In the days of Noah, the world was filled with wickedness. People’s hearts were consumed by evil, and violence spread across the earth. God, who is holy and just, looked upon the earth and saw the depth of its corruption. He decided to cleanse the world of its sin through a great flood. However, Noah found favor in God’s eyes. He was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time.
God spoke to Noah, instructing him to build an ark. The ark was to be a massive vessel, large enough to hold Noah, his family, and a pair of every kind of animal, both clean and unclean. Noah obeyed God’s command without hesitation. He gathered his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with their wives, and began the monumental task of constructing the ark. For many years, Noah worked diligently, enduring the mockery and disbelief of those around him.
When the ark was complete, God brought the animals to Noah. Two by two, they entered the ark, from the smallest insect to the largest beast. Then, Noah and his family boarded the ark, and God shut the door behind them. The floodwaters rose, covering the mountains and wiping out all living creatures on the earth, except for those within the ark. Rain fell for forty days and forty nights, and the waters prevailed for a hundred and fifty days.
After the waters receded, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Noah sent out a raven and then a dove to see if the waters had subsided. The dove returned with an olive leaf in its beak, signaling that the earth was becoming habitable again. Finally, God commanded Noah to leave the ark. Noah, his family, and all the animals emerged into a new world, cleansed and fresh.
Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices to God in thanksgiving. God made a covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy the earth with a flood. As a sign of this covenant, God placed a rainbow in the sky. The story of Noah and the Great Flood is a testament to God’s judgment of sin and His faithfulness to preserve a remnant. It reminds us of His mercy and the hope of a new beginning.