"Build an ark" by Mark Lowry, Guy Penrod, David Phelps

Lyrical Analysis
"Build an Ark" as sung by Mark Lowry, Guy Penrod, David Phelps.

Getting on to the reason for this blog entry, during the many days of lying in bed unable to move, I have been enjoying the comedy and music of the Gaithers, especially of Mark Lowry. At the moment, my favourite song from the Gaithers is a song called "Build an Ark", sung by Mark Lowry, David Phelps and Guy Penrod.

I wanted to analyse this song a little further, but before you keep reading, it might be an idea to watch the song - you can view it on YouTube by typing "Build an ark lowry"

I'm just going to pick on a couple of lines out of the song - and tell you a little bit of why I enjoy it.

"Head for the open water" - this line just shows how much faith that Noah must have had. Before the flood, the world was watered by underground springs (Genesis 2:5-6). It is possible that Noah had never even seen a lake, let alone any great expanse of water. Not only that, scientists have agreed that there must have been a worldwide flood at some point in history, which would have created a large portions of the oceans and mountains. Noah would have had no idea what God had planned for the world, apart from being told that there was going to be a flood. Noah had to have the faith that God would look after him, due to never being able to completely visualise what would happen to him and his family.

"Save your sons and your daughters" - This particular line has special significance with me. Firstly, it shows that the faith of a parent can save a child. We know that Noah had at least 3 sons (Genesis 5:32), but the bible never says that they were not like the world. Even assuming that they were godly men following in the paths of their father, their wives would have been from the world, as it is clear that Noah was the only man on the earth who feared God (Genesis 6:9, 7:1). Those daughters-in-law to Noah were saved by his faith - there is no other way around it.The other thing I like about this line is that it reinforces God's design for our lives - marriage and children. He recognised that without children, the world would die out and gave a specific blessing to the human race to multiply (Genesis 1:28, 9:1). And God made provisions for Noah's children by saving them though their father. It also highlights the role of the father as the head of the house and his ability to save his family when required.

"When the storm is ended, you know the world's been mended" - This line shows that God is fully in control of things (Genesis 1:1). This line completely disputes the evolutionists' theory of order coming out of chaos - you have to have an awful amount of faith to think that the world just appeared because it just happened to appear, and with all order to it. God is the only one who can turn chaos into order, whether it be in our lives today, or whether it be concerning the world and universe we live in. This line shows that God is willing to use chaos, pain and heartache to cause healing and restoration in the world. I like to also think that God chose water rather than another element or cause to start the world over. Why water? Well, water is used to heal, to cleanse, to give new life, to sustain life and best of all, to complement another element used in God's redemptive plan to heal - blood. Scientists have proven that water is a crucial element to the composition of blood. God could have used any element he liked to start the world over - but he chose water. He knew that the world needed cleansing and healing, and other elements would have provided the same effect, but by using water he was also able to set the foundations for the new world that Noah stepped out of the ark onto. No other element could have done this so effectively. Not only that, God's promise that he would never flood the earth again (Genesis 9:13-15) also came from water- the beautiful rainbow that we see in the sky created from floating water particles refracting the light - just magnificent.

"Tired of the men who make the laws and break them anytime they please" - This line grabs my attention everytime I watch the video, but the reason for that this still happens today. The Bible describes the evil that was happening around the time to cause God to wipe the earth clean (Genesis 6:13). The rainbow that God created is certainly still the sign that stated that God will never flood the earth again, but God is still watching the evil people in this world. Do they really think that God will not punish them again? He might not flood the earth, but worse is coming. On what basis will you stand before a perfect God and tell him that you have been good enough to get to heaven?

"Where are all the good guys?" - A question I love to ask, and I know a number of single girls are asking that, but that's a different story :) Where are all the good guys? It is really hard to find good Christian friends these days. It's incredible to think that what Noah went through around 5000 years ago is exactly what I go through today. And even more comforting is that Jesus experienced the same thing, except that He saw everyone for what they could be through Him.

"All of the friends I care about" - This particular line I don't happen to agree with. It is clear that Noah did not take any friends on board the ark with Him - there was Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives - 8 people in total (Genesis 7:13). Now running a boat full of animals for two months or so with 8 people would have been difficult, but I don't think Noah advertised the positions in the local paper. And I don't think that Noah would have wanted to take someone on board the ark that was evil - one apple that is rotten will ruin the whole crate. But on thinking about it, I don't think this line is talking about Noah - I think it is talking about us in our lives, and highlights the importance of selecting our friends and companions carefully. You would have heard the old saying that "Bad company corrupts good habits" - don't invest your time in people who have bad habits or do not believe in Christ in their external walk. You need to ensure that the people you surround yourselves with are those who will edify you and help you in your walk with Him.

"And the woman that I've learned to love" - this line bugs me and encourages me as well. Two things - the first I will repeat from a previous line - God is endorsing the act of marriage between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24). God never said that the couple always had to be in love, or had to be in love when they married, but the bible highlights the roles of the husband and wife - the wife to submit to the leadership of the husband, and the husband to cherish and care for his wife in the same way he would care for himself (Ephesians 5:22-33). The Bible never specifically says that love has to be there from the start. Of course, that is what the world seems to base it's qualification for pre-marital sex and/or marriage on. No wonder we seem to be falling apart. But God never said that marriage was bad, or wrong, and I personally believe that it is important to people to marry. If God hasn't put you in a position to never marry (I believe there are only about 5 situations in where that would be the case), then 100% of people should marry.Secondly - some times you have to learn to love. While back in Noah's time where marriages were pre-arranged, men had to learn to love their wives. Not that women aren't hard to love :) Still, it highlights one important thing - marriage is important!

"Promise them forever" - I love these two words - promise and forever. Promise is a term I use lightly, as I hate having to break promises. Promises are like vows - once made, they represent your word that you will commit to doing whatever you have promised to do. Don't make these lightly! God knows this, and highlights this well in the bible. He has never broken a promise, and He never will. He will do everything He has promised to do (which is one of the great reasons for being a Christian) but we should take His example and don't make promises lightly!! The word forever - this is one word I have promised (yes, promised) never to say to any man except for my future husband on my wedding day. It is one word that I have reserved especially to him. And even now, I don't say the word forever unless I mean it. Have you ever said the word forever and regretted it?

Conclusion - I love this song! It means a lot to me, and not only does these three men have extraordinary voices, their faces radiate their love for God. Maybe that's why I love this song so much - this song has a lot to do with our lives today, and how far God is willing to go to protect us.