NOAH’S ARK: THE FLOOD (Genesis 6-9)
The Blunt Bible Edition
By: Emmitt Owens
(Index #10172025)
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✍️ Author’s Note:
I need to tell you something before we start.
Noah’s Ark is one my favorite Bible stories.
Not as an adult who’s read it word-for-word and wonders about the details.
As a 7-year-old kid who thought this was the coolest thing ever.
Animals? ✅ Check.
A giant boat? ✅ Check.
An adventure with a happy ending? ✅ Check check check.
I had toy arks. I had books about the ark. I imagined myself on that boat feeding giraffes and making sure the lions didn’t eat the zebras.
This story was magic to me.
And here’s the thing: I still love it. It’s still magic to me.
Even now—after reading Genesis 6-9 word-for-word and realizing how much more incredible and more detailed the actual story is than the Sunday school version—I still love it.
Because Noah’s Ark isn’t just a story about a boat and some animals.
It’s a story about preservation.
God looking at a world filled with violence and wickedness and saying: “I’m going to start over. But first, I’m going to preserve what’s worth saving.”
One righteous man. His family. And representatives of every living creature.
This is about God preserving life in the midst of judgment. Preserving righteousness in a world gone wrong. Preserving hope when everything else was drowning.
But before we get into what Genesis actually says, I need to tell you about 7-year-old me.
Because 7-year-old me had questions. Lots and lots of questions. It was like I was training myself to be an animal hero.
-How did Noah get penguins from Antarctica?
My childhood theory: Maybe Santa brought them!
Think about it. Santa’s already traveling the whole world in one night. He’s got the infrastructure. He’s got the sleigh. He could’ve picked up penguins from Antarctica and dropped them off at Noah’s place.
My Sunday school teacher laughed and said, “God had other plans. Santa Claus wasn’t around yet.”
Which… fair. But also: I genuinely wanted to know how the penguins got there!
-How did he get lions on the ark without getting eaten?
My Sunday school teacher said: “God helped him.”
Okay, but how? Did God make the lions calm? Did the lions just walk peacefully onto the ark?
-If birds eat worms, were there more than two worms?
Because if you only brought two worms, and a bird ate one… that’s it for worms. I wouldn’t be able to catch any kind of fish. I could still fish for trout because trout prefer flies.
-Did Noah have flies on his boat?
-Did alligators just… not eat anything for a year?
Because if alligators need meat, and you only have two pigs… and one got eaten by an alligator. We wouldn’t have bacon.
-Where did all the animal poop go?
Somehow my fly question got answered. Yuck.
This was my biggest question. Thousands of animals. On a boat. For over a year. Producing waste constantly.
—Where. Did. It. Go?—
Nobody had a good answer for that one.
And here’s what I’ve realized as an adult reading Genesis 6-9:
Genesis doesn’t answer those questions.
The Bible says: God told Noah to build an ark. Noah built it. The animals came. The flood happened. Everyone on the ark survived. The end.
The logistics? The “how did this actually work?” questions?
Genesis focuses on what happened, not always how it happened. That’s what makes it magical.
But I still want to know the how.
Because I’m curious about how God orchestrated this incredible miracle.
And I’ve learned something I didn’t know as a kid:
It wasn’t just two animals per species.
7-year-old me had a toy ark with two giraffes, two elephants, two lions. Nice and simple.
But Genesis says SEVEN PAIRS of clean animals and birds.
SEVEN PAIRS. That’s fourteen of each clean animal.
My toy ark didn’t show me that. This preservation mission was WAY bigger than I thought.
So this chapter is going to be:
– The most enthusiastic chapter in the Blunt Bible yet (because I genuinely love this story)
– Full of childhood wonder (remembering why this story was magical)
– Full of genuine curiosity (wondering how God made this work)
– Word-for-word scripture (showing what Genesis actually says, which is more detailed than you remember)
– About preservation – how God saved what mattered most
Let’s do this. ⛵
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THE SETUP: WHY THE FLOOD HAPPENED (Genesis 6:1-8)
Genesis 5 just gave us ten generations of genealogy from Adam to Noah. Everyone lived 900+ years. Everyone died (except Enoch, who walked with God and just… vanished).
Now we’re at Genesis 6.
And things are about to get very wet.
Humanity Gets Weird (Genesis 6:1-4)
Genesis 6:1-2 (KJV) – “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”
Okay, so humanity’s multiplying. Good. That’s what God told them to do in Genesis 1:28 (“be fruitful and multiply”).
But then this happens: “The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”
—Hold up—
“Sons of God”?
Who are the “sons of God”?
Genesis doesn’t explain.
Some people think it means angels. Some think it means descendants of Seth (the “godly” line from Genesis 5). Some think it means rulers or powerful men.
Genesis just says: “sons of God” married “daughters of men” and doesn’t clarify which interpretation is correct.
Genesis 6:3 (KJV) – “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”
God says: “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
Wait—does this mean lifespans are about to drop from 900+ years to 120 years?
Or does it mean humanity has 120 years until the flood?
Genesis doesn’t clarify. (Spoiler: After the flood, lifespans do start dropping. But not immediately to 120. Noah lives to 950. So… it’s unclear which meaning God intended here.)
Genesis 6:4 (KJV) – “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”
Giants.
Genesis just casually mentions: “There were giants in the earth in those days.”
The Hebrew word is Nephilim.
-Who were they?
-How big were they?
-Why were they here?
Genesis doesn’t elaborate.
Just: giants existed. They were mighty. They were famous. Moving on.
(This is one of the most mysterious passages in Genesis, and Genesis doesn’t give us many details.)
God Regrets Making Humans (Genesis 6:5-7)
Genesis 6:5 (KJV) – “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
God looked at humanity and saw:
– Great wickedness
– Every thought, every intention, constantly evil
This is after 1,656 years of human history (if you add up the ages in Genesis 5).
God gave humanity over 1,000 years to turn things around.
They didn’t.
Genesis 6:6 (KJV) – “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
“It repented the Lord that he had made man.”
Some translations say “regretted.” Some say “was sorry.” Some say “was grieved.”
The Hebrew word is nacham—to feel sorrow, to regret, to change one’s mind.
God looked at humanity and felt grief.
Not just anger. Grief.
Like a parent watching their child make terrible choices and being heartbroken over it.
Genesis 6:7 (KJV) – “And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”
God’s decision: “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”
Everything.
Not just humans. Animals too. Birds. Creatures that move along the ground.
The entire ecosystem is getting reset.
But Noah Was Different (Genesis 6:8-10)
Genesis 6:8 (KJV) – “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
“But Noah.”
In a world where every thought was evil continually, Noah was different.
Genesis 6:9 (KJV) – “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”
Noah was:
– Just (righteous, did what was right)
– Perfect in his generations (blameless among the people of his time)
– Walked with God (same phrase used for Enoch in Genesis 5:24—the guy who didn’t die)
Genesis 6:10 (KJV) – “And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
(They’re going to be important. Because they’re the only humans—besides Noah and his wife—who survive the flood.)
