The Flood
The Patriarchal Age Pt. 2

In Lesson 3, we studied about the first Patriarch, Adam. We also discussed the CREATION, the DISOBEDIENCE of Adam and Eve and the birth of their first two sons.

The next important person we meet in the book of Genesis is Noah. The people became wicked and God was sorry that he had made the world. However, Noah was a good man and the Bible tells us in Genesis 6:8 that he found grace in the eyes of God.

God told Noah to build an ark, a big boat, for God planned to destroy the world by a flood. Noah preached to the people while he was building the ark. Noah preached for almost a hundred years trying to get the people to turn away from the evil things they were doing and turn back to God. At the same time he was preaching, he was building the ark. No one would listen to Noah and finally God sent rain until it flooded and destroyed everything that was not in the ark. It rained for forty days and nights until all the dry land; even the mountains were covered with water. So God purged, or cleaned the world with water. The water covered the earth for almost one year until the water dried up.

So Noah did as God commanded him. He built the ark exactly as God has said. He put the exact number of animals in the ark that God told him [two of every unclean animal and seven of every clean]. It is very important to notice that Noah did not change anything God said to suit himself. He obeyed God “to the letter” and was rewarded with salvation from the flood for himself, his wife, their three sons and their wives. The Bible says, “thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” [Genesis 6:22] Noah is a good example for us today. We should not try to change what God commands. As we studied briefly in lesson one we are given commandments to follow in the New Testament. We should obey these commandments of God just as Noah obeyed in the long ago period.

Something important that happened after the flood was the building of the tower of Babel. At this time the people all spoke the same language. They decided to build a tower to reach to heaven. This did not please God at all so he confused their speech. He made some of them to speak one language and some to speak another, etc. They separated into groups that spoke the same language and moved to different parts of the earth.

This lesson covers from Genesis chapter five through Genesis eleven. It would be good to read and study these chapters before trying to answer the questions.

In the next lesson we will study about a very great patriarch, Abraham.