“Keep Them Alive” (Gen 6:19-20)

“And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.”

Read: Gen 6:11-7:1

Noah's ark is a picture of the believer's life work, believing on Christ, as He is, unto the end, when God rewards us.

First, the believer's purpose in life is to save others. We can't enjoy salvation, if we're not living that others be saved, too (1 Tim 4:16). Noah was required to build the ark, not only for himself, but for those God purposed to save, even as believers live that elect souls may be saved. Paul said, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim 2:10).

Secondly, salvation is by coming to Christ, even as they came to Noah in the ark. Salvation isn't by a man or efforts that we've made. We are not the final piece of the pie; we are the sinners, helpless and vile, and we RECEIVE free grace from God (Gen 6:16). You have not come, until you've taken freely, as your own possession, what Christ has earned – forgiveness, obedience, heaven. You are blessed of God to be saved by a Savior who does it all, gives it freely, and makes us NEEDY enough to take. The church's job is to preach Christ, our hope, that they might be saved by Him.

Thirdly, Noah saved others to experience life instead of death. We are SAVED from the wrath of God and given blessings from God, instead. Instead of getting what everyone else gets, what we deserve, we get life eternal, God, and every blessing of grace (James 1:17-18). Noah obeyed, and God rewarded Him, and there is a reward for the righteous - “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation” (Gen 7:1).

Finally, don't live selfishly and miss Christ. Build the ark, walk exactly as God says, and He will receive you. And, those who believe you, ordained of God, shall be saved, too (Gen 6:22).