Imagine seeing a wooden ship 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet tall. And in a field in Kentucky.

Yes, it’s the Ark Encounter. Perhaps you have seen it. My wife and I visited it this past summer.

While the builders of that attraction posted disclaimers stating that they took artistic license in constructing the ark, there is no doubt they met their goal. Their work greatly helps people imagine what Noah and his family could have experienced in building the ark and living on it.

Building the ark was an immense undertaking. And despite the mammoth scale of that building project, the Bible contains few specifics with what we would call a blueprint. God gave Noah general directives to build the ark: basic dimensions, wood species and waterproofing material, a roof with a lighting and ventilation system, three decks, and a door.

The what and how of Noah’s construction project are mysterious and raise countless questions. The why of his work is crystal clear. “By faith Noah . . . built an ark to save his family” (Hebrews 11:7, here and in subsequent quotations).

By faith.

Noah was “warned about things not yet seen.” Floodwater would cover the earth and destroy all life outside the ark. That inside information from God filled Noah with “holy fear.” But that fear did not paralyze Noah into inaction. No, by faith he did as God instructed.

“By his faith he condemned the world.” The sound of every hammer blow and cut of every saw reiterated God’s words of condemnation of impenitent sinners.

But not everyone would perish—and perish eternally—in the flood. “By his faith [Noah] . . . became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.” In addition to being “warned about things not yet seen,” Noah received promises about things not yet seen. The Son of God would enter the world as a man to live and die for the sins of the world. God gave Noah faith to believe the gospel promises, so he enjoyed safety from the flood and forgiveness of sins during his earthly life and entered God’s presence in heaven when he died.

The account of Noah in the Bible is remarkable. Do you think we can relate to him in any way? The apostle Paul thought so. “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

By faith.

You and I live our lives with faith-vision. We cannot see the angels that protect us, but we believe they are there because God said so. We cannot always see the good that comes from everything that happens to us in life, but we believe what God says about it. We cannot see how we stand righteous and perfect in the sight of a holy God, but we believe that we do because of what God has done for us through the work of his Son, Jesus. Like Noah, we have limited vision in this life, but saving faith supplies what we cannot see now.

Oh, before you go, I should let you know what happened when my wife and I visited the Ark Encounter. Because we both somehow set off the walk-through metal detector, we were pulled aside for additional security screening. You mean a person can’t just walk onto the ark? No, and that was the case in Noah’s day too.

Noah’s ark was a haven only for believers. That is why in Christian artwork, the ark is a symbol for the church. Inside the church, there is life and salvation.

By faith. Through faith.

James Pope | FIC Editor

Author: James Pope
Volume 112, Number 09
Issue: September 2025