As in the Days of Noah: A Call to Build an Ark of Faith Today

In the days of Noah, the world is described as filled with violence and moral and spiritual corruption. Humanity had turned away from God, and every intention of the human heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). In the midst of such a corrupt generation, Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord and was called to build an ark, an extraordinary act of faith and obedience despite the mockery of his surroundings (Genesis 6:8–9). The flood that followed was not only a judgment on evil but also a means of purification and renewal of creation. After the flood ended, a new covenant was established between God and all living beings, and the rainbow was given as a sign that a flood would never again destroy the earth (Genesis 9:12–17).

In the New Testament, Yeshua notes that just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–27). People then lived in routine, eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage, without recognizing the signs of the times, until the flood came and took them all away. The main message is not fear but spiritual vigilance. Just as the flood came suddenly upon a generation that had lost sensitivity to God, so will the revelation of Messiah Yeshua come upon a world sunk in complacency.

The First Epistle of Peter deepens this message, explaining that Noah and his family “were saved by water,” which is a figure that symbolizes baptism. Baptism “doth also now save us,” not as the removal of dirt from the flesh, but as the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah (1 Peter 3:20–21, KJV). The waters represent a passage from the old life to the new, from judgment to grace, from death to life.

Yet Scripture is clear: salvation is by grace through faith, not by works or rituals. Baptism is an important command and a beautiful expression of faith, but it is not the requirement or the source of salvation. For example, the thief on the cross was not baptized. Baptism is an act of obedience and covenant, yet salvation rests upon believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth that Yeshua is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead.

In our time, the patterns of Noah’s days have returned: violence, moral decline, self-centeredness, irreverence, and spiritual indifference. Yet just as Noah entered the ark and was saved, we also have been given an ark of salvation, Messiah Yeshua, who said, “I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” Through Him, the way of life has been opened, not by human effort but by divine grace.

The rainbow still reminds us of God’s faithfulness, and the new covenant of grace sealed in the blood of Yeshua is the direct continuation of that ancient promise. As it is written: “This is the covenant I will make with them… I will put my law in their hearts” (Hebrews 10:16, echoing Jeremiah 31:33). In our time, as in Noah’s, the call remains clear, to build an ark of faith within the heart, to obey God even when the world mocks, and to live with hope grounded in His unchanging mercy and salvation.

The Spirit of God invites today’s generation to return to righteousness, not out of fear of judgment but out of longing for true life. Just as Noah was righteous in his generation, we too are called to be living witnesses of faith, patience, and hope in a world thirsting for comfort.