The ark that God wanted Noah to build was in contrast to the city that Cain built for self-preservation. The city was built by Cain himself for self-preservation, because man had lost God and all the blessings that come from Him, had taken the way of death, and had completely lost his sense of security. But the ark, which Noah built by working with God, was for the accomplishing of God’s salvation in His economy, because man possessed God and the spiritual blessings that come from Him, took God’s way of redemption and life, and walked and lived with God. The city Cain built could protect him and his descendants, but it could not safeguard them from God’s judgment, which would destroy mankind and the whole earth. However, the ark was able to save Noah and his whole family out of God’s judgment.
The ark, which God revealed to Noah that he was to build, is a type of Christ (1 Pet. 3:20-21). The spiritual implication of this is that if anyone walks, lives, and works with God, whatever he does must be, in principle, the building of Christ. The tabernacle built by Moses, the temple built by Solomon, and the temple recovered by Zerubbabel and Jeshua, also are types of Christ. Therefore, the work that they did in coordination with God was, in principle, the building of Christ, whom God intends to build in His economy. In particular, the church that is being built today by those who work together with God is the practical building of Christ, that is, the building of Christ’s Body as God’s habitation (Eph. 4:12; 2:22), with the essence and element of Christ’s riches as the building material. This building is also the working of Christ into people to build them together by Christ that they may become God’s manifestation in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:15-16).
The city built by Cain is a symbol of the godless culture invented by fallen men who are far away from God, whereas the ark built by Noah is a symbol of the salvation accomplished in God’s economy. The city in the godless culture caused man to suffer God’s destruction, whereas the ark in the salvation in God’s economy caused man to be preserved by God. Even among the people on earth today, these two things are still in contrast to one another and are still going on. Those who refuse to take God’s way of redemption and choose the way of death are building the city in the godless culture, which will be consummated in Babylon the Great (Rev. 18:2) and eventually will be consumed and completely destroyed by the burning fire (Rev. 18:8, 21). But those who take God’s way of redemption and life are building Christ, who is in the salvation in God’s economy, and their building work will ultimately be consummated in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2), which is the mingling of the Triune God with His redeemed ones. Such a building is mysterious, divine, and glorious, and it will remain for eternity.
Noah carried on from Enosh to walk and live with God. However, he took a further step—he worked with God to build the ark. He was born into the human race that was corrupt to the uttermost. But, finding grace in the eyes of God, he inherited the spiritual blessings from his forefathers and maintained and extended God’s way of redemption and life. Therefore, God found Noah to cooperate and work with Him for the accomplishing of the salvation that was being carried out by Him for those who took the way of redemption and life. That salvation was the building of the ark, and it saved Noah not only from God’s judgment but also from that crooked and perverted generation. It not only was prepared by God, but also was worked out by those who took the way of redemption and life, through their cooperation with God. Thus, Noah became the representative of those who work with God. After the flood, he became loose because he was at ease. Then he got drunk and became naked, losing his covering in the eyes of God and bringing a curse upon his son Ham and Ham’s descendants. This negative model shows that throughout the ages those who seek after God and take God’s way often become loose and fall into evil after receiving God’s blessing. The ark Noah built was in contrast to the city Cain built. Cain’s city could not safeguard Cain and his descendants from God’s judgment, but the ark was able to save Noah and his family out of God’s judgment. The ark is a type of Christ. Therefore, if anyone walks, lives, and works with God, whatever he does is, in principle, the building of Christ. The ark is the symbol of the salvation accomplished in God’s economy. The city in the godless culture will be consummated in Babylon the Great, which will eventually be consumed by the burning fire, whereas the ark in the salvation in God’s economy will ultimately be consummated in the New Jerusalem, which will remain for eternity.