The Ark Rests

"So Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth."    Genesis 8:2

Noah, his wife and their sons must have been very sad as the rain continued, the water grew deeper and deeper, and everybody and everything was drowned. There came a time when nothing could be seen but water. Everywhere they looked was sky and water. 

But when the rain ended, the sky was blue again. The sun shone during the day, the stars shone at night, and they must have been very glad.  

Finally the water lowered until the Ark wasn't floating but was stopped. It rested on the peak of a very high mountain. Soon the family could see the tops of other mountains around them. 

Noah opened the window of the Ark and let out a raven. He never saw the raven again. He waited a week, then let out  a dove. Doves like trees to rest in and they eat grains and seeds. The dove couldn't find a place to rest, so it returned to the Ark. 

Noah waited another week and let her go again. She few away but came back later with a spring of a an olive branch in her beak. 

It was the first green thing that Noah had seen for a year! Because of this sign, the olive branch has meant peace and good news ever since.  

Now Noah knew that the waters had gone down and that trees must have leaves again. Once more, after another week, he let out the dove, and she did not come back. She'd found a tree to make a home, and seeds to eat. 

Noah knew the sad time of the flood was over and the earth had been washed from all her stains. 

QUESTIONS

1. What was the Flood?

2. What was the Ark?

3. Who was in it ?

4. What had Noah with him in the Ark ?

5. What became of everyone else ?

6. Why ?

7. Why was Noah saved?

8. How long did the Flood last?

9. What birds did Noah send out of the Ark?

10. Which came back?

11. Why did not the raven come back?

12. What did the dove bring?

13. What was Noah sure of then ?

14. What had the earth been washed from?                      

The Great Flood

"And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth."    Genesis 6:17

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and left the Garden, they had children. Some were good and some were bad. As time went on the bad ones were worse and the good ones were tempted, so many of the good children became bad too. When God looked at the world, he only saw evil. He said He would destroy the wicked people and clean the earth by a great flood.     

But there was one good man named Noah, and God said He would save him. He told Noah build an Ark - a great ship all made of wood. It took a long time to build and all that time people laughed at Noah. They didn't believe anything was going to happen. 

Noah obeyed God and built the Ark. He stored food and God sent him a pair of all sorts of animals that were in the world. He put them into pens in the Ark. Then Noah and his wife, and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, and their wives, went into the Ark, and God closed the door.    

It began to rain. It rained for forty days and forty nights without stopping. The rivers flooded their banks, the ocean came upon the land, and the ground was covered up. Even the tops of the highest hills were hidden, and everybody and every creature was drowned - all but Noah and his family with him. The Ark floated safe safe on the water. The storm could not upset it and the sea couldn't make it sink because God took care of it and everyone that was in it.   

The reason Noah was saved was because, first, he tried to be good, and not do like the bad people around him and next, because he believed what God said to him and built the ark, even when he didn't see any danger. If we wish God to save us, then we must do what is right and not just what seems fun and good right now. 

       

QUESTIONS

1. Do you know why Adam and Eve were driven out of the happy garden ?

2. How did people go on after that ?

3. How had sin come into the world?

4. What did God say He must do to the world ?

5. Why ?

6. Who was to be saved?

7. What was Noah to make?

8. What was the Ark like ?

9. What were put into it ?

10. Why were two of all creatures put into the Ark?

11. What men and women were in it?

12. What were the names of Noah's sons?

13. What happened when Noah was in the Ark?

14. How long did it rain?

15. What was covered up?

16. What became of all the people ?

17. Who were safe?

18. Where was the Ark ?

19. Who took care of the Ark ?

20. Why was Noah saved?