Noah’s Ark Found – now what?

An archoelogy team known as B.A.S.E believes they have found the biblical Noah’s Ark:

“I can’t imagine what it could be if it is not the Ark,” said Arch
Bonnema of the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration (B.A.S.E)
Institute, a Christian archeology organization dedicated to looking for
biblical artifacts.

(For more Ark related info check out: http://www.arkfever.com)

Why are they looking for the Ark?  Well the reasoning is this, according to Bruce Feiler:

Throughout history, people have been searching for the Ark to help prove God’s existence.

“There’s this idea, if we can prove that the ark existed then we can
prove that the story existed, and more importantly, we can prove that
God existed,” said Bruce Feiler, author of “Where God Was Born.”

If indeed this were the biblical Ark in which God commanded Noah to build, will people by the millions convert to Christianity?  I would not count on it. 

According to the bible, people will never believe by seeing with their eyes.  If God were to appear people will still not believe.  If God were to perform miracles, people would not believe.  If God were to judge nations by his holy wrath people would not believe.  Jesus spoke on this very subject when he told the story of the Rich man and Lazarus:

“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house– for I have five brothers–in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!‘ “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
(Luk 16:19-31 – emphasis mine)

These are the very words of Christ, who said that people will not be persuaded by the supernatural and miraculous event, even if someone rises from the dead.  Which is more miraculous to you?  Seeing the Ark recovered or seeing your dead grandfather who died a believer in Christ rise from the dead and physically appear to you and warn you of the impending judgement that awaits you if you do not beieve in God and repent of your sins?  According to this passage, both are insignificant in bringing one to faith.

God’s primary means of people coming to faith in Him has always been His Word – the Scriptures, the Holy Bible that we have today.  Paul said to the Romans:

But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Rom 10:8-17)

What if this discovery truly is Noah’s Ark or what about if they make a genuine find of the Ark of the covenant (as in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark) what will you do?  More excuses are inevitably going to surface – my hope and prayer is that some of you reading will heed God’s warning and today place your faith in the truth revealed in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God who died for sinners that whoever places their faith on Him will be saved from their sins.

(HT: Justin Taylor)