The Feeding of the Four Thousand

“And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; . . .Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, 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” Gen. 7:1-3.
“And thou shalt take unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be food for thee, and for them” Gen. 6:21.

This is surely not the account of the feeding of the four thousand, you say? In a very real way, it is! Please read on!

In Mark chapter eight, following the feeding of the four thousand plus: “And straightway he [Jesus] entered into a ship with his disciples” vs. 10. “Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf” vs.14. Jesus. . .saith unto them, “When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto them, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?” Mark 8:19-21.

The disciples had witnessed twice the loaves and fishes being more than sufficient to feed the multitudes, with baskets full to spare, but were unable to discern that one loaf broken unto them at the hands of the Master could feed a mere twelve. . .?

Noah, his family, and all the animals and fowls of the air entered into the ship (ark) where the Lord awaited them (He called: Come in!) Dare we say that Noah took with him into the ark his “five loaves and two fishes?” Five loaves and two fishes were supplied the multitude on the hillside for one meal; but unbeknown to Noah, his crew and the multitude of beasts were to remain in the ark for a year! Noah, where can you buy enough food to feed this assembly; how can you obtain it, and where can you get it, seeing you are shut up in the ark and the outside world is in the midst of a great flood?

We know the answer: “And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” II Cor. 3:4,5. Shall man presume to store “his sufficiency” in his barns when God shall “give us this day our daily bread?”

How many lamps would it have taken to sufficiently light the three stories within the ark? Did Noah see to its lighting? Even as the Shekinah Glory of God was the Light within the Most Holy Place where dwelt the Ark of the Covenant in the wilderness, so also the Light of the ark bearing Noah’s brood. Was it not literally an “Ark of the Covenant?” “But with thee will I establish my Covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark.” Gen. 6:18. If Christ is “The Light of the world” could He not sufficiently light the interior of one ark? “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” II Cor. 4:6.

And how much water would it have taken to quench the thirst of such a multitude? Could the ark itself have held enough, were it emptied of all else and filled to the brim? If a thirsty Israel might drink of the water from the Rock of Ages; if Christ be in you a Well of Living Water springing up into everlasting life, then why attempt to have a cistern of water in store? Is He not the Source, the Reservoir from which we may draw?

What of the supply of fresh air? With no windows to open, and no ventilation system, being closed in with a multitude of animals; how did they breath? “And the Lord God formed man. . .breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” Gen. 2:7. “Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that cometh out of it; He giveth breath unto the people upon it and spirit to them that walk therein” Isa. 42:5. “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” Psalms 150:6.

Could the ark have been found a place of rest during the tempest? What of comfort, during this, the ultimate “storm of life?” The name Noah means quiet resting place. “Lamech. . .beget a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands” Gen. 5:28,29. “I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee” Isa. 42:6. “For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” Heb. 13:5.

Shut up in the ark for an entire year! Did it not become a place of fearfulness? Did the wolf pursue the lamb to devour him? Would the animals not have fought among themselves: for that matter, what of the humans? “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” Gal. 5:15. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. . .The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock” Isa. 65:17,25. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . .Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John 14:27.

Was the ark equipped with showers? Did not Noah and his family, after a few days begin to resemble Lazarus? “by this time he stinketh.” How much the more “stank” the multitude of creatures? To His disciples Jesus had said: “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but he is clean every whit: and ye are clean” John 13:10. “Abide in me. . .Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” John 15:3,4. Ye are clean; whether abiding in the Vine - or abiding in the Ark!

What of bodily excretions? Was the ark equipped with “bathrooms?” How could Noah have handled such an obvious problem? “ I AM the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” John 6:51. May we say that Christ is 100 per cent pure nutrients! All is appropriated; all is assimilated, digested, absorbed. God forbid the thought of any “waste” in this regard. Again, “Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

What of the crowded conditions? Noah and his family and a multitude of animals and birds seemingly caged up together in the ark. . . “Let not your heart be troubled. . .In my Father’s house are many mansions. . .I go to prepare a place for you” John 14:1-3. The ark must have been a roomy place! Can you imagine: “There’s no room at the cross for you?” There’s no room at the Throne of Grace? No room - in the Presence of the Lord of all creation? Unthinkable.

Did Noah and his family have beds on which to rest? Did the fowls and the animal have nesting places? The Lord is our ‘nesting place’; He is our Comfort amidst the storm that rages without. His Presence will bring a calming within.

The ark must have been a place of extreme boredom, for man and creature; cooped up together in closed quarters as they were. Or it would have been, were it not that the Lord was on board! Boredom? In His Presence? Well might one visit Niagara Falls and find it dried up as to think that one might some day reach the outer limits of the universe - that he is now full of the knowledge of the Lord and has beheld all of His Glory!

This we know: the ark was pitched within and without - Noah was sealed in; the waters sealed out! The ark had no oars, nor sail, nor rudder; neither any windows from which to see. It’s Power source was from within; its course, its direction was determined “according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself” Eph. 1:9. Noah, in light of the circumstances, might just as well have walked (rode the seas) by faith!

Mere words cannot convey this thought: The Lord God is the God of ALL PROVISION. “For in him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him: And he is before all things and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in ALL things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should ALL fulness dwell” Col. 1:16-19.

Did not our Lord feed five thousand men, plus women and children - with five barley loaves and two fishes? And again the four thousand? Christ is the embodiment of the Eternal Covenant. He is the Ark. I am persuaded that Noah had with him in the Ark his “five loaves and two fishes,” and had Noah, his family and all the creatures been shut within the Ark for one hundred years; none would have died; none would have fallen sick: God would have continued to “supply all their need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!” What need has the Eternal God to build for Himself great storehouses in which to contain His bounty? Can He not speak; can He not open His hand, and behold, all the riches of glory are immediately at His disposal? He is the Storehouse! Are not the birds fed from His hand? He will “give us this day our daily bread!” Open our eyes, O God, that we may behold Thy Glory!