This is where preservation begins.
God isn’t just destroying. He’s preserving.
One righteous man and his family. That’s what gets saved.
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THE COMMAND: BUILD AN ARK (Genesis 6:11-22)
Genesis 6:11-13 (KJV) – “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.”
God tells Noah: “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.”
Genesis 6:14 (KJV) – “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.”
God’s solution: Build a boat.
Not just any boat. An ark.
Made of gopher wood (we don’t know what kind of wood that is—the word only appears here in the entire Bible).
With rooms inside.
Covered with pitch (a waterproof coating) inside and out.
Genesis 6:15-16 (KJV) – “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 gives specific dimensions:
– Length: 300 cubits (about 450 feet / 137 meters)
– Width: 50 cubits (about 75 feet / 23 meters)
– Height: 30 cubits (about 45 feet / 14 meters)
For context: That’s about 1.5 football fields long. This is a massive boat.
Also:
– One window (finished to within a cubit from the top)
– One door (on the side)
– Three decks (lower, middle, and upper)
This is not the cute little toy ark from my childhood. This is a massive floating warehouse.
A preservation vessel built to God’s exact specifications.
Genesis 6:17 (KJV) – “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’s warning: “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.”
Everything.
Genesis 6:18-20 (KJV) – “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.”
God’s preservation plan:
– Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives = 8 people total
– Two of every living thing (male and female)
– Birds, livestock, creatures that move along the ground—all of them
– They will come to you (Noah doesn’t have to go hunt them down)
– “To keep them alive” – this is about preservation
Genesis 6:21 (KJV) – “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.”
Oh, and: Bring food. For everyone. For over a year.
Because you’re not just saving them for a day. You’re preserving them through an entire year of judgment.
Genesis 6:22 (KJV) – “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”
“Thus did Noah.”
-God said build an ark. Noah built an ark.
-God said bring animals. Noah brought animals.
-God said gather food. Noah gathered food.
No questions. No complaints. No “but God, how am I supposed to…?”
Just: obedience.
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WONDERING ABOUT THE DETAILS
Okay, so Genesis says: Noah built an ark. The animals came. They brought food. Done.
But how?
I’m genuinely curious about the parts Genesis doesn’t explain. Not because I doubt it happened, but because I’m amazed by how God orchestrated this.
Question 1: How Long Did It Take to Build the Ark?
Genesis doesn’t say.
-Noah was 500 years old when his sons were born (Genesis 5:32).
-Noah was 600 years old when the flood came (Genesis 7:6).
So somewhere in that 100-year window, Noah built the ark.
Did it take 10 years? 50 years? 100 years?
Genesis doesn’t tell us.
But here’s what we know:
– Noah was 600 years old when the flood happened
– His three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth) were probably over 100 years old by this point
– They had wives (so they were old enough to be married)
So Noah wasn’t a young man building this ark. He was 600 years old. And his sons—who helped him—were centenarians.
That’s incredible.
Question 2: Where Did He Get the Materials?
Genesis says: “Make it out of gopher wood.”
Okay, but where did Noah get that much wood?
If the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet tall—with three decks—that’s a LOT of wood.
-Did Noah chop down trees himself?
-Did he buy lumber?
-Did God provide the materials miraculously?
Genesis doesn’t say.
But however it happened, Noah got it done.
Question 3: How Did He Know How to Build a Boat?
There’s no indication anyone had built a boat this size before.
-Did Noah have prior shipbuilding experience?
-Did God give him detailed instructions beyond the dimensions?
-Did he learn as he went?
Genesis doesn’t say.
Just: God gave dimensions. Noah built it.
And it worked. It floated. It held everyone safely for over a year.
That’s amazing.
Question 4: Did Anyone Help Him?
Genesis only mentions Noah, his three sons, and their wives.
That’s eight people total.
-Did they build the entire ark by themselves?
-Did they hire workers?
If they hired workers:
-Did those workers believe the flood was coming?
-Did they think Noah was crazy?
Genesis doesn’t say.
But based on Genesis 6:5 (“every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”), it seems like Noah’s family were the only righteous people left.
So probably: just the eight of them.
Building a 450-foot ark.
By hand.
Over several decades.
That’s incredible dedication.
Question 5: What Did People Think?
Genesis doesn’t record anyone mocking Noah. But I wonder what they thought.
Picture this: You’re living your life in the ancient world. And some 600-year-old guy and his three sons are building a massive boat. In the middle of dry land. Nowhere near an ocean.
And he keeps saying: “God’s going to flood the earth. Everyone’s going to die except me and my family.”
What would you think?
2 Peter 2:5 (written thousands of years later) calls Noah a “preacher of righteousness.” So apparently Noah warned people about the flood.
But Genesis doesn’t record their response. Genesis just says: Noah built the ark. Everyone else kept living their lives. Then the flood came.
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THE ANIMALS: THIS IS WHERE IT GETS INCREDIBLE (Genesis 7:1-5)
Genesis 7:1-3 (KJV) – “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.”
—Hold up—
“Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens.”
Wait.
SEVEN PAIRS?
This is where 7-year-old me’s toy ark got it wrong.
My toy ark had two giraffes, two elephants, two lions. Nice and simple.
But Genesis says:
– Seven pairs of every clean animal (that’s 14 of each)
– One pair of every unclean animal (2 of each)
– Seven pairs of every bird (14 of each)
Why seven pairs of clean animals?
Because … Noah’s going to sacrifice some of them after the flood (Genesis 8:20). If he only had two, there’d be no species left.
So the “two of every kind” thing? Only for unclean animals.
Clean animals and birds? SEVEN PAIRS EACH.
This preservation mission was MASSIVE.
That’s WAY more animals than the toy ark version. Way more than Sunday school taught me.
And it makes perfect sense. You can’t preserve a species with just two individuals. You need genetic diversity. You need breeding populations.
Seven pairs. God wasn’t just preserving life. He was preserving it properly and wisely.
Genesis 7:4-5 (KJV) – “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him.”
God gives Noah seven days’ notice.
In seven days, it’s going to rain for forty days and forty nights.
And Noah did everything God commanded him.
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7-YEAR-OLD ME’s QUESTIONS: THE LOGISTICS
Okay, so the animals are coming. God said they would “come to you” (Genesis 6:20).
But how?
These are genuine questions I had as a kid. And honestly, I still wonder about them as an adult—because I’m genuinely curious about how God worked this miracle.
The Penguin Problem (And My Santa Theory)
How did Noah get penguins from Antarctica?
Penguins live in Antarctica. Antarctica is thousands of miles from the Middle East (where Noah probably lived).
So how did they get there?
As a 7-year-old, I came up with a theory: Maybe Santa brought them!
Think about it. Santa’s already traveling the whole world in one night. He’s got the infrastructure. He’s got the sleigh. He’s got flying reindeer. He could’ve picked up penguins from Antarctica, kangaroos from Australia, and polar bears from the Arctic, and dropped them all off at Noah’s place.
