There is a misguided assumption, even in Bible commentaries, that Noah was 120 years building the Ark. Whilst the Bible does not say specifically how long Noah took, evidence points to a period of 40 years, which fits in with GOD’S pattern, as follows:
1. Gen, 6-1/6; After about 1500 years since Adam sinned, the hearts of men had become so wicked that GOD was “grieved at his heart”, and He decided to cut “man’s days” . his life-span, from around 960 years to 120! A very drastic reduction indeed! Notice in ch.5 the life of the ancients as being depicted as. “all the days” e.g. of Methuselah were 960 years, and he died. GOD was not talking to Noah, but it was within the counsel of the Godhead, as in Gen.1=26.
Immediately man’s years began to decrease. Whilst Noah lived to 950 years, Shem died at 600, his son Arphaxad at 438, Peleg 239, and so on in descending years to Moses, who lived 120 years
2. Later Ch.6 tells of God’s instructions to Noah to build a huge ark, to take his wife and his 3 sons and their wives, plus an army of animals into the ark, which Noah did in faith.
3. When GOD spoke to Noah, his 3 sons had been born, grown up and were married; as Noah was 500 yrs. old- before he had children , and was 600 years old at the time of the Flood, it is reasonable to assume that Shem would have been about 58 at that time, and as he was 98 years old at the time of the Flood, Gen. 11-10, then this would have been 40 years building the Ark!
It could possibly have been less, but hardly longer, as there was no incentive for Noah’s sons to marry at a younger age than this; the youngest father before them was Enoch, who begat Methuselah when he was 65 !
4. While this is not proof, it is a very reasonable assumption, and as GOD is a God of order, it fits the pattern of the No. 40, which symbolises trial, testing and tribulation . JESUS was tested by Satan for 40 days on the mountain, Moses was twice 40 days on Mt. Sinai without food or drink, Elijah went 40 days to Mt. Horeb, The Children of Israel, after 40 days of searching out the land, spent 40 years in the wilderness because they refused to go into the Promised Land.
In Noah’s case , assuming 40 years of preaching righteousness and building the ark, the judgment of GOD fell on the people of that day and they were all destroyed in the Flood caused by 40 days of rain. The Mercy of GOD is manifest here in that although the door of the Ark was shut, the unbelieving people of that day still had time as they sought higher ground, to repent and time to call on GOD’S Mercy before they drowned, as 1 Pet.3-19/20 seems to confirm.
This is very relevant to the present days in which we live; JESUS spoke of 2 conditions on Earth Before He returns; “as it was in the days of Noah”, and “as it was in the days of Lot”.
In the 1st case, those who were “not ready” when the call was made – Rev.4-1, ch.7-12/14, and Matt.25-1/10, miss out on the higher glories of the resurrection, but can still be saved. Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape the things that are coming on the Earth and to stand before the Son of Man. Don’t wait until it is too late !
In the case of Lot, instant destruction fell upon those left in Sodom & Gomorrah ! Those who give themselves over to evil and follow the ways of Satan are lost for ever !
I pray we may all be ready when JESUS comes.
Alfred Curtis, Nov 2018
100 Bible Studies - Alfred Emmerson Curtis 