Church in the Windshield
Ark Encounter
Williamstown, Kentucky
September 12,
2019
Sheron and I have always been intrigued
with the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark. We followed documentaries of the ark and
traced its possible finding on Mount Ararat. We could not even begin to fathom the
actual size of the ark until we saw this life size replica. After seeing the
ark, we think it should be considered as one of the great wonders of the world.
God recognized that Noah was very
faithful to him and said, “Noah I am going to destroy the world but I will
spare you and your family. I want you to build an ark and the length should be
510 feet, the width should be 85 feet and the height should be 51 feet. (Genesis
6:13-21 Paraphrased). Ark Encounter architects calculated cubits to feet and
there was a lot of discussion about the length of a cubit. The original ark took several decades for
Noah and his three sons to build. The Ark Encounter took a whole team of skilled
craftsmen a couple of years to build but they were using modern day tools to do
the job.
WELCOME TO THE ARK
Noah is in his 600th year and
much has happened. His father, Lamech, passed away five years ago, and his
grandfather, Methuselah, died in the past year at the age of 969. Seven days ago, the Lord commanded Noah
to enter the Ark along with his family.
So Noah, his wife, Emzara, and their
three sons and their wives spent the past week loading the animals and are now
storing the last of the provisions the Ark. They need to hurry . . . the storm
is almost there. Of course, there were those who scoffed
at Noah, after all it had taken several decades to build and there had never
been rain.
Inside the three-story Ark, we saw
massive pillars and we were on the second story. The picture is in and up
toward the top of the Ark. There is no way to describe the size of these giant
pillars fastened together with long large bolts. We stood there for a moment,
pondering where these mammoth logs were found and how they were structured in
the ark. Even more so, we wondered how Noah and his sons managed the logs for
this huge structure. Was it just Noah and his sons or were there other workers
as well.
It seems a bit strange to us to see the
living quarters of Noah’s family. Perhaps it is because traditionally the
awesomeness has been placed on all the animals that lived on the ark. In this
particular picture we see at least some of the amenities that may have been on the
ark. The man in the picture is carrying a basket of fresh vegetables. The
spared ones on the ark did not know how long they would have to stay on the ark
so they grew their own food. The decades of planning and building really began
to “pay off.” No McDonalds or Burger Kings here. 
They made their own clothes, their own rugs, and their own coverings. Here is a picture of the possible type of loom that might have been used during that time. Noah and his family were creative forward thinking people and the loom was an important tool for them.
Here is a picture of what might have been the ark oven where breads were made and cooking done. It is certainly different than the modern day glass top stoves and microwaves that we enjoy today. The clay type ovens would hold a constant heat for a long period of time which made it ideal for baking. I stood and looked at the oven for a while and thought it reminded me of a kiva like one that we have at our house.
Two highly skilled craftsmen are
portrayed in the ark, one skilled in metal shaping and the other skilled in
wood working. In a fleeting moment, we ask ourselves, “How can this be?” Then
we are reminded once again about the building of the ark. These knowledgeable craftsmen knew some form
of mathematics and some way of measuring a cubit. They knew how to cut and
install huge timbers; use thick massive lumber to fashion the hull of the ark
and how to seal the boards with tar. It is likely that metal was used in tools
to shape large wooden pegs to be pounded in place with a giant sized wooden
mallet. Water would cause the pegs to swell making it impossible for the sides
of the hull to come apart.
How, would you like to have this creature in a cage . . . or even have to feed it? Fortunately this creature was not a meat eater but rather a vegetarian as were all the animals in Noah’s time. Notice the slats beneath this creature. This creative idea was used to dispose of waste products from the animals. (There are some clearer pictures of this later in the blog) None the less, if this thing was in my house, I would sleep with one eye open.
Here is a picture of some of the many
cages used to house birds. Notice the feeders and the water bottles mounted on
the sides of the cage. Consequently, the birds had enough food and water to
last for more than one day. The same thing was true of the other animals as
well. Their cages had long chutes with large burlap covered containers on top.
These containers were filled to the brim so they would not have to be filled
every day. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of those feeders. 
Most of the animals looked different than the animals that we know today. I am not sure what this creature is or if we have descendants of it today. It is suggested that this animal is the forerunner of the crocodile. One cage had a couple of giraffes and their necks were about half the length of the giraffes of today.
Noah’s Ark was well supplied with water bottles and feed sacks to water and feed some forty seven hundred species of birds and animals.
Perhaps you have had the same question as we did of how the waste products disposed. The larger animals had bins underneath their cages to catch the waste products. Bird cages had sloped boards underneath their cages to channel waste products to a cleaning trough at the outside of the cage.
Finally, the animals are loaded; the
great door of the ark is closed and sealed with tar. Noah and his family are huddled
together and praying. Briefly, I imagine myself there with Noah and his family
and try to capture what Noah is feeling. I experience awe . . . an incredible closeness
to God . . . and painful sadness for those who chose not to be on the ark. 
The prayer is finished now and in my mind’s eye, I start to see lightning . . . I hear thunder . . . in the distance at first and then louder and louder until almost defining. It’s starting to rain now . . . heavy rain . . . rain coming in torrential sheets like I have never seen in my entire life. I make my way to the hull of the ship where a torch is lit and wonder what will happen next. Several days have passed now and the rain keeps coming day and night . . . neither slowing nor relenting. It’s like a hundred stalled nerve-wracking hurricanes and I wonder if the ark will be able to stand it? But wait, I think I felt some movement . . . I once again hurry to the hull of the ship and watch . . . and wait . . . and listen. There are some creaking sounds and then, yes, there it is again, the ark is starting to move. Ever so gracefully the ark begins to float like God gently lifting it from the land in the palms of His hands. Forty days and forty nights now it has rained non-stop but the ark is floating and we are safe.
Until next time, remember God spared His
people twice, once with an Ark and once with His son Jesus the Christ. Put your
faith and trust in Jesus Christ and you will be safe.
Ron & Sheron, drivers behind the
windshield
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