My Sunday school teacher laughed and said, “God had other plans. Santa Claus wasn’t around yet.”
Which… fair.
But honestly, as an adult reading this, I realize: God performing a miracle to bring the animals makes way more sense than my Santa theory.
God said “they will come to you” (Genesis 6:20).
And they did.
How? God brought them. Miraculously. Supernaturally.
That’s the only explanation that fits.
The Kangaroo Problem
Same question.
Kangaroos live in Australia. Australia is thousands of miles from the Middle East.
How did they get to Noah’s ark?
Did they hop the entire way?
Did God transport them miraculously?
Did geography look different before the flood?
Genesis doesn’t say.
But God said they would come. And they came.
The Sloth Problem
Sloths are slow.
Like, really slow.
A sloth moves at about 0.15 miles per hour.
If a sloth had to travel from South America to Noah’s ark in the Middle East (let’s say 10,000 miles), it would take approximately 67,000 hours.
That’s 7.6 years of continuous movement.
And that’s assuming the sloth never stopped to eat or sleep.
So how did sloths get there?
Again: God said they would come. And they came.
Whether God sped them up, transported them miraculously, or whether the geography was different before the flood—Genesis doesn’t specify.
But the miracle happened.
The Predator Problem
How did Noah keep the lions from eating the zebras?
And remember: it’s not just two lions and two zebras.
It’s FOURTEEN lions (seven pairs—lions are clean animals!) and FOURTEEN zebras (also seven pairs).
And you’re on a boat for over a year…
You cannot let the lions eat the zebras. Because even with fourteen zebras, if the lions ate just a few, the species wouldn’t recover properly.
So how did it work?
Possibilities:
1. God made all the animals peaceful (like they were in Genesis 1, before the Fall)
2. Noah brought extra animals as food (which Genesis doesn’t mention)
3. God miraculously sustained them without them eating each other
Genesis doesn’t explain the mechanism.
But it worked. All the animals survived the year.
That’s the miracle.
The Bird-Eating-Worms Problem
If birds eat worms, were there more than two worms?
Because if you only brought two worms (one male, one female), and a bird ate one worm… that’s it for the worm species.
Are worms clean or unclean animals? If they’re clean, Noah needed FOURTEEN worms (seven pairs).
But even fourteen wouldn’t be enough if multiple bird species were eating them every day.
So either:
1. There were way more worms than specified (which Genesis doesn’t mention)
2. The birds didn’t eat worms for a year (what did they eat instead?)
3. God provided food miraculously
Again, Genesis doesn’t explain how this worked.
But it did work. The food chain functioned somehow.
The Insect Problem
Genesis says: “Two of every sort.”
Does that include insects?
There are over 1 million known species of insects today.
Did Noah bring representatives of every insect species?
If so, that’s a lot of insects on the ark.
Genesis doesn’t clarify whether insects are included in “every living thing.”
But if the mission is preservation of all life, then insects were probably part of it.
The Poop Problem
This was my biggest question as a 7-year-old.
And honestly? It’s still a fascinating logistics question as an adult.
Where did all the animal waste go?
And remember: we’re not talking about just two of each animal anymore. We’re talking about seven pairs of clean animals and birds.
Let’s do some math:
– Let’s say there were 10,000+ animals on the ark (being accurate with the seven pairs)
– They were on the ark for over a year
– An average animal produces waste every day
That’s a lot of waste over a year.
So how was it managed?
Did Noah and his family shovel it overboard every day?
Did they have a waste management system with chutes or channels?
Did God miraculously handle it?
Genesis doesn’t say.
But somehow, it was managed. The ark stayed functional. Everyone survived.
This is the kind of question that makes me appreciate the daily work preservation required.
It’s not just about building the ark. It’s about caring for thousands of animals.
Every. Single. Day. For over a year.
The Food Storage Problem
Genesis 6:21 says: “Take with you every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
Every kind of food.
For:
– 8 humans
– 10,000+ animals (counting the seven pairs correctly)
– Herbivores, carnivores (or temporarily non-carnivorous carnivores), omnivores
– For over a year
Where did they store it all?
The ark was massive (450 feet long, 75 feet wide, 45 feet tall, three decks). But was it big enough to store over a year’s worth of food for 10,000+ animals?
How did they keep it from spoiling? (No refrigeration. No preservatives.)
How did they organize it so they could find what each animal needed?
Genesis doesn’t give us the details.
Just: “Take food. Store it.”
But Noah did it. Somehow, he gathered enough food and stored it properly.
That’s part of the miracle.
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THE ANIMALS ARRIVE (Genesis 7:6-9)
Genesis 7:6-9 (KJV) – “And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.”
So the animals came.
“Two and two unto Noah into the ark.”
(And remember: “two and two” here is shorthand—it actually means seven pairs of clean animals and birds, one pair of unclean animals.)
Genesis doesn’t describe how they came. Just: they came.
-Did they walk calmly onto the ark?
-Did the lions come peacefully?
-Did the elephants cooperate?
-Did the penguins waddle up from wherever they were?
Genesis doesn’t give us those details.
Just: they came.
And here’s the thing: **God said they would come** (Genesis 6:20).
So God orchestrated this.
Noah didn’t have to figure out how to get penguins from Antarctica.
He didn’t have to capture lions or wrangle alligators or transport sloths.
God brought them.
Genesis doesn’t explain the mechanism. Just the result.
The animals came. As God said they would.
And honestly? That’s the most important part.
Not the logistics. The obedience and the miracle.
God said it would happen. Noah obeyed. God made it happen.
This is divine preservation in action.
—–
THE FLOOD BEGINS (Genesis 7:10-24)
Genesis 7:10-12 (KJV) – “And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.”
Seven days after Noah entered the ark, the flood began.
It started on the 17th day of the second month of Noah’s 600th year.
And here’s what happened:
– “All the fountains of the great deep broken up” (water burst forth from underground)
– “The windows of heaven were opened” (rain poured from the sky)
This wasn’t just rain. This was water from above and below.
IMPORTANT CONNECTION: Remember when I mentioned in my Genesis 1-2 story, “Apparently there was water above the sky?” This is where that becomes crucial. On the 2nd day of Creation, God separated the waters – placing some above the firmament (sky) and some below (where earth would soon be). This directly mirrors what’s described in Genesis 1:6-7, where God created the firmament to divide the waters.
During the Flood, both sources were unleashed: the earth was being flooded from two directions simultaneously. The rain from above lasted forty days and forty nights, while the fountains of the deep burst open from below.
Genesis 7:13-16 (KJV) – “In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.”
Everyone’s on the ark:
– Noah and his wife
– Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their wives
– All the animals (two and two—and seven and seven—male and female)
“And the Lord shut him in.”
God closed the door.
Noah didn’t close it… God did.
Once that door closed, there was no getting out. And no one else was getting in.
The preservation vessel was sealed by God Himself.
Genesis 7:17-20 (KJV) – “And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.”
The water rose… And rose… And rose.
Until:
– All the high hills were covered
– The mountains were covered
– The water rose fifteen cubits (about 22 feet) above the highest mountains
This wasn’t a local flood. This was global.
