Here’s our short and simple summary of Genesis 6, where God decides to save Noah from the coming flood and tells him to build a huge ark. Listen to the audio version or read on for more!
An Evil World
In the early days of humanity, people started spreading across the earth. Among them were the “sons of God,” who saw that human women were beautiful and married whoever they chose.
Many people believe these “sons of God” were either fallen angels or powerful men from godly families. Their children were the Nephilim—giants and famous warriors known for their strength. Think of them as ancient heroes with great power, but unfortunately, they didn’t always use it for good.
But the world was even worse than that. People’s hearts and minds were full of selfish, violent, and evil thoughts. Imagine a world where everyone lived like there were no rules—that’s what God saw. This made God feel deeply troubled.
God’s Decision to Start Fresh
Because of all the evil God saw on earth, He decided to wipe out humanity, along with the animals, birds, and creatures on the ground, giving the world a fresh start.
Yet, even with this plan, God saw hope in one person: Noah.
Noah was different. While others chose to live in bad ways, Noah lived in a way that pleased God. He “walked with God,” which means he stayed close to God and tried to do what was right.
Noah had three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and his family was a bright spot in a world of darkness. Because of his faithfulness, Noah found favor in God’s eyes.
Building the Ark
God told Noah about His plan to send a great flood to wash away the corruption on Earth. But He would make a way for Noah and his family to survive. He gave Noah specific instructions to build a massive boat called an ark.
This wasn’t just any boat—it was huge, about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high, or roughly one and a half football fields in length! God told Noah to use cypress wood and coat it with pitch to make it waterproof.
God also asked Noah to bring two of every kind of animal, male and female, into the ark, along with enough food for his family and all the animals. This was a huge task, but Noah trusted God and carefully followed every instruction. Even though no one had ever seen a flood like this, Noah’s faith kept him going.
Lessons to learn
Genesis 6 teaches us a few powerful lessons:
- Faith in action: Noah’s actions showed his faith. Even though he didn’t fully understand what was coming, he trusted God and did what he was asked. This reminds us that faith means acting on trust in God, even when we don’t have all the answers.
- Doing right in an evil world: Noah lived the right way in God’s eyes within a corrupt world. His story reminds us that we too can choose to do what’s right, even if others don’t.
- God’s mercy and justice: God is both just and merciful. Even when the world was filled with evil, God chose to save Noah’s family, giving humanity a fresh start. This shows us that God’s justice is very real—but so is His mercy for those who decide to follow Him.
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