Noah – a Type of Christ

Types of Christ.

Noah, a type of Christ. What does it mean to be a Type of Christ? Join me on this journey and allow the  Bible to come alive to you. Throughout scripture, there are many types of Christ. Some of those types are people who walked this earth thousands of years before us. The events in their lives pointed forward to the new covenant and to Jesus Christ.

You don’t need to know these things to be a Christian or to live in the power of God. Yet, understanding the foreshadowing helps us understand what God is really about. Understanding gives us insight into His character and the way God does things- past, present, and future. Understanding increases our faith and our hope.

Noah a Type of Christ

Noah was the son of  Lamech, who descended from Adam through his son Seth. This son was given this name because it means “rest”. Lamech said of Noah, “He will comfort us in our work, which comes from the ground the Lord has cursed.”

Lamech expected Noah to bring deliverance from the Curse. He did – by building the Ark as God prescribed. Lamech did not live to see the work Noah did nor the salvation that came through the Ark during the flood. Yet this gives credence to Noah, a type of Christ.

Genesis describes who Noah was. These same character qualities are evident in Jesus Christ. Noah’s life, especially three characteristics, points forward to the Savior.

Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations, and he walked with God.  Because of his outstanding character, God chose Noah to build the Ark – a large boat built to provide safety from the curse of death.

Noah, A type of Christ – and a savior

Noah is known most for his role in building the Ark. The purpose of the ark was salvation for mankind – for anyone who believed. Salvation came with entering the Ark.

Because of his faith and obedience, Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives were saved from death. The Ark was available for anyone who believed, but few believed. The salvation invitation is still open for anyone who believes. Noah became a savior of the world in his day. God preserved His people through Noah and his family. Scripture tells us, “And every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark. ”

In the Hebrews Hall of Faith chapter, we learn this about Noah: “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” That describes our Savior as well.

Like Adam, Noah points forward to the Messiah. As a type of Christ, Noah modeled a life of integrity and a relationship with God. Scripture tells us that Noah walked with God.  We cannot walk with God unless we believe in faith and obey. One only walks with God by spending time with Him.

Noah means rest

Noah also signifies rest, as Christ brings rest. They completed the task, and entered the Ark. God shut the door, and they were safe. After the toil and work of building the Ark, Noah and his family rested inside the Ark while the rain fell for forty days and forty nights. Therein was their rest.

Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah, “In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples – of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious . . . the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people. . . . ”

Jesus invites everyone with these words:

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am^[a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The Ark and the Church

We also find Noah to be a type of Christ in his workmanship. Noah built an Ark, and Christ builds His church. Inside the Ark (the church), we find fellowship and growth. How lonely it would have been to be the only person in the Ark! God has not designed us to be lone-ranger Christians. We need each other. Noah’s family worked together in building the Ark and in caring for the animals inside that floating zoo. They shared camaraderie and companionship.  The family shared accountability. Indeed, they shared a common faith and practice. There is safety inside the Ark of God. We need to keep it so.

Where we find rest

When we “enter” the Ark, we receive salvation. Therein we also find purpose and rest. When we enter the Ark, we are redeemed and saved from the curse of sin. It does not mean there are no struggles. Even when the family entered the Ark and the door was shut, there was work to do. Animals needed to be fed and watered; waste needed to be disposed of and health needed to be maintained. Yet they had rest because they were safe. They had each other and shared the load of time and muscles to care for the animals. Living in close quarters, there was conflict. We know this because they were human as are we.

Noah exhibited many characteristics of Christ. His life of obedience should encourage us to be faithful. Today we benefit from his faith – evidenced by the Ark he built. Like Christ, Noah provided rest, safety, protection, salvation and redemption to those who believed in God.

This series on Types of Christ is a repeat from six years ago. I have had many comments about these posts regarding “a type of Christ,” and that is why I am reposting them.