Some scholars believe that God began dealing with Noah to build the arc when he was 480 years old. If this is true, Noah started building 20 years before his first son was born. God laid out a plan to save Noah, his wife, and his yet-unborn sons and their wives. It took Noah 120 years to build what God directed him to do. This arc was not a luxury vessel and had no means of steering or propulsion, but it was not for any of that. The arc was meant to be a place of salvation for Noah and his family. The bible says it rained for 40 days and nights, and the flood waters remained on the earth for 150 days. Everything on earth died or was destroyed. The ark was large but not large enough for everything. God was particular about what they were to bring. As they began to load the ark, they had to leave some things behind. As important as some of their possessions were, saving their family and the animals God directed them to believe was the most important thing. Spiritually there are things that God says are important. Jesus name baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost are required for our salvation; we must ensure that we have that on the ark. God gave Noah specific plans, and the bible says Noah did all that God asked. Our text says God was patient while the ark was prepared. This implies that Noah was diligent in his work. Had Noah faltered, God would not have been patient. God is long-suffering, and we must not mistake his patience for accommodating our not working to fulfill what He has asked. God waited for the eight, but Noah carried the weight for those eight.