Monthly Archives: February 2006

How often have you looked at a painting or drawing of the ark built by Noah and thought, “that thing was huge”? Compared to most sea-going vessels with which we are familiar, the ark was a very large structure. For its day it was simply colossal! Nothing of its size had ever been seen in the ship-building world and, in fact, nothing its size would be seen again until the 1800s AD.

However, take that huge vessel and place it on the Arctic Ocean, the smallest of the four oceans in our modern world. How big does it look now? Place that same massive “floating zoo” on the Pacific Ocean. How large is it compared to the countless gallons of water?

Now, place that same ark on an entire globe covered with water. No land is showing anywhere and, in fact, nothing else is probably seen. Does that not change the perspective just a bit? Yes, the ark was huge, but compared to the water-covered earth, it was the smallest thing one can imagine.

The ark is rightly described as a picture or “type” of the church. It was God’s place of safety and salvation for Noah and his family. There are dozens of parallels that have been drawn between the ark and the church of the New Testament. Phillip Box lists these, among others, in his chapter, “Are You in the Ark,” in the book, Gems from Genesis:

• There was a design to the ark, and there is a design for the church.
• There is only one door to each.
• Each provided safety.
• Each had a faithful builder (Matthew 16:18).
• Only one family was saved in the ark, and only the family of God will be saved in the church (Ephesians 3:15).
• Man’s every need was met in the ark, and man’s deepest needs are met in the church.
• Sure destruction met those who were outside.
• To be safe, Noah and his family had to stay in the ark, and we must stay in the Church.

Add to these great lessons this thought: The church is grand, great, and important. It has changed the world and continues to do so. However, compared to the world of sin and destruction, it is ever so small. The “place of safety” has plenty of room, but so few are inside. Thanks be to God, the door has not yet been shut, but it will be one day.

To ask a question brother Box asks repeatedly in his chapter: “Are you in the ark?”

This book, originally published in 1989, is one that I have been using over the past two months. I have been teaching a class for Faulkner University’s military education program on Christian Ethics. This book by Norman Geisler has served as the textbook.

The book is divided into two major sections. The first section (chapters 1-7) deals with general information concerning ethics and the six major views of ethics. This section is very helpful in helping one understand why some people believe a certain way that may be the polar opposite of my belief system. It also does an adequate job in providing critiques of these different belief systems.

In the second major section (chapters 8-16) major ethical issues are discussed. I was sorely disappointed in some of the chapters, although it must be remembered that this is a survey book. No one issue can be discussed in great detail in a 310-page book. The issues discussed in this section are:

• Abortion (chapter 8)
• Euthanasia (9)
• Biomedical Issues (10)
• Capital Punishment (11)
• War (12)
• Civil Disobedience (13)
• Homosexuality (14)
• Marriage and Divorce (15)
• Ecology (16)

The chapter on marriage and divorce draws incorrect conclusions. The writer obviously believes that one may divorce for more reasons that just adultery, so long as the divorcee asks for forgiveness from the Father. The writer does not say, however, that the divorcee must then be reconciled to the innocent party or live a life of celibacy. Only such would constitute true repentance, however.

In my opinion, the best chapter in the book is the one dealing with issues concerning ecology. This is an issue that is often overlooked in our congregations. God created everything, but man is the steward of the earth. How should man deal with this massive responsibility? The writer does a great job of presenting many of the issues involved.

If you are interested in preaching a series of sermons or teaching a Bible class based upon some of these issues, this book will be a help. You will not always agree with the author, but the presentation of multiple sides to the issues will be appreciated. If you wish to buy this book, my recommendation is to buy it used. You may look at half.com’s listing of the book by clicking here.