The entire earth was underwater.
Genesis 7:21-23 (KJV) – “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.”
Everyone died.
– Birds
– Livestock
– Wild animals
– Creatures that move along the ground
– Every human being
“Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.”
Eight people. Thousands of animals. That’s it.
Everyone else? Gone.
This is what preservation looks like in the midst of judgment.
Not everyone saved. Just those God chose to preserve.
Genesis 7:24 (KJV) – “And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.”
And here’s something most people don’t realize:
The flood lasted WAY longer than forty days.
The rain lasted forty days.
But the water stayed on the earth for 150 days.
Five months.
The ark was floating on a global ocean for five months before the water even started to recede.
This preservation mission wasn’t quick. It was long. It required endurance.
—–
LIFE ON THE ARK: WHAT GENESIS DOESN’T TELL US
Genesis tells us:
– Noah and his family were on the ark
– Thousands of animals were on the ark
– They had food stored
– The flood lasted over a year
But Genesis doesn’t tell us:
– What daily life was like on the ark
– How they managed the animals
– How they dealt with waste
– Whether anyone got sick
– Whether the animals fought
– Whether Noah’s family ever got tired or discouraged
Genesis just says: They survived.
How? Not mentioned in detail.
But here’s what we can imagine:
They Fed the Animals Every Day
Thousands of animals. Different diets. Some herbivores. Some carnivores (or animals that God made peaceful for the journey).
Someone had to distribute food. Every. Single. Day.
For over a year.
That’s a full-time job for all eight people.
They Cleaned Up After the Animals Every Day
Whether God handled this miraculously or whether Noah’s family had to manage it themselves, the ark had to stay clean enough to be livable.
Every. Single. Day.
For over a year.
That’s also exhausting work.
Maybe they had shifts? Noah and Shem take the morning, Ham and Japheth take the afternoon, the wives rotate through feeding and other tasks?
Genesis doesn’t say. But the work had to get done.
They Had No Privacy
Eight people. One ark. Three decks filled with animals.
-Where did they sleep?
-Where did they eat?
-Where did they have personal space?
Genesis doesn’t say.
But it’s safe to assume: there was very little privacy.
Living in close quarters with your family and thousands of animals for over a year? That requires patience and grace.
They Had Limited Entertainment
No phones. No internet. No streaming services.
Maybe they talked. Maybe they prayed. Maybe someone brought a musical instrument (remember, Jubal from Cain’s line invented instruments back in Genesis 4).
But mostly? They waited.
And worked.
And trusted God.
They Had No Idea How Long It Would Last
God told Noah: “I’m going to flood the earth.”
But God didn’t say: “You’ll be on the ark for exactly 371 days.”
So every day, Noah woke up and thought: “Is today the day we get off this boat?”
And the answer was: “Not yet.”
For over a year.
Imagine the mental and emotional toll. The uncertainty. The monotony. The exhaustion.
Preservation requires faith and patience.
—–
THE WATER RECEDES (Genesis 8:1-5)
Genesis 8:1 (KJV) – “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged.”
“And God remembered Noah.”
This doesn’t mean God forgot about Noah. It means God acted on Noah’s behalf.
After 150 days of floating on a global ocean, God sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to recede.
God was faithful. Even when Noah couldn’t see progress, God was working.
Genesis 8:2-3 (KJV) – “The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.”
-The underground springs stopped flowing.
-The rain stopped falling.
-The water started going down.
Slowly. Gradually.
Genesis 8:4 (KJV) – “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.”
On the 17th day of the seventh month (exactly five months after the flood started), the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
(Modern-day Turkey, if you’re curious.)
But just because the ark landed doesn’t mean they could leave.
Genesis 8:5 (KJV) – “And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.”
It took another three months before the tops of other mountains were visible.
So let’s do the timeline so far:
– Day 1: Flood starts (2nd month, 17th day)
– Day 40: Rain stops (but water is still everywhere)
– Day 150: Water starts receding
– Day 150: Ark lands on Ararat (7th month, 17th day)
– Day 224: Tops of mountains visible (10th month, 1st day)
They’ve been on the ark for over seven months at this point.
And they still can’t leave.
—–
THE TIMELINE: LONGER THAN YOU THINK
Here’s the full timeline of Noah’s time on the ark:
-Genesis 7:11 – Flood starts: 2nd month, 17th day (Noah is 600 years old)
-Genesis 7:12 – Rain lasts: 40 days
-Genesis 7:24 – Water covers earth: 150 days
-Genesis 8:4 – Ark lands on Ararat: 7th month, 17th day (5 months after flood started)
-Genesis 8:5 – Mountain tops visible: 10th month, 1st day
-Genesis 8:13 – Water dried up: 1st month, 1st day of Noah’s 601st year (almost a full year)
-Genesis 8:14 – Earth completely dry: 2nd month, 27th day
Total time on the ark: Over one full year.
From the 2nd month, 17th day of Noah’s 600th year to the 2nd month, 27th day of his 601st year.
That’s approximately 371 days.
Not 40 days. Not even 150 days.
371 days.
Over a year of:
– Feeding thousands of animals
– Cleaning up after thousands of animals
– Living in close quarters with your family
– Waiting
– Trusting
– Enduring
That’s what preservation required.
Not a quick rescue. Not an easy escape.
A long, patient, faithful endurance through uncertainty.
Noah didn’t just build an ark and survive a rainstorm.
He committed to over a year of hard work, faith, and obedience.
That’s incredible.
—–
THE BIRDS: CHECKING IF IT’S SAFE (Genesis 8:6-12)
Genesis 8:6-7 (KJV) – “And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.”
After 40 days of the water receding (this is 40 days after the mountain tops became visible, not 40 days total), Noah opened the window.
Remember: the ark only had one window. At the top.
Noah sent out a raven.
The raven flew back and forth, back and forth, until the waters dried up.
-Did it come back to the ark?
-Did it just keep flying around?
Genesis doesn’t clarify.
Just: the raven went out and kept flying.
The Raven (Genesis 8:6-7)
What happened: Noah sent out a raven first, and it “went to and fro until the waters dried up from the earth.”
Symbolism: Scavenger/Unclean bird – In Levitical law, ravens were unclean (Leviticus 11:15). It could survive by eating carrion (dead floating animals)
-Restlessness – It kept going back and forth, never returning with clear information
-Self-sufficiency – It didn’t need to return to the ark because it could sustain itself on death/decay
-Ambiguity – Gave no clear answer about conditions on earth
Genesis 8:8-9 (KJV) – “Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.”
Noah also sent out a dove.
The dove couldn’t find anywhere to land (the water was still covering everything), so she came back to the ark.
Noah reached out and brought her back inside.
Genesis 8:10-11 (KJV) – “And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.”
Noah waited seven more days and sent the dove out again.
This time, she came back in the evening with an olive leaf in her beak.
Fresh vegetation. Something was growing again.
Noah knew: the water was going down. Life was returning to the earth.
