Gen. 7:2-3 "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.  Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth."… 23 "And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark."

            The scriptures teach the doctrine of eternal preservation of the elect.  This principle is illustrated to us by God's preserving the animals on the ark. 

            The animals were chosen of God to go on the ark.  The animals in general, both those that went on the ark and those that did not go on the ark, were not given a chance to choose to go on the ark.  The animals who went on the ark were there by God's choice and not by chance. 

            Those animals that went on the ark were preserved from death so long as they were on the ark.  The scripture states above that God chose these animals so as "to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth."  If these animals had gone on the ark and some or all of them had died on the ark, then God's purpose would have been thwarted.  However, the scriptures plainly teach that God cannot fail. 

            It was certain that those animals chosen of God would go on the ark, would be preserved alive while on the ark, and would finally come off the ark.  It took the power of an almighty God to preserve them alive so as for them to go on the ark, stay alive while on the ark, and then to finally come off the ark.  These animals as well as Noah and the seven humans with him were on the ark for over a year's time.  If God's preserving power had not preserved them while on the ark, there, no doubt would have been many if not all of the animals lost due to many factors, including disease, hunger, self destruction, fear, sinking of the ark, etc. 

            Because of the preserving power of God the same animals God chose to go on the ark, came off the ark without the loss of a single one.

            Those that were chosen to go on the ark were preserved alive on the ark.  Those who were not chosen to go on the ark were destroyed by the flood waters.  The ark was the safest place on the earth at that time. 

            The animals went on the ark at the time appointed of God and they came off the ark at the time appointed by God.  While on the ark they were preserved from dying by God. 

            Similarly, the ark is a figure of Christ.  Christ is the one in whom the elect are preserved.  Eph. 1:4 teaches us that God chose a people in Christ before the foundation of the world: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:"  This choice is God's choice and not man's choice.  Men are not given a chance to decide to be in Christ.  The elect are in Christ by God's choice and not by chance. 

            Just as the animals were preserved from dying to come out on the ark on the other side of the flood, the elect are also preserved for a purpose: Eph. 1:5-6 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."  The word, predestinate, means to fix the finally destiny beforehand.  God fixed our final destiny (to be adopted as children by Jesus Christ to himself) before the foundation of the world.  We are preserved in Jesus Christ just as the animals were preserved in the ark. 

            Just as the animals were safe from the flood waters and were safe from dying on the ark, so the elect are safe from eternal destruction by virtue of their being in Christ: Eph. 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"  Also, they are safe from losing their eternal life as well, but rather are preserved unto eternal glory in Christ: Eph. 1:11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" 

            Further, while in Christ we are given spiritual life: Eph. 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." 

            The animals were preserved on the ark based on a covenant promise of God: "to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth."  Likewise, the elect are preserved in Christ by a covenant promise of God: Rom. 8:29, 30 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."  Based on this covenant promise the eternal glorification of the elect is secured as God cannot lie. 

            Just as the animals were secured by the preserving power of God, so the elect are secured by the preserving power of God: John 10:27-30 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.  I and my Father are one."  In order for the elect to perish, both the Father and the Son would have to be overthrown.  That is impossible.

            Since we are in Christ, we are also in the love of Christ.  We read of the promise in Romans chapter 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

            What a great blessing to the elect to be preserved in Jesus Christ.  

Animals Used to Illustrate God's Effectual Calling

            Gen. 7:6-9 "And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.  And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.  Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah."

            Gen. 7:13-16 "In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.  And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.  And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in."

            God's covenant of redemption made before the world began is illustrated to us by the animals God chose and caused to come unto the Ark.  The covenant of redemption is stated for us in Rom. 8:29, 30: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

            In previous studies we have examined the use of the animals to illustrate God's choosing a people to be his people, and predestinating their final destination as being conformed to the image of Christ.  The third thing in the covenant is "calling."  This calling is a "holy calling" and an "effectual calling."  The calling is irresistible.  When looking at the above passages in Genesis chapter 7 we note that Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives were already on the ark when the animals came unto Noah on the ark.  The children's book pictures of Noah and the other seven driving the animals onto the ark is completely untrue. 

            The fact that the animals came unto Noah tells us that the animals were not being driven, enticed, or coerced into coming onto the ark.  Most of these animals were wild animals.  According to the nature of these animals they would never have come onto the ark on their own.  Moreover, how could a lamb and a lion have coexisted and willingly come on the ark.  There had to be a higher power drawing them onto the ark.  They were called of God with an irresistible calling.  This march of the animals onto the ark was completely contrary to nature.  The voice calling these animals onto the ark was the still small voice of God.  They were drawn onto the ark by that all-powerful voice.

            Moreover, the animals that came onto the ark were the same animals that God had chosen to come onto the ark and had fixed their final destination before they came onto the ark. 

            In comparison, there are a people that are effectually called unto spiritual life and come irresistibly unto Jesus:

                        1.  John 6:37-39 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."

                        2.  John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

                        3.  John 5:25 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."

                        4.  Rom. 9:11 "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)"

                        5.  2 Tim. 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"

                        6.  Heb. 3:1 "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;"

                        7.  John 10:3 "To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out."

            From the above we note that it is the voice of the Son of God that causes those who were before dead in trespasses and sins to have spiritual life.  Moreover, this calling is a holy calling and draws the ones called irresistibly to Jesus.  Further, this calling is according to God's purpose and grace before the world began and not by works that man has done.  The condition of those called before they were called is described in Rom. 3:9-18: "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes."

            It took just as much the power of God to call those who were dead in trespasses and sins into spiritual life as it did to call the animals onto the ark.  Both callings are contrary to the nature of those called to help in any way to bring it about.