Eight Souls Were Saved

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
[1Peter 3:18-22 NKJV]

The song “Outrageous Grace” as sung by Robin Mark, was a personal favourite in 2020; so it was the starting point for today’s meditation, and as I wondered what I should write, The Lord gave me 1 Peter 3:20 to consider. In this verse, the apostle Peter tells us that in the days of Noah ... while the ark was being prepared ... eight souls were saved through water.

Noah’s ark was a lifeboat, and I chose the painting of the Campbeltown lifeboat from a good few years ago and painted by my father as the header image to represent this meditation. We see that eight souls were saved and those that follow the numerology of scripture* will know that the number eight represents a new beginning. What better to bring in a new year!

Why eight? It is because the number seven represents a completion, and eight (as one more than seven) is a new start. Think of a week as seven days, and thus the eighth day begins a new week. It is significant that eight souls were saved in the ark, because after the flood, they were a restart for God’s people after the corruption that had gone before. We have to see that God is ever-willing to restart His project at any time if corruption and a turning away from Him threatens His eternal plan. We are His creation after all; but He always maintains a remnant who can rebuild and recreate according to His pattern.

And see to it that you make according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.[Exodus 25:40 NKJV]

So we have a challenge this New Year. Will we make according to the pattern that our Lord has established? Will we stand? This New Year we have an amazing opportunity to press into Him and seek His outrageous grace. Are we in the company? Are we abandoning ourselves to God; because that is what it takes?

We are not discouraged, pandemic or not. We have a great God; the one true God who takes care of us. We have seen His wrath sweep the world like nothing before in our generation. It is a warning to His family that we need to look to Him to be among the company of eight souls who were saved; a part of His remnant who will go forward. He will make a way.

* see “Number In Scripture: It’s Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance” by E W Bullinger

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There's a lot of pain but a lot more healing
There's a lot of trouble but a lot more peace
There's a lot of hate but a lot more loving
There's a lot of sin but a lot more grace

There's a lot of pain but a lot more healing
There's a lot of trouble but a lot more peace
There's a lot of hate but a lot more loving
There's a lot of sin but a lot more grace

Oh outrageous grace, oh outrageous grace
Love unfurled by heaven's hand
Oh outrageous grace, oh outrageous grace
Through my Jesus I can stand

There's a lot of fear but a lot more freedom
There's a lot of darkness but a lot more light
There's a lot of cloud but a lot more vision
There's a lot of perishing but a lot more life

Oh outrageous grace, oh outrageous grace
Love unfurled by heaven's hand
Oh outrageous grace, oh outrageous grace
Through my Jesus I can stand

There's a lot of pain but a lot more healing
There's a lot of trouble but a lot more peace
There's a lot of hate but a lot more loving
There's a lot of sin but a lot more grace

Oh outrageous grace, oh outrageous grace
Love unfurled by heaven's hand
Oh outrageous grace, oh outrageous grace
Through my Jesus I can stand

God is so immediately near and so immensely strong that I get more and more joyous in my confidence in Him and less and less careful how I feel.

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