Noah's Ark

In the days of Noah, humanity had become corrupt and violent, and God grieved that He had made mankind. The earth was filled with wickedness, and every inclination of human hearts was only evil continually. Yet in the midst of this darkness, one man found favor in God's eyes: Noah, who walked faithfully with God and was righteous among his generation.

God revealed His plan to Noah: He would send a flood to destroy all life on earth, but Noah and his family would be saved. God gave Noah specific instructions to build an ark—a massive boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. For perhaps a century, Noah faithfully followed God's commands, constructing the ark and warning people of coming judgment, though they mocked and rejected his message.

When the ark was complete, God commanded Noah to bring his family and pairs of every kind of animal aboard. Seven days later, the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the floodgates of heaven opened. Rain fell for forty days and forty nights, and the floodwaters covered even the highest mountains. Every living thing on dry land perished, but the ark floated safely on the waters, preserving Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives, and all the animals God had sent.

For 150 days the waters prevailed upon the earth before they began to recede. The ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, and Noah sent out a raven and then a dove to test if the waters had subsided. When the dove returned with an olive leaf, Noah knew the earth was drying. Finally, more than a year after entering the ark, God commanded Noah and his family to come out and repopulate the earth.

Noah's first act was to build an altar and offer sacrifices to the Lord. God was pleased with Noah's worship and made a covenant with him, promising never again to destroy all life with a flood. As a sign of this covenant, God set the rainbow in the clouds, a perpetual reminder of His mercy and faithfulness. He blessed Noah and his sons, commanding them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

The story of Noah's ark reveals profound truths about God's character: His holiness that cannot tolerate sin, His judgment that is always just, His grace that provides salvation for those who trust Him, and His faithfulness to keep His promises. It also points forward to the ultimate salvation God would provide through Jesus Christ, who like the ark, provides the only way to escape divine judgment.