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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 (2 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.
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