How many people lived during the time of Noah? The Bible does not answer. The estimation of the population at that time varies from 750 million to 7 billion. God judged the inhabitants that all except eight who were in the ark perished. (Genesis 6,7,8) Peter affirms the historical event and confirms only eight were saved. (I Peter 3:20) Noah obeyed God and built an ark without seeing rain or understanding the process of ship-building. His faith was rewarded and he and his wife and three sons with their spouses were saved. The Ark was like a refuge amid the torrential flow of water. St. Justin Martyr compares the Ark with the cross and Noah as a type of Lord Jesus Christ.
Promise: God had promised protection to Noah during the flood as well as for the future of his family. All inhabitants of the earth were descendants of Adam and Eve. After the flood, all humans throughout history are descendants of Noah.
Presence: The Ark was the place of God’s presence. Without His presence, Noah and his family could not have survived the depressing scenario of disaster and destruction they watched happening around them. God’s comforting and assuring presence sustained Noah, his family, and all sub-human creatures.
Protection: God provided protection for the Ark and all those who were in it. The ark/ship built by an amateur did not capsize, while the Titanic built by a team of professionals sank.
Provision: Did Noah gather enough food for his long stay on the Ark? Noah did not know the number of days they should experience rain and wait for water to drain. But God blessed what Noah had collected and it was enough for the family and all the living things in the ark. It was like Feeding the five thousand men and others with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Preservation: How hygienic was the ark, probably without proper ventilation and disposal system? Did any of the family members have seasickness? Were there any other infections or health hazards? God preserved them all.
Have I taken refuge in Him?