It didn't take long for sin to make the world a terrible place to live. Everywhere God looked sin prevailed.
Genesis 6:11-13- The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
The earth had gotten so filled with evil that God could only see one way of helping it out. God was going to wipe out all flesh- all land animals, and all mankind.
But, God is a just God. He always gives man a chance to ask for forgiveness. If a man does wrong, and asks God to forgive him, God will forgive his sins and won't punish him as harshly.
Genesis 6:14- Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
God told Noah to build a big boat. Do you know why?
Hebrews 11:7- By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
God told Noah that he was going to do something that no one had ever seen before. You see, God had made a mist to come up from the earth to water the plants. There had never been rain before! God was going to send rain to destroy all the living things. But how?
Genesis 6:17- And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
God was going to send so much rain that the earth was going to flood. It would be so much that it would cover even the tallest mountain! That's a lot of water!!
But, wait. Was God going to kill everyone? What about his promise to Adam and Eve? Oh, God is so much smarter than that. He had a plan- just like he always does.
Genesis 6:15-16- And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
God told Noah to make a 3 story high boat! He was very specific in how to make it. Do you know why Noah needed such a big boat?
Genesis 6:10,18-21- And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
God's plan was for Noah's family to take 2 of every creature onto the ark- A boy and a girl. He would also take food for him, his family, and all the animals. Have you ever been to a zoo? Can you imagine all those animals in a boat!?! That's what Noah had- a floating zoo!
But, do you know the main reason God saved Noah and his family?
Genesis 6:22- Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
God spared Noah because Noah was obedient to what God told him. God would rather have us obey him than give him all our money. God wants us to what he tells us rather than what we think we would like to do. God is pleased when we put his choices for our life before our desires for our life. That's how you get God's blessing! And that's how Noah escaped the judgement of God that destroyed the rest of the world!
