Back to the Ark

Since we were going to be driving across the country anyway, my children, my adventurous mom, and I decided to visit The Ark Encounter in Kentucky.

We had visited several years ago, but we were excited to build on our knowledge.

I have a particular interest in the pitch Noah used to cover the ark, and I was hoping to find more information about it. I was not disappointed.

I found an exhibit dedicated to the topic of pitch. It read: “God told Noah to coat the Ark inside and out with pitch. Since petroleum-based pitch formed as a result of the Flood, the pitch Noah used was likely made from tree resin, providing further waterproofing for the Ark.”

Back in July, I did a little research for this column about the word “mercy.” It’s a complex word in Scripture, but I learned that the concepts of steadfast love, atonement, mercy, and the mercy seat all have their root in the word Genesis uses for Noah’s Ark pitch. (You can read those musings at https://sarahdixonyoung.com/2023/07/23/got-you-covered/ )

What I didn’t discover until my recent visit to the Ark is that it would have come from tree resin. 

How interesting!

The Lord instructed Noah to use what flowed from the tree to waterproof the Ark that would save him and his family from the judgment of the flood.

One thing that is apparent to everyone who visits the Ark Encounter is that Noah would not have been very popular in his day and age.

As the Psalmist wrote, “I have been a portent to many…”

Noah was the walking definition of a “portent:” a previous sign indicating the approach of evil or calamity. Even though his name meant “comfort,” his presence meant being reminded of the judgment of God.

Even if they didn’t believe it would really come, the people in Noah’s day probably didn’t like to hear preaching about judgment, damnation, or traumatic end-of-the-world events any more than people today do.

The Psalmist continued his ‘portent’ Psalm: “I have been as a portent to many, but You are my strong refuge.”

Anyone who won’t cover themselves with what flowed from the tree of Christ on Calvary may view Christians as a portent. Our lives are a reminder that God will judge. However, like Noah, we can choose to follow God’s directions, confess our sins, be covered inside and out in His blood, and make Him our strong Refuge.

Look around you. The time is growing short. It is time we headed back to the Ark. It is time we remembered that even in God’s judgment He shows mercy to those who are covered by the pitch that flowed from the tree. 

Once we have been covered by the blood of Christ, we should use every minute to share His mercy with others. They may avoid us as “portents” and troublers, but they may also come to take Refuge in the only God who can save.