The Great Flood | Bible Story

As generations passed after Adam and Eve, more and more people filled the earth. But sadly, almost everyone had turned away from God and become consumed by evil thoughts and wicked deeds. Violence and corruption spread across the land.

All except one man – Noah. Despite living in such a morally corrupt world, Noah remained a righteous man who walked faithfully with God. Noah had three sons named Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

One day, God looked down from heaven and saw the terrible wickedness and violence everywhere on the earth. His heart was filled with pain at how far mankind had turned from Him and His ways. God decided He would have to judge the world by sending a great flood to wash away the sin and corruption.

But God favored Noah, who still obeyed and honored Him. So God came to Noah with an important rescue plan.

God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all creatures, for the earth is filled with corruption because of them. So make yourself an ark of gopher wood, with rooms in it, and cover it inside and out with pitch.”

God gave Noah very specific instructions on how to build an enormous ark, or boat, that would keep Noah, his family, and samples of every land animal safe during the coming great flood.

God said, “Make the ark 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high.” That’s over 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high! The ark also had to have a roof and a door in the side, with three decks inside.

Then God told Noah, “I will establish my covenant with you. You must bring two of every living creature, male and female, into the ark to keep them alive.” Noah would have to gather two of every kind of animal, bird, and creature that walks on the earth!

Noah faithfully did everything the Lord commanded him to do. For decades, Noah worked hard building the massive ark, warning the people around him that God’s judgment was coming if they didn’t repent. But no one listened – they just kept sinning and mocking Noah.

Finally, after 120 years of construction, the enormous ark was complete. Noah was 600 years old! God said to Noah, “Go into the ark with your wife, your sons, and their wives. Take along seven pairs of every kind of clean animal and one pair of every other animal to keep their species alive over all the earth.”

So Noah obeyed God and ushered two of every kind of creature into the safety of the ark – from the massive elephants and giraffes to the tiny mice and bugs. What a sight it must have been! God shut them all in with His own hand.

Seven days later, storm clouds began swirling and lightning flashed. God said to Noah, “In seven days, I will make it rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights to wipe out every living creature I have made.”

On that fateful day, the floodgates of the heavens burst open, and torrential rain began pouring down without stopping. Simultaneously, the underground waters also erupted onto the surface in violent geysers and upheavals. It was an unprecedented catastrophe unlike anything ever seen!

The waters kept rising and rising, flooding the tallest mountains and hills. Eventually, the entire surface of the earth was submerged under the deluge. Every living creature on the dry land died – people and animals alike. Only Noah’s family and the creatures with them in the ark were spared from God’s judgment against sin.

For 40 long days and nights, the driving rains and swelling floodwaters consumed the earth. Finally, after over a year staying afloat on the waters, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. God sent a wind over the earth to cause the flood to steadily recede.

Several months later, the mountaintops became visible. After 40 more days, Noah opened a window and released a raven to see if it could find dry ground. But the raven just kept flying around. Then Noah sent out a dove, but it couldn’t find a place to land and returned to the ark. A week later, Noah released the dove again, and this time it returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak – a hopeful sign!

A final seven days passed before Noah opened the ark and released the dove once more. This time, the dove didn’t return, indicating the ground must be dry enough to access.

After over a year aboard the ark, God finally told Noah, “You and your wife, your sons and their wives may all leave the ark. Release all the animals, birds and creatures so they can re-populate the earth!”

What a glorious sight it must have been when Noah’s family and the parades of animals exited the ark at last and felt dry ground underfoot! God had preserved the righteous Noah and his family, and all His creatures, to start the world over again.

God made a solemn covenant with Noah, saying “Never again will I curse the earth or destroy all living creatures with a flood. As a sign of this everlasting promise, I have set a rainbow in the clouds.” From that day on, whenever people see a rainbow in the sky, it reminds us of God’s promise to never flood the entire earth again.

Noah and his sons were commanded to multiply and re-populate the earth with people and animals once more. Noah built an altar to worship and honor the Lord, who had mercifully spared them in the great flood. Even though sin and wickedness had filled the earth, God preserved a righteous remnant through Noah to start anew. It was a fresh beginning for all His creation.