Have you experienced the Ark Encounter in Kentucky? It’s near impossible to walk through this built-to-size replica of Noah’s ark without being in awe. 450 feet long. 75 feet wide. 45 feet tall. The volume God planned for this floating zoo is massive: 1.5 million cubic feet of storage. That’s the capacity of 569 railroad stock cars creating a train 5.5 miles long!

God had a plan, a big plan, to save humanity. But it was going to take work, big work, from Noah’s family. They had to hand cut all those trees. Move them by animal. And somehow shape them and lift them into place with no modern machinery. Then they had to collect pitch/tar to coat the boat inside and out and grow, gather, and store all the food for all the animals for all the days on the ark. 

Do you remember why this happened? “Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5). How many times was Noah’s lumber stolen or harvested crops eaten? Frustrating! But for those animals, all they needed was to be in the ark. The work was done for them.

It took a lot of work, big work, to save you. Jesus cut down your sin. He moved you into faith with the Holy Spirit. And he feeds you daily in Word and sacrament. Jesus did all the work of saving you. As long as you are within the holy ark of the church in faith, you will rise above and be safe!