Genesis 8:12 (KJV) – “And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.”
Noah waited another seven days and sent the dove out one more time.
This time, she didn’t come back.
She found a place to land. A place to stay.
The world was becoming habitable again.
The Dove (Genesis 8:8-12)
What happened: Noah sent a dove three times:
-First time – returned (no resting place)
-Second time – returned with olive leaf (life renewed!)
-Third time – didn’t return (earth habitable)
Symbolism: Clean bird – Pure, acceptable for sacrifice -Peace and hope – The olive branch became the universal symbol of peace and new beginnings
-Holy Spirit – Later Christian tradition connects this to the Holy Spirit descending as a dove at Jesus’s baptism (another “new creation” moment)
-Faithfulness – It returned to Noah, showing trust and connection
-Life renewed – The fresh olive leaf proved vegetation was growing again
-Divine communication – Gave clear, interpretable signs about God’s restoration
The Contrast: The raven represents the old world of death; the dove represents new life and God’s covenant of peace with creation.
—–
LEAVING THE ARK (Genesis 8:13-19)
Genesis 8:13 (KJV) – “And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.”
On the first day of the first month of Noah’s 601st year, the water was gone.
Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked out.
The ground was dry.
But they still didn’t leave.
Genesis 8:14 (KJV) – “And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.”
They waited another month and 27 days until the earth was completely dry.
Why?
Genesis doesn’t say.
-Maybe the ground was still too muddy?
-Maybe they were waiting for vegetation to grow more?
-Maybe God hadn’t told them to leave yet?
Whatever the reason, they waited patiently.
Finally, on the 27th day of the second month, the earth was dry.
Genesis 8:15-17 (KJV) – “And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.”
God told Noah: “Leave the ark.”
Take your family. Take all the animals.
“That they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.”
The preservation mission isn’t over. Now comes the repopulation mission.
Fill the earth again. Restore life.
Genesis 8:18-19 (KJV) – “And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.”
So they left.
All of them.
Noah, his family, and thousands of animals.
After over a year on the ark, they stepped onto dry land.
Can you imagine that moment?
Solid ground under their feet. Fresh air. Open sky. Freedom.
Preservation complete.
—–
NOAH’S SACRIFICE (Genesis 8:20-22)
Genesis 8:20 (KJV) – “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”
The first thing Noah did after leaving the ark?
Built an altar. And sacrificed animals to God.
“Of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl.”
This is why Noah needed seven pairs of clean animals. If he only had two, and he sacrificed one, there’d be no species left.
But with seven pairs (14 animals), he could sacrifice some and still have breeding populations left.
Noah’s first response after being preserved wasn’t celebration. It was worship.
Genesis 8:21 (KJV) – “And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.”
God smelled the sacrifice and made a promise:
“I will never again curse the ground because of humans.”
Wait—didn’t God already curse the ground back in Genesis 3:17 after Adam and Eve ate the fruit?
Yes. And that curse is still in effect.
But God’s saying: “I won’t curse it AGAIN. I won’t do another global flood.”
And here’s the really interesting part: “For the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”
That was the reason for the flood in Genesis 6:5 (“every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”).
And now it’s the reason God promises never to flood the earth again.
Humanity is still wicked. That hasn’t changed.
But God’s response has changed.
From: “I’ll destroy them.”
To: “I’ll never destroy them like this again.”
God chose patience and mercy over judgment.
Genesis 8:22 (KJV) – “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
God’s promise: As long as the earth exists:
– Seedtime and harvest
– Cold and heat
– Summer and winter
– Day and night
Will never stop.
The cycle of life will continue. The world will keep turning.
No matter how wicked humanity becomes, God will never again wipe the slate clean with a flood.
That’s a covenant promise.
—–
THE COVENANT: THE RAINBOW PROMISE (Genesis 9:1-17)
Genesis 9:1 (KJV) – “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”
God blessed Noah and his sons with the same command He gave Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28:
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”
Humanity gets a fresh start.
Genesis 9:2-3 (KJV) – “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.”
New rules:
1. Animals will now fear humans. A change in animal behavior. (this wasn’t mentioned before the flood)
2. Humans can now eat meat
In Genesis 1:29-30, everyone was vegetarian. Plants only.
Now? “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you.”
Meat is now on the menu.
EATING MEAT: A NEW PERMISSION WITH A RULE
Genesis 9:3-4 (KJV) – “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.”
This is the first time God permits humans to eat meat.
Before the Flood? Genesis 1:29 suggests humanity was vegetarian—plants, fruits, seeds.
Now, after the Flood, God says: you can eat animals.
But there’s one rule: don’t eat the blood.
Drain it. Remove it. Don’t consume it.
-Why this rule?
-Why does blood matter?
Genesis 9:4 – “the blood thereof” = the life.
The blood represents life itself. The soul. The essence of the creature.
God permits taking animal life for food, but the blood—the life—belongs to Him.
-Ever wonder why some people have such a visceral response to rare meat? That primal, almost instinctive pull toward the taste of blood?
Maybe that’s what God was regulating.
Something ancient in us. Something that goes back to the beginning of human survival as hunters.
God drew a boundary: You can eat meat. You cannot consume the life itself.
It’s the line between provision and something darker. Between sustenance and savagery.
Genesis 9:4-6 (KJV) – “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”
But there are rules:
1. Don’t eat meat with blood still in it (drain the blood first)
2. Don’t murder – “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed”
This is the first mention of capital punishment in the Bible. (The Death Sentence)
If you murder someone, your life is forfeit.
Why? “For in the image of God made he man.”
Humans are made in God’s image. To kill a human is to attack God’s image.
Life is sacred.
Genesis 9:8-11 (KJV) – “And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.”
God makes a covenant (a binding promise):
“Never again will all life be destroyed by a flood. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
This covenant is with:
– Noah and his descendants (all of humanity)
– Every living creature (animals too!)
God’s not just making a promise to humans. He’s making a promise to all life. All of Noah’s descendants.
—-Hold Up—-
HOW MANY OF YOU THOUGHT OF THIS?
Genesis 9:9 (KJV) – “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you”
Did you catch that?
“And with your seed after you.”
God’s covenant wasn’t just with Noah.
It was with his descendants.
As a child I was told it was for all mankind, never realizing: After the Flood, only eight people survived.
-Noah
-His wife
-Shem, Ham, Japheth
-Their three wives
That’s it. Eight people. Everyone else perished.
So here’s the question: If only Noah’s family survived, and every human came from his three sons…
Who are Noah’s descendants?
The answer is simple: Everyone.
Every human alive today—in 2025—according to Genesis, carries Noah’s DNA.
(Modern genetics confirms we all share a common ancestor)
Remember Genesis 5? That long genealogy we read earlier? Adam → Seth → Enosh → Kenan → Mahalalel → Jared → Enoch → Methuselah → Lamech → Noah
That’s why it mattered.
It wasn’t just documenting ancient history.
It was documenting YOUR family tree.
Genesis 5 traced the line from Adam through Seth to Noah—the family line that survived.
