I went to see the movie Noah with my son Joshua, but not for theology or inspirational reasons. In the interest of full disclosure, I wanted to see how the most advanced cinematography in the world would portray the events of the Fall and the Flood. What a disappointment! As a poor substitute for Siskel and Ebert, I would have to give the movie a half-star and two thumbs down! Not only did the producers waste the time of talented actors like Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, but they also perverted the biblical storyline, putting man rather than God at the center of the story—and, what was most disappointing, they missed the main point of the story of Noah.
The story of Noah is not so much about Noah’s courage, as much as it is about God’s saving grace. It’s really a story about how God started over and how you can start over too!
According to the biblical record in Genesis 6:5-13, because the people had become “corrupt and the earth was filled with violence,” God sent the flood in order to destroy mankind. There must always be judgment and death before there can be a new beginning. The ark is a picture of our salvation in Christ (1 Pet.3:18-22).
- The salvation and the ark were planned by God, not invented by man. There is only one way of salvation and there was only one door in the ark.
- God invited Noah and his family into the ark (7:1); then once they were in, God shut them in so that they were secure (7:16).
- The ark saved not only humankind, but also the creatures within it, just as Christ’s death will one day deliver creation from the bondage of sin (Rom.8:18-32).
- The ark saved Noah and his family from judgment because they believed God’s promise (Heb.11:7); Christ saves us from the wrath to come as we believe Him.
- Just as Noah was brought safely through the flood; Christ went through the flood of suffering (Ps.42:7) and came out in victory.
- Noah went out of the ark, the head of a new creation, with his family; and Christ came out of the tomb, the Head of the new creation, and the Father of a new family.
Here is the point: you’ll never truly start over by simply moving your residence, changing your career, or even altering your diet. The true way to start over is to make sure that you take God’s invitation by faith to enter into the ark—the ark of relationship with His Son, one who is better than Noah: the Lord Jesus Christ.