God gave Noah 120 years to warn people about the approaching Flood, yet no one listened or responded positively to his message. They continued in their wicked ways while disregarding his warning.
God announces His plan in Genesis 6:9-22 for the destruction of land-dwelling life on Earth, sparing only Noah and two animals per species from destruction.
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God’s plan to destroy the world
God declares in Genesis 6 that he is prepared to wipe out all land-dwelling life on earth due to sin. All violence in the world has saddened Him greatly and thus plans on sending a flood with an immense life-giving structure called an Ark in its path – this plan was later modified but remains true today.
John Stackhouse described Noah’s Ark as being similar to “a huge railroad boxcar with a rounded keel,” in contrast to traditional seagoing vessels of that period which featured flat bottoms and more animals than needed for occupancy.
Noah received very specific instructions to build an ark and followed them carefully. He was instructed to construct it out of gopher wood – not actually an actual species of tree but instead a type of ancient plant material related to cedar or cypress trees – while making rooms inside and sealing its entirety with pitch both inside and out.
Although ridiculed by his contemporaries, Noah diligently worked on building the ark for 120 years without knowing when it would rain and cause the great flood that eventually destroyed all humanity. God chose Noah because He saw in him someone with obedience and faith.
Noah was often mocked by those around him, mistaking his actions for foolishness or inanity. They couldn’t understand why God would punish humanity with flood, so they laughed at his attempts at warning. Yet Noah believed in God and was willing to go along with whatever His plan required – providing an exemplar of faith for generations after him and helping mankind start again on an earth free from violence – something the rainbow symbolized symbolically.
God’s plan to save Noah’s family
Noah was an upstanding, righteous man who obeyed God’s orders without question or hesitation, even when others disbelieved what he told them of an impending flood and laughed at his efforts to build a boat despite their mocking; nevertheless, Noah persisted, knowing that without repentance God would destroy everything; therefore he continued doing what he was told.
God was clear with his instructions to Noah: build an ark out of gopher wood with rooms inside, then pitch its interior and exterior surfaces with pitch. Noah did exactly as God asked and prioritized family safety by following God’s plan – ultimately saving lives while staying alive himself.
The Ark was constructed to be a place of salvation, featuring a massive door which allowed anyone who desired salvation to enter through its portals – however only those who followed God’s instructions were saved from destruction by its waters. The rest perished.
People who did not follow God’s plan found themselves guilty. By neglecting to hear His voice or listen for His instructions, many became lost during the great flood that devastated humanity.
Noah was not destroyed with the world, but his faith in God remained intact. By obeying Him and fulfilling His will obediently he not only lived longer but earned eternal rewards in heaven: according to Genesis 9:29 Noah was “blessed with long life and an abundance of children”.
Noah was an extraordinary individual. Despite facing ridicule from his neighbors, he constructed the Ark despite them, warning of its purpose to warn of impending destruction by flood. Noah preached for one hundred years admonishing everyone of God’s impending doom; unfortunately none repented, so only Noah and his family survived from destruction of world by flood: this flood lasted 150 days and Noah spent one full year inside his Ark before they could leave to find safety elsewhere.
God’s plan to protect the animals
God held animals dear as much as people do, and was deeply dismayed to discover a beautiful world filled with violence and wickedness. Since killing His creatures was not his goal, He decided to begin again by commanding Noah to build an ark and bring aboard all of their family and pets for safety.
Noah stood firm and obeyed God despite ridicule from others, tirelessly working on building the ark while patiently waiting for flood waters to arrive. According to scripture, Noah was righteous man who revered and honored God; willing even to sacrifice himself in service of others.
God instructed Noah to construct an unusual ship: It took the form of a large rectangular box and had no sails or oars for navigation; rather it was designed solely for protection and not navigation. Furthermore, its size could easily accommodate over one thousand modern railroad boxcars!
One of the biggest questions surrounding Noah’s Ark is how all the animals could possibly fit inside. According to Biblical account, Noah was supposed to load two pairs from each “kind” of animal before the flood came; many people have misinterpreted this to mean taking two of each species but this interpretation is inaccurate since biblical text states he needed two male and female pairs from each “kind” of land vertebrate species before embarking on the voyage.
Though this may have seemed uncomfortable for the animals, it was the only way for them to survive the coming destruction. As it transpired, Noah’s Ark was large enough not only to house all land-based species but also protect them from the floodwaters and keep them alive – meaning they were far less stressed out or uncomfortable during Noah’s family journey through it all. Additionally, socialization took place easily between species on board while they got used to living together on board as time progressed.
God’s plan to save the world
As Noah first heard God’s plan, he was perplexed and distressed. Yet God assured him that by following His instructions he could save the world from destruction by building an Ark – an enormous vessel built to house all living things and humans on Earth and act as a symbol that He would never again destroy it with floodwaters.
God gave Noah exact instructions when telling him to build an Ark for Noah to live aboard. According to scripture, it should be constructed out of “gopher wood”, likely either cypress or cedar; rooms must be enclosed inside it for comfort as well as sealed both internally and externally with pitch seal. Finally, its dimensions were to be 300 cubits long by 50 wide by 30 deep.
God instructed Noah to load the Ark with two male and two female animals of every land animal species, as well as pairs from every bird and reptile species he could find, plus some clean and unclean plants for good measure.
Noah faithfully fulfilled all of God’s directives regarding building an Ark to His specifications, then loading it up with two of every species of animal from which his family would come.
Once Noah completed the Ark, God sent out two ravens and then two doves to inspect its contents and assess if the ground was dry enough for Noah and his family to leave it safely. When one of them reported back that water levels had receded significantly, this signaled to Noah that it was safe for them all to come out from within it and emerge safely from it.
Once Noah and his family had safely exited the Ark, they needed to be extremely cautious not to become too damp. Wearing clothes made from fur and wool and being careful not to venture outside for more than seven days at a time; also not letting one single drop of rain fall on them directly but quickly covering themselves up when any did fall with clothes quickly enough if possible.