Genesis 10 traces the line from Noah’s sons to every nation on earth.
Connect the dots: Adam → Seth → … → Noah → Shem/Ham/Japheth → all nations → … → you.
This changes everything: When God made the covenant with Noah, He was making it with Noah’s descendants.
Biblically speaking, that’s all of us.
When you see a rainbow today, you’re not just seeing a pretty phenomenon in the sky.
You’re seeing God’s promise to your ancestor—and through him, to you.
The rainbow is a covenant sign to Noah’s bloodline.
We are Noah’s bloodline.
How many of you realized: This isn’t just a story about some guy who built a boat 4,000+ years ago.
According to Genesis, this is a story about our ancestor.
The promises God made to Noah?
He made them to us.
Genesis 9:12-13 (KJV) – “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.”
The sign of the covenant: A rainbow.
“I do set my bow in the cloud.”
Every time it rains and a rainbow appears, it’s a reminder:
God promised never to flood the earth again.
Genesis 9:14-17 (KJV) – “And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”
“I will look upon it, that I may remember.”
The rainbow isn’t just for us. It’s for God.
A reminder to Himself of the promise He made.
Never again.
And for thousands of years, God has kept that promise.
—–
DRUNK NAKED NOAH (Genesis 9:18-29)
Genesis 9:18-20 (KJV) – “And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.”
So Noah’s family left the ark.
And Noah—the righteous man who walked with God and survived the flood—became a farmer.
He planted a vineyard.
Genesis 9:21 (KJV) – “And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.”
Noah made wine.
Noah drank the wine.
Noah got drunk.
And passed out naked in his tent.
—Wait—
-This is the hero of the flood?
-The guy who saved humanity?
-The man who walked with God?
Yep. Drunk and naked.
Genesis doesn’t hide this. Doesn’t excuse it. Just records it.
Genesis 9:22 (KJV) – “And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.”
Ham (Noah’s son) walked into the tent, saw his father naked, and told his brothers about it.
Genesis 9:23 (KJV) – “And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.”
Shem and Japheth grabbed a garment, walked backward into the tent (so they wouldn’t see their father naked), and covered him.
They honored their father by not looking at him in his vulnerable, drunken state.
Genesis 9:24-25 (KJV) – “And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.”
Noah woke up, sobered up, and realized what Ham had done.
And Noah cursed… Canaan?
Wait, Canaan is Ham’s son. Not Ham himself.
Why is Noah cursing his grandson instead of his son?
Genesis doesn’t explain this.
But Noah’s curse: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.”
Canaan will be a servant to his brothers.
Genesis 9:26-27 (KJV) – “And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.”
Noah blessed Shem and Japheth.
And reiterated: Canaan will be their servant.
This is one of the more difficult passages in Genesis. It’s uncomfortable. And Genesis doesn’t give us much context for why things unfolded this way.
Genesis 9:28-29 (KJV) – “And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.”
Noah lived 350 more years after the flood.
He lived to be 950 years old total.
Almost a millennium.
And then: “and he died.”
The man who walked with God. The man who built the ark. The man who preserved life through the flood. Eventually died.
Just like everyone else in Genesis 5.
Except Enoch.
—–
THE ACTUAL MORALS
1. God’s patience has limits – God waited over 1,000 years (from Adam to Noah) before sending the flood. He gave humanity every chance to turn around. They didn’t.
2. One righteous person matters – In a world where “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” Noah was different. And God preserved him and his family.
3. Preservation requires obedience – God said build an ark. Noah built it. God said gather animals. Noah gathered them. No questions. No complaints. Just obedience.
4. It wasn’t just two animals – 7-year-old me didn’t realize this, but Genesis says seven pairs of clean animals and birds. This preservation mission was MASSIVE.
5. God orchestrates the impossible – There’s no way Noah could have gathered penguins from Antarctica, kangaroos from Australia, and sloths from South America on his own. God brought them miraculously.
6. Preservation takes time – They were on the ark for over a year. Not 40 days. 371 days. Preservation isn’t quick. It requires patience, endurance, and faithfulness.
7. Preservation requires sacrifice – Noah needed seven pairs of clean animals because some would be sacrificed after the flood. You can’t preserve life without being willing to give something back to God.
8. God keeps His promises – The rainbow is God’s reminder to Himself: “Never again will I flood the earth.” And He hasn’t. For thousands of years, that promise has held.
9. Even heroes are human – Noah saved humanity, walked with God, and built the ark. And then got drunk and passed out naked. Genesis doesn’t hide this. Righteousness doesn’t mean perfection.
10. Humanity didn’t change – Genesis 6:5 says humanity’s hearts were “only evil continually.” Genesis 8:21 says humanity’s hearts are “evil from his youth.” The flood didn’t fix human nature. It just gave humanity a fresh start.
11. God’s response changed – In Genesis 6, God said “I’ll destroy them.” In Genesis 8, God said “I’ll never destroy them like this again.” Same wicked humanity. Different divine response. God chose patience and mercy over repeated judgment.
12. Animals matter to God – God’s covenant in Genesis 9 includes “every living creature.” The rainbow isn’t just for humans. God promised all life He’d never flood the earth again.
—–
THE WEIRDEST PARTS
– Sons of God marrying daughters of men (Genesis 6:1-2) – Who are the “sons of God”? Angels? Seth’s line? Rulers? Genesis doesn’t explain.
– Giants (Nephilim) (Genesis 6:4) – They existed. They were mighty. They were famous. And Genesis gives zero explanation about who they were or where they came from.
– God “regretted” making humans (Genesis 6:6) – The Hebrew word is nacham—to feel sorrow, to regret, to change one’s mind. God grieved over humanity’s wickedness.
– Gopher wood (Genesis 6:14) – What is gopher wood? The word only appears here in the entire Bible. Nobody knows what kind of wood it was.
– One window (Genesis 6:16) – The entire ark had ONE window. At the top. That’s it. Imagine living in a massive boat with almost no natural light for over a year.
– God closed the door (Genesis 7:16) – Noah didn’t close it. God did. Once that door shut, no one else was getting in. God sealed the preservation vessel Himself.
– The flood came from above AND below (Genesis 7:11) – “The fountains of the great deep broken up” (underground water) and “the windows of heaven were opened” (rain from the sky). This wasn’t just a rainstorm.
– The water covered the mountains (Genesis 7:19-20) – Not just the hills. The mountains. By 22 feet. This was a global flood.
– 150 days of water (Genesis 7:24) – The rain lasted 40 days. But the water stayed for 150 days. Five months of floating on a global ocean.
– Over a year on the ark (Genesis 7:11 to Genesis 8:14) – From the 2nd month, 17th day of Noah’s 600th year to the 2nd month, 27th day of his 601st year. 371 days total.
– The raven vs. the dove (Genesis 8:6-12) – Noah sent out a raven (it kept flying). Then a dove (came back). Then the dove again (brought back an olive leaf). Then the dove again (didn’t return). Why both birds? Genesis doesn’t say, but it gave Noah confirmation that land was becoming habitable again.
