittedly, my deduction is not clearly stated in scripture; however it is not an irrational either.
I should explain the word dispensation for readers that are unfamiliar with the concept. “In Christian terms ... it refers to a period in history whereby God dealt with man in a specific way. (Conscience, Law, Grace)” Noah’s pre-flood time would be the age of Conscience, Mosses a time of Law, our own time one of Grace. The flood and the change in the world that followed it are the direct consequence of men’s disobedience to God. Please don’t view these categories as hard lines; there is much carry over from one time to another. The most consistent of these carryovers is the system of sacrifice implemented with Adam that had its fulfillment in Christ.
It is the profound nature of man’s disobedience in the pre flood dispensation that creates the global judgment of God. The level of disobedience may have included a perversion involving angels. I will address that in the next blog. However, before I close I want to talk about the eight people for a few minutes. Noah we know was righteous. The late Samuel Logan Brengle makes a wonderful distinction between righteousness and holiness. He states that righteousness is keeping the God’s law, while holiness is living out God’s character. As this applies to Noah, he is called righteous by the Lord himself. Ezekiel 16: 19-20 makes reference to Noah, Daniel and Job and states that if a city were judged they would be saved but the city lost. The eight post flood citizens of the world include Noah his wife, his three sons and their wives. Acts 16:31 immediately comes to mind, “believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.” This application I believe holds true for Noah’s family.
They are called to repopulate the planet with sacrifice and obedience still being a standard practice. There is radical drop in what for I will describe as the “fumes of Eden”, by that I mean, long life and a peaceful animal kingdom among other things. Peter is using fallen angels and the pre flood generation as examples for us. He is pointed out the necessity of holiness. The foundation principle is, “he who endures to the end shall be saved. His pen will later write, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others.” …2 Peter 2:4-5.. then you and I would be wise to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
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