The Decks of the Ark
A Devotional Series from Genesis
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
6/8 Reading Portions: Deuteronomy 12; Psalms 97-98; Isaiah 40; Revelation 10
Genesis 6:16
“Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.”
LIBERTY
Noah was commanded to make decks within the ark as well. Again, while our salvation is all of God’s grace through the work of Christ, we are not inactive in our Christianity. Our behavior springs forth from a loving and fearful response to God’s love through Christ’s substitutionary Sacrifice and His imputed righteousness, as reflected by making a roof for the ark of our salvation. We are also active evangelists, sharing the good news of the gospel of Christ with others, as reflected by setting a door in the side of our ark’s saving grace. Finally, we are to make decks within the lives of our salvation, lower, second, and third decks. What does this mean? This one thing overlaps with the first two, as it is the love we express to Christ by loving one another as believers. Jesus said,
“By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
This attitude toward confessing believers is manifested in a liberty of love toward our brothers and sister in Christ. This doesn’t give license to every lewdness and lasciviousness the wanton flesh lusts after. The decks are built within the confines of the ark. Therefore, our behavior and perspectives are governed by the boundaries of scriptural salvation. Nevertheless, we must always keep two important things in mind: First, all truth is revelation truth (Heb 1:1-2); and we must be guided in that truth by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). Second, only God sees the heart of man (1 Sam 16:7). I don’t know where people are in their maturity as believers. Neither do you. So, we love them, and trust that our Sovereign Creator and Redeemer will bring them, and us, where they, and we, need to be.
There are three decks within the ark, because in salvation among both men and women, we are described in this way: fathers, young men, and children. The Holy Spirit tells us:
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 1 John 2:13
In our growth in grace, we may even experience all three of these levels of maturity at the same time in different areas of our lives. But we should rest assured that Christ Jesus will reveal His truth to us as we are able to hear it (Matt 11:15; Mark 4:33; John 16:12). Hallelujah! What a Savior!