“As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them.” (Genesis 6:21)
As we continue to look at the parallels between Noah “in the Ark” and the believer “in Christ”, it is important to consider the sufficiency of God’s provision in both. God never brings us to a place of calling, only to fail to provide for our needs when we get there. God invited Noah and his family to enter the Ark and instructed Noah to bring along food for the journey. This might seem at first to be something rather obvious that Noah would have naturally attended to himself. But how would Noah know precisely how much food to bring along? God had told him that the rain would last forty days and forty nights, but how long would they all be in the Ark afterward? Also, unless a person has a rather diverse and extensive knowledge of zoology, would they really know exactly how much grass and leaves even two elephants would need per day?
Although we are not given the specifics, I believe that when God told Noah, “Take unto thee all food which is edible“, He proceeded to give him the exact types and quantities of plant foods (there were no carnivores at this time – see Genesis 9:3) necessary for the duration that the eight persons and thousands of animals would be aboard. Noah did the actual gathering of the food, but God ensured that he would bring along all that was required, as well as allowing for the necessary space on the Ark to put it.
“Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, (2 Corinthians 3:5)
God also provides for the needs of those “in Christ”, as He did for those in the Ark. But for us, our needs are provided as we move on in our journey. As the Lord prayed that the Father would give us each day our daily bread, we do not usually find God providing a stockpile of supplies for us. No, we are as the children of Israel in the wilderness: gathering enough manna for each day (Exodus 16:19-22). Although God has graciously given to many who are in Christ more than enough to meet their physical needs for today, we all must go to Him daily for the feeding of our spiritual needs. We do not live by bread alone, but must daily feed on God’s Word for the “nutritional health” of our souls. As the manna gathered in the morning would be melted by the noonday sun, so it is with the Word of God that we “ate” of yesterday.
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; (2 Corinthians 9:8)
God not only provided for Noah’s needs, He equipped Noah to feed those entrusted to his care. What a lesson for those who serve the Lord and minister to others. When the cattle would low, or the sheep would bleat, Noah had something to feed them. God had made sure of it. If we are faithfully serving the Lord in obedience, those who come to us seeking nourishment for their souls will not need to be sent away hungry. God provided sufficiently and above what Noah and his family needed, not so that they could gorge themselves to excess, but so that they could in turn feed others.
As the days in the Ark wore on and on, I can imagine one of Noah’s sons telling him that the “hay loft” was starting to empty out. Nobody on board the Ark knew for certain exactly how long they would remain inside. But God provided enough for what was needed, He always does. God took care of all of the needs of those in the Ark, and He does the same for those who are in Christ.
Next time, Lord willing, we will consider the safety of those who are in Christ our “Ark.”
To Jesus Christ goes all glory. In service to Him,
Loren
[This post was originally published October 18, 2009]
**Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) © The Lockman Foundation and are used by permission.
[If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ or you are not certain where you are headed when this life ends, I invite you to read the article “Am I Going To Heaven?“]
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