– Noah waited even after the ground was dry (Genesis 8:13-14) – The water dried up on the 1st month, 1st day. But they didn’t leave until the 2nd month, 27th day. Almost two more months. Why? Maybe waiting for God’s explicit command. Maybe waiting for the ground to be completely ready.
– The first thing Noah did was sacrifice animals (Genesis 8:20) – Not celebrate. Not rest. Not explore the new world. Built an altar and worshiped God. That shows what mattered most to him.
– Humanity’s wickedness is both the reason FOR the flood and the reason God promises NEVER to flood again (Genesis 6:5 vs. Genesis 8:21) – Same problem. Opposite divine responses. God chose mercy.
– Animals now fear humans (Genesis 9:2) – Before the flood, this wasn’t mentioned. After the flood, God says animals will fear and dread humans. Something changed in the relationship between humans and animals.
– Meat is now allowed (Genesis 9:3) – In Genesis 1, everyone was vegetarian. Now humans can eat meat. The dietary rules changed after the flood.
– Don’t eat blood (Genesis 9:4) – You can eat meat, but drain the blood first. This becomes a major rule in later Jewish dietary laws and shows that life (symbolized by blood) is sacred.
– Capital punishment introduced (Genesis 9:6) – “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” First mention of execution for murder, based on the sanctity of human life as image-bearers of God.
– The rainbow is for God, not just us (Genesis 9:15-16) – “I will look upon it, that I may remember.” God gave Himself a visual reminder of His covenant promise.
– Noah got drunk and passed out naked (Genesis 9:21) – The hero of the flood. The righteous man who walked with God. Made wine, got drunk, passed out naked in his tent. Genesis doesn’t excuse it, just records it.
– Ham saw his father naked and told his brothers (Genesis 9:22) – This might seem minor to us, but in that culture, it was a serious dishonor to one’s father.
– Noah cursed Canaan, not Ham (Genesis 9:25) – Ham did the disrespectful thing. But Noah cursed Ham’s son, Canaan, not Ham directly. Why? Genesis doesn’t explain this decision.
– Noah lived 350 more years after the flood (Genesis 9:28) – He lived to 950 years old total. Almost a millennium. Saw the entire post-flood world develop. And then died.
—–
TL;DR
God looked at humanity’s constant wickedness (after waiting over 1,000 years) and decided to flood the earth. But He preserved Noah, his family, and representatives of every animal species on a massive ark that Noah built over decades. It wasn’t just two animals—it was **seven pairs** of clean animals and birds, plus one pair of unclean animals. God brought the animals to Noah miraculously (7-year-old me thought maybe Santa helped with the penguins, but really it was God orchestrating everything). They were on the ark for **over a year** (not 40 days—that was just the rain). After the flood, Noah sacrificed animals in worship, God promised never to flood the earth again (rainbow covenant), humans were allowed to eat meat for the first time, and then Noah got drunk and passed out naked (nobody’s perfect). Preservation complete. Fresh start activated. God keeps His promises. ⛵
—–
Why This Matters
You might be wondering why a story about a 600-year-old man building a boat, gathering thousands of animals, and surviving a year-long flood still matters thousands of years later.
Modern geology and science tell us there’s no evidence of a global flood that covered every mountain on earth in the way Genesis 7 describes. The rock layers, fossil record, and ice cores don’t support it.
And that’s okay.
Because here’s what matters: the message of the story.
Noah’s Ark isn’t primarily a geology lesson. It’s a theological and moral lesson about:
– Preservation in the face of catastrophe
– The sacredness of all life—human and animal
– Obedience and faithfulness during crisis
– God’s commitment to never abandon creation
– Our responsibility as caretakers of this planet
Whether the flood was global or regional, literal or literary, the truths embedded in this story are real and relevant.
Let’s talk about why.
It’s a Story About Preservation
Most people remember Noah’s Ark as a story about God destroying the earth.
And yes, judgment is part of it. Genesis 7:21-23 is clear: destruction happened.
But that’s not the focus of the story.
The focus is: God preserved what mattered.
One righteous man. His family. Representatives of every living creature. Seeds for a new beginning.
God didn’t just wipe the slate clean. He **saved** what was worth saving. He **preserved** life through catastrophe.
That’s the heart of this story.
And it’s a lesson we desperately need today.
It’s About the Value of All Life—Not Just Human Life
Here’s something most people miss: The covenant in Genesis 9 isn’t just with humans.
It’s with “every living creature.”
Genesis 9:10 – “And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.”
God made a promise to all life: “Never again will I destroy the earth with a flood.”
The rainbow isn’t just for us. It’s for everything that breathes.
God preserved humanity through Noah. But He also preserved all animal life.
That matters.
It shows that God values all of His creation. Not just humans.
Birds. Livestock. Wild animals. Even the ones we don’t eat. Even the ones in the wildest, most remote parts of the earth.
All of it matters to God.
And if it matters to God, it should matter to us.
It’s a Warning About Catastrophe—And a Call to Action
Noah’s Ark is a story about what happens when humanity ignores warnings and continues in destructive behavior.
Genesis 6:5 – “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
God looked at a world filled with violence, corruption, and wickedness—and decided to start over.
But before He did, He gave Noah 120 years to build the ark (Genesis 6:3).
120 years.
That’s not just construction time. That’s warning time.
Every day Noah worked on that ark was a message to his generation: “Something catastrophic is coming. Preservation is possible. But you have to act.”
They didn’t listen.
We live in a world facing catastrophic threats today:
– Climate change
– Mass extinction of species
– Deforestation
– Ocean pollution
– Loss of biodiversity
Noah’s Ark is a story that says: Preservation is possible. But it requires action.
We can’t just passively watch the world degrade and hope it gets better.
We have to build the ark. We have to preserve what matters. We have to take care of the animals, the environment, the planet God placed us on.
That’s stewardship.
And Noah’s Ark is the ultimate story of stewardship in action.
It Shows That We Are All Connected
Here’s a scientific fact that aligns with Genesis: Every human alive today shares common ancestry.
Modern genetics confirms it. We all carry DNA from common ancestors.
Genesis says it like this: After the flood, only eight people survived. Every nation on earth came from Noah’s three sons.
Connect the dots:
Adam → Seth → Noah → Shem/Ham/Japheth → all nations → you.
We are all related. We are all part of the same human family.
And that changes how we should treat each other.
If we’re all descendants of the same ancestors—if we all share the same DNA—then:
– Racism makes no sense
– Tribalism makes no sense
– Destroying each other makes no sense
We’re family.
That’s what Genesis is saying.
And Noah’s Ark is a story about God preserving **the entire human family** through one faithful man.
It’s About Obedience When the Task Seems Impossible
God said: “Build an ark.”
Noah built it.
God said: “Gather the animals.”
Noah gathered them.
God said: “The flood is coming.”
Noah trusted that. And prepared.
No questions. No “but that’s impossible.” Just obedience.
And because of Noah’s obedience, life was preserved.
