Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

And the Lord shut him in. The flood continued for forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The ark floated on the face of the waters.

And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. And all flesh died that moved on the earth—birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.

Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark (Genesis 7:6-23).

The significance of forty

The number forty signals important transitions throughout the Bible. Following his baptism, Jesus undergoes a forty-day period of testing in the wilderness, which marks his transition into public ministry.

Between the Exodus and the Canaanite conquest, the Israelites must gundergo a liminal period in the wilderness, fraught with danger. Noah also undergoes a forty-day period on the ark.

Sealed inside the vessel

Having entered the ark, the Lord seals Noah and his family inside, leaving them trapped until the floodwaters subside. Floating above the waters, Noah patiently endures his forty days inside the ark, fully aware of the destructive violence that rages outside.

All Noah can do is wait out his time inside the ark before bravely confronting the new world that awaits him on the other side.

Our own periods of waiting

We experience similar periods of waiting in our own lives. Often characterised by boredom and sometimes by suffering, these stretches can feel like holding patterns that last forever.

Unable to move forward, we feel stuck, frustrated by the forces that keep us confined to our stifling situation. In these times, we must imitate the example of Noah, who patiently endures his time on the ark in the hope of a better world on the other side.

Hope beyond the waters

Focusing upon this new reality gives us hope and strength to endure our trials. Like Noah’s ark, which saved him from the violence of his generation, our trials and tribulations might just rescue us from the dangers that threaten us.

We are delivered safely into a new world filled with hope and prosperity.

• Dr Simon Skidmore is a Brisbane-based biblical scholar and educator. He is the creator of The Mimetic Exegete podcast, which applies mimetic theory to biblical texts, offering unique insights and practical applications. His recent book, Capital Punishment in the Pentateuch, explores ritual killing through René Girard’s mimetic theory.