Genesis 6:13-16

Notice again that the earth and nature suffer because of human sin (cf. Genesis 3:17-19; Genesis 4:12; Romans 8:20-21).

Noah received detailed instructions that he was to follow in building the ark. Later Moses received detailed instructions that he was to follow in building the tabernacle. Both men followed their respective instructions and received praise (Genesis 6:22; Exodus 39:42-43; Leviticus 8:36; Numbers 27:22; Deuteronomy 34:9). Both men inaugurated a new epoch. In this respect Moses was another Noah.

"God must be obeyed in all his instructions if his people expect to enjoy the fruit of life and blessing (e.g., Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Deuteronomy 28:1-14)." [Note: Ibid., p. 363.]

The ark was about 450 feet long (1 1/2 American football fields), 75 feet wide (7 standard parking spaces), and 45 feet high (a typical four-story building). It had three decks and over 100,000 square feet of deck space. There were over 1 million cubic feet of space in it. This is the capacity of approximately 860 railroad boxcars. It had a capacity of almost 14,000 gross tons. [Note: See "Noah’s Flood: Washing Away Millions of Years" DVD featuring Dr. Terry Mortenson.]

The ark probably looked more like a rectangular box than a ship. After all, its purpose was to stay afloat, not travel from one destination to another. This design used space very efficiently. The ark would have been very stable in the water. Modern ocean-going tankers and aircraft carriers have a similar scale of dimensions. The type of wood out of which Noah made it is unknown. The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Old Testament.