Some of you may wonder why we have a boat and rainbow as our logo. Liberty
Trust is certainly not a fishing or house-boat enterprise! Others may recognise
our boat with a rainbow logo as representing Noah’s ark and you would be right.
The flood in Noah’s day was a traumatic, defining event that changed
forever the history of man and the face of the earth. The early books of Job and Psalms contain many vivid references to the
event (eg Job 22:15-17, 38:8-11, Ps 104:5-9). Many cultures around the
world still foster stories about how their ancestors were saved from the raging waters
on this boat.
The flood brought the first judgement (1 Peter 2:5) and symbolised the first
baptism (1 Peter 3:20) and introduced the first storehouse - the ark.
The ark was gigantic
and would have required a massive effort to construct. It was 450 feet long, 75
feet wide and 45 feet high (Gen 6 v 15) - so it was six times as long as it was
wide and very stable. It was three stories high, waterproofed,
and filled with rooms - and took around 100 years to build!
Fortunately Noah wasn’t required to go and collect two or more of each kind
of animals himself. You see, God brought them into the ark, and just as well, as
just the finding of them would have been humanly impossible. Even so the
quantity and variety of animals, birds and reptiles must have been overwhelming. The
creatures came to Noah and he stored them in the rooms on the ark to keep them
alive (Gen 6 v 19, 20).
Additionally God told Noah: “You are to take every kind of food that is
to be eaten and store it away as food for you and them to eat” (Gen 6 v
21). Storing the quantity of food necessary to feed all the animals for over a
year (Gen 7 v 11 & 8 v 14) would have also required a massive effort but
Noah did everything just as God commanded him (Gen 6 v 22).
After the flood God gave the rainbow as a sign of the covenant He made to all
His rescued creation. This was God’s most basic covenant with his
creatures and required nothing in return except to trust and see His
promise come to pass. God sovereignly promised in this covenant to Noah, to Noah’s
descendants (us!) and to all living things that He would never again to destroy
the entire earth and its inhabitants for as long as the earth endures. The
rainbow can remind each of us of God’s patience with our sin and His
faithfulness to always keep His word.
The flood was one of the most significant events in the Bible
and world history and is
especially relevant for the last days. In Matthew 24:38 Jesus says, “As it
was in the days of Noah so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man”.
2
Peter 3:3-7 reveals a chilling prophecy of the last days when “scoffers will
come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is
this ‘coming’ he promised? ... Everything goes on as it has since the
beginning.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the
heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these
waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.”
Just as “God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being
built” (1 Peter 3:20) so God is today waiting patiently before releasing the
final judgement. As “God did not spare the ancient world when he brought the
flood on its ungodly people but God protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness
and seven others” so we can be sure of judgement on evil people and
preservation of the godly.
The story of the flood reminds us of God’s patience, judgement and mercy
and above all that His promises never fail.
The purpose of Liberty Trust is to provide a storehouse where God’s people
can safely pool their resources to lend and provide for others, borrow for their
homes and ministries and pass a blessing on to their spiritual and natural
family.
The Flood and the Storehouse
