Noah

Introduction

Noah was a descendant of Adam and Eve (10th generation), who lived at a time when many people had turned their backs on God. Unlike the many sinful and wicked people, Noah was a good person who was faithful to God.

God's decision

Eventually, God decided that the wickedness in the world had got too much, and so he decided to create a great flood to kill everyone. Everyone apart from Noah and his family. Noah was chosen to be saved because of his obedience and faithfulness to God.

The Ark

God gave Noah careful instructions on how to create a ship that would house himself, his family, and two of each kind of animal.

• Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. (Genesis 6)

*A cubit = approximately 45 cm.

• You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. (Genesis 6)

The Great Flood

Once the ark had been built, it started raining for 40 days and 40 nights, flooding all the land. After some months, the waters started to recede, and Noah's ark landed on Mount Ararat.

Noah sent out a raven to see if it could find dry land, but it did not not. So he then sent out a dove, and it returned with a leaf from an olive tree - proving that the Flood had ended.

God's promise

After the Flood, God promised that he would not flood the Earth again, and he gave the rainbow as a sign of this promise. In return, Noah promised to always respect human life.