We face impossible tasks too:
– Reversing climate change
– Stopping mass extinction
– Feeding a growing population sustainably
– Protecting endangered species
It feels overwhelming. It feels impossible.
But Noah’s Ark says: Start anyway.
Build the ark. Gather what needs to be preserved. Trust that God will handle what you can’t.
Obedience in the face of impossibility is faith in action.
It Shows That Preservation Takes Time, Work, and Faithfulness
They were on the ark for over a year.
Not 40 days. 371 days.
Feeding thousands of animals. Cleaning up after them. Living in close quarters. Waiting. Trusting. Enduring.
Preservation isn’t quick. It isn’t easy.
It requires patience. It requires faithfulness. It requires showing up every single day and doing the hard work—even when you don’t know when it will end.
That’s what Noah did. For over a year.
And that’s what we’re called to do.
Preserving the environment isn’t a one-time action. It’s daily faithfulness.
Protecting endangered species isn’t a quick fix. It’s long-term commitment.
Caring for creation isn’t a trendy cause. It’s a way of life.
Noah’s Ark teaches us: Preservation is a marathon, not a sprint.
It Shows That God Keeps His Promises
The rainbow isn’t just pretty.
It’s a covenant sign.
Every time it rains and a rainbow appears, it’s God reminding Himself: “I promised never to flood the earth again.”
And for thousands of years, He hasn’t.
God keeps His promises.
That rainbow is proof.
And it’s a reminder to us: God didn’t give up on creation after the flood. He renewed His commitment to it.
He made a covenant with all life. He promised to preserve the earth.
And He’s kept that promise.
That should give us hope.
Even in the face of catastrophe, God is committed to preserving life.
And He calls us to partner with Him in that work.
It Shows That We Are Caretakers, Not Owners
Genesis 1:28 – God told humanity to “have dominion” over the earth and animals.
But “dominion” doesn’t mean “destruction.”
It means stewardship. Caretaking. Responsible management.
Noah’s Ark is the ultimate picture of stewardship:
– God entrusted Noah with preserving animal life
– Noah took that responsibility seriously
– He built the ark, gathered the animals, cared for them for over a year
– And when it was over, he released them back into the world
That’s our role too.
We are here to take care of the planet. To preserve what God created. To be good stewards of the animals, the environment, the resources we’ve been given.
Not just the animals we eat. Not just the convenient ones.
All of them.
The wild ones. The endangered ones. The ones in the remotest parts of the earth.
All life matters to God. And it should matter to us.
—–
✍️ Personal Reflection
Writing Noah’s Ark has been one of the most joyful—and one of the most thought-provoking—chapters in the Blunt Bible.
Joyful because: I love this story. I loved it as a 7-year-old with a toy ark. I love it now as an adult reading Genesis word-for-word.
Thought-provoking because: the more I read it, the more questions I had. And the more I realized how big this story really is.
It’s not just about rain and a boat.
It’s about:
– God’s grief over sin
– God’s commitment to preservation
– The importance of obedience
– The patience required for long-term faithfulness
– The reality that even heroes are flawed
– The promise that God keeps His word
– The sacredness of all life—human and animal
– Our responsibility as caretakers of creation
As a kid, I wondered: How did the penguins get there?
As an adult, I wonder: How did Noah stay faithful for over a year on that ark? And what does this story teach us about preservation in a world facing environmental catastrophe today?
Modern science tells us there’s no geological evidence for a global flood that covered every mountain on earth. The rock layers don’t support it. The fossil record doesn’t support it.
And honestly? That’s okay.
Because the theological truths in this story are still profound: God values all life. Preservation is possible. Obedience matters. Faithfulness over time is what makes the difference. We are stewards, not owners, of this planet.
Those truths don’t depend on whether the flood was global or regional, literal or literary.
They depend on whether we’re willing to listen to what the story is teaching us: Preserve what matters. Protect all life. Take care of creation. God keeps His promises.
That’s the story. Not the penguins (though I still think my Santa theory was creative). Not the poop logistics (though that’s a valid question). Not even the drunk naked Noah incident (though Genesis includes it for a reason).
The story is about preservation.
God didn’t just destroy. He saved.
And that’s what makes this story still matter—thousands of years later.
Because we all need preservation sometimes.
We all need someone to look at the mess around us and say: “I’m going to save what’s worth saving.”
We all need a promise that says: “Never again.”
We all need hope that—even when everything feels like it’s drowning—there’s still a way through.
That’s Noah’s Ark.
A story about judgment, yes. But more importantly: a story about preservation.
And that’s why 7-year-old me loved it.
And that’s why adult me still does. ⛵
—–
A Final Note on the Santa Theory (and Sloths)
Look, I know Santa didn’t bring the penguins.
I know that now.
But 7-year-old me came up with a genuinely creative solution to a logistical problem Genesis doesn’t address.
And honestly? That’s what I love about reading the Bible with childlike curiosity and wonder.
You notice things. You ask questions. You try to figure things out—even if your theories are a little silly.
Genesis says: “The animals came to Noah.”
How? God brought them. Miraculously. Supernaturally.
Maybe God transported them instantaneously. Maybe He guided them over time and they arrived exactly when needed. Maybe the geography of the pre-flood world was different and animals were more centrally located.
Or maybe—and hear me out—sloths just… started early.
Like, really early. Like, 10 years early.
Can you imagine a sloth setting out on a log, slowly paddling across the ocean with those little arms? Just vibing. Taking their time. No rush.
“We’ll get there when we get there.”
Months go by. The sloth is still paddling. Still making progress. Slowly. So slowly.
Other animals are sprinting, flying, swimming at full speed to get to the ark.
The sloth?
Chillin’.
Eventually—eventually—the sloth arrives. Right on time. Climbs aboard. Takes a nap.
Noah’s probably like: “Where have you been?!”
Sloth: “Adventure.”
Honestly, if any animal could make a transoceanic journey on a log and somehow survive, it’s the sloth. They’re built for endurance, not speed. They’ve got patience down to an art form.
So yeah. Maybe God supernaturally transported the animals.
Or maybe the sloths just left super early and had the adventure of a lifetime. 殮蝹
The Bible doesn’t give us the mechanism. Just the result.
The animals came. As God said they would.
And that’s the lesson.
Not “figure out every detail of how this worked.”
Just: trust and obey.
God will handle the logistics.
Even the penguins. Even the sloths. 殮✨
—
That’s what I’m learning through writing the Blunt Bible.
The details matter. The questions matter. The curiosity matters.
But the faith matters most.
Believing that God did what He said He did.
Trusting that when Genesis says “God brought the animals,” it means God brought the animals—however He chose to do it.
Whether through miraculous transportation, divine guidance over long journeys, or sloths on logs having the time of their lives.
And worshiping the God who:
– Preserves life
– Keeps His promises
– Puts rainbows in the sky to remind Himself (and us) that He will never flood the earth again
– Values **all** creation—human and animal
– Calls us to be **stewards** of this planet
That’s the story of Noah’s Ark. ⛵
TumbleDweeeb 
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