p. 14 | THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 17, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 29.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

INTERNATIONAL SERIES

LESSON 3.—JULY 21.—NOAH SAVED IN THE ARK.

Lesson Scripture, Gen. 8: 15-22, R.V.

Golden Text.— “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Gen. 6: 8.

15 “And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, 16 thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with 17 thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both fowl, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon 18 the earth. And Noah went forth and his sons, and his wife, 19 and his sons’ wives with him; every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, whatsoever moveth upon the earth, after their families, went out of the ark. And Noah 20 builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled the sweet savor; and the Lord said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, for that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more 22 everything living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) When the waters of the flood were dried up, who spoke to Noah? Verse 15. (2) What did God command him to do? Verse 16. Note 1. (3) What was Noah to bring with him out of the ark? For what purpose had these creatures been preserved? Verse 17. (4) Did Noah obey the command of the Lord? Verses 18, 19. Note 2. (5) What was the first thing that Noah built? What did he offer on this altar? Verse 20. Note 3. (6) How was this offering received by the Lord? What did He say? Verse 21. Note 4. (7) What promise was made concerning the seasons and products of the earth? Verse 22.

NOTES.

1. In just five months after the deluge began its work upon the earth, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. In another two months and a half the tops of the mountains were seen. In forty days from this time, Noah sent forth a raven. As the raven could subsist on carrion, it found plenty of food on the mountains, and did not return. He also sent forth a dove, but it returned. In seven days more he sent out the dove again, and it returned with an olive leaf in its mouth. Another seven days passed, and the dove was sent forth again, but did not return. According to the record, Noah had been in the ark a year and seventeen days when God told him to go out.

2. Notwithstanding the great number and great variety of living creatures confined in the ark, and the terrible dashing of the vessel during the forty days’ storm, and the long period of confinement, not a single creature perished. Their salvation from the terrible judgment upon the earth was complete. The ark was a success. So Jesus Christ, whose hand preserved the ark and its occupants, and who is Himself the antitypical Ark, will surely save every one who takes refuge in Him from the future great destruction of the ungodly. There will not be one lost. He gave His own life, that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Then His life is pledged to save all who put their trust in Him.

3. It should not be forgotten that even before the flood there was a distinction between clean and unclean beasts and fowls, altho there was no permission to eat any of them until after Noah came out of the ark. The clean beasts evidently were such as were acceptable to God in sacrifice.

4. The terrible judgment on unregenerate mankind did not change the human heart. The expression, “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth,” is prophetic. It was not because man would be any better in the future than in the past, that God said, “Neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.” The destruction by the flood was simply an object-lesson, a type of the final destruction by fire, which will destroy the wicked “root and branch,” and purify the earth and make it a fit dwelling-place for righteousness. See Ps. 37: 9-11, 18-20; Mal. 4: 1; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 20.

See, also, article entitled “By Grace Are Ye Saved,” on page 6 of this paper.