How does one build a ship that has no rudder?

But that’s what Noah did.

And to think that’s what God asked him to build, a departure from what ought to be the norm. Who the heck builds a house without foundation? And who the heck builds a ship without a rudder?

God was specific with everything else about the ship, except the rudder. He gave instructions about length, width, height, type of wood and even the finishing.

God wanted to destroy the world with water. It means the deluge would be without description in terms of volume. Yet, the ark was built with such humongous dimensions and there was no rudder. Let’s not even think of engines.

A rudder represents control and direction. God left it out to show Noah was not in charge of the journey. The Ark would go wherever God willed. Salvation was by trust, not navigation. Noah’s job was obedience, not control.

The act wasn’t a voyage to explore or trade. It was judgment and rescue. God already decided where the Ark would rest. Steering would imply uncertainty.

Noah was skilled enough to build a massive vessel, but God removed his ability to control outcomes. Faith means building without knowing where you’ll land.

The Ark becomes a spiritual metaphor: when God saves you, you stop steering. You submit. Theologically, this foreshadows grace. You don’t guide your way into salvation, God carries you. God wasn’t just saving Noah from water…
He was teaching him how to surrender.

I think about what happened and I think about life. This year we’ve all set goals and put ourselves in charge to steer the activities that lead to the actualisation of those goals.

But then life is what it is. It will life and there will be times when situations will crop up and we will feel so helpless to even want to be in charge. In such situations, the solution will be just for us to coast.

Sometimes, the way out of rocky situations may not be to hold onto the rocks and navigate, but to let go and just coast.