Our Scripture Of The Week Is:

Proverbs 10:17 KJVS
[17] He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

The person who listens to godly advice (Proverbs 9:9) gives themselves a better likelihood of success and longevity than those who ignore wisdom. Those who follow Christ's teachings can enjoy a truly meaningful life now (John 10:10) and eternal life beyond the grave (John 10:28).

The person who refuses to be corrected (Proverbs 9:7–8) and continues the wrong path through life sets a bad example. In many cases, others will be tempted to follow that pattern. For that reason, Scripture warns against becoming close with those who hate God and His truth (Proverbs 13:20).

Though the truths contained in God's Word offer forgiveness and life (1 Corinthians 6:9–11), the people defined as "scoffers" (Proverbs 1:22) make a litany of excuses for rejecting that message. This comes in the form of false accusations of contradiction, misleading criticisms, rejection of biblical morality, or claims of irrelevance.

Some simply reject the Bible because it exposes their sin and makes them uncomfortable (Ephesians 5:11–13; 2 Peter 1:19; Psalm 119:105). Unfortunately, many self-labelled "experts" with little legitimate knowledge of the Bible ridicule it and substitute faulty human reasoning in its place. Seemingly educated, or not, such critics of the Bible lead others astray.

Our topic today is:

Noah's Ark Building Instructions Discussion

In the previous verse, God revealed to Noah that He would destroy all of humanity for their violence. What other details were given, we don't know. For our purposes, this is all Scripture has revealed. Now, God launches into specific instructions to Noah, describing exactly how to build the ark.

Once again, what's recorded here in the Bible is not likely a complete transcript of God's discussions with Noah. Rather, it tells us the bare-bones basics of what this man is learning from God. Even with the instructions to follow, the text does not provide every detail needed to complete the construction of an ark.

It does show us, though, that God's directions to Noah were very specific. God cared that Noah execute the construction of this craft according to God's particular plan. Strictly speaking, God does not tell Noah to build a boat. He tells Noah to build an ark. It's possible that the word ark meant "box" or "chest."

This same term is used to describe the vessel used to carry the Ten Commandments by Israel after leaving Egypt (Exodus 25:10–16). In reference to the "ark" built by Noah, there is no mention made of sails, or oars, or a rudder. This craft is meant to float, not travel.

The dimensions given to Noah in the following verses describe a giant rectangular box. At one point in history, skeptics laughed at the idea of such a craft being seaworthy.

Now, however, the proportions of large cargo ships are extremely similar to the outlines of Noah's ark. Noah is told to build it with gopher wood, a material we aren't entirely sure of. Some scholars believe this is actually a reference to cedar, or cypress, while others think it might be from a now-extinct tree. Either way, it's a substance appropriate for a craft built for this purpose.

Furthermore, Noah is directed to make rooms (or "nests") inside the ark, as well as to seal the spaces between the wood with pitch both inside and outside of the structure. It should be noted that, in the context of the story, it's unlikely that Noah was expected to build this ark only using his own two hands.

Just as the owner of a company can be said to have "built" something, when much of the labor is done by others, it seems reasonable to assume Noah used the help of his sons, and probably others, to construct this ark.

In this passage, God has informed Noah of His plan to destroy the entire human race, except for Noah and his family. God has also begun to describe the "ark," a large wooden box, which Noah is to use to preserve his family and certain animals from the flood.

A cubit is a measure of length equal to approximately 18 inches, or about 46 centimeters. A cubit was traditionally thought to be the length from a man's elbow to the tip of his fingers with his hand extended. While that may sound vague to modern ears, it was not uncommon in ancient days to use body parts as measuring sticks.

The concept of universal, objective measurements (such as the modern meter) was simply not practical at that point in human history. Using 1 cubit = 18 inches = 46 cm, the craft God describes to Noah would be about 450 feet (137 meters) long,

75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high. This would make the ark 1-1/2 times as long as an American football field. Or, slightly longer than a regulation FIFA soccer field. It would have been somewhere around as tall as a 4-1/2 story building. Even by modern standards, if this was a ship, it would be a big ship!

Despite the size, there's no reason to think Noah could not have constructed this ark.
God nowhere orders Noah to use only his own two hands. So, as with any other project, it's common sense to assume Noah had help from his sons, and probably others, in constructing this massive vessel.

This would be no different than a contractor or business owner "building" something through oversight of others.

Here, God concludes His very general instructions to Noah about how to build the ark.
In the previous verses, Noah was instructed to make the ark about 450 feet (137 meters) long, 75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high.

This is based on the traditional length of a cubit, as the distance from the top of the finger to the elbow: approximately 18 inches (46 centimeters). For materials, Noah is told to use "gopher wood,"
which is an unknown material. Some scholars think this was either cedar or cypress. Now God tells Noah to construct a roof with an opening of about 1 cubit all the way around the top.

In addition, the ark would have three decks and a single door on one side of it. This door would presumably need to be large enough to accommodate the entrance and exit of all the animals who would be making the voyage with Noah and his family. Once again, the details given here are not meant to tell us, the reader, how to construct our own ark.

They are general summaries of the specific instructions given by God to Noah.