The accompanying painting, by the way, “The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark,” was done by Jan Brueghel the Elder in 1613.
There are a lot of important life lessons to be learned from Noah’s experience with the ark. Simple but profound lessons. Here’s my list of the top ten.
1) Don’t miss the boat! Listen to what God says and do it...now!
2) Plan ahead. Once Noah got the design specs from God, he acted ahead of the crisis.
3) Don’t be deterred by criticism or unpopularity. Once the Lord has set the agenda, you stay on task.
4) Appreciate nature in the way God has designed it. Stewardship of His creation is a very serious responsibility.
5) Stay alert for action, whatever your age. Noah was 600 years old when he became a ship maker. (He was even older when he became a sailor!)
6) We’re all in the same boat, baby. Let’s help each other out.
7) Avoid loneliness. Travel in pairs.
8) Learn to be patient and accept God’s will. Sometimes that means you’re a builder; sometimes a zookeeper. Other times, you’ve just gotta’ float awhile.
9) As long as you put your trust in the Lord, even the very worst of life’s storms can be weathered.
10) Do your duty to God no matter how tedious or difficult or lonely. For, in His time, there will come rest from your efforts. Plus, for the present, there’s the beauty and security of the rainbow that’s yours as well.