The Version Of Christ

The Corruption of Humanity

As the generations multiplied on the earth, wickedness consumed humanity. The sons of God saw the daughters of men and took them as wives, and their union produced mighty men, the Nephilim, who filled the earth with violence (Genesis 6:1-4).

The Lord looked upon the earth, and it grieved Him to see how great the evil had become. "I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—man and animals, creeping things, and birds of the heavens—for I am sorry that I have made them," God declared. But Noah, a righteous man, found favor in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:5-8).

Noah walked with God and lived blamelessly among a corrupt generation. God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood, with rooms inside and out, for I am bringing a flood of waters to destroy all life. But I will establish My covenant with you" (Genesis 6:9-18).

God gave Noah specific instructions: the ark was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. It would have three decks, a window, and a door on its side. Noah was to bring two of every kind of living creature, male and female, along with food for them. Trusting God's command, Noah obeyed completely (Genesis 6:19-22).

The Great Flood

When the ark was complete, God told Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before Me." Noah brought seven pairs of every clean animal, one pair of unclean animals, and seven pairs of birds into the ark, along with his wife, his sons, and their wives (Genesis 7:1-5).

Seven days later, the rain began to fall. The fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. Rain poured for forty days and forty nights, covering even the highest mountains. All living creatures perished—only Noah and those with him in the ark were spared (Genesis 7:10-23).

The waters surged for 150 days, and the ark floated on the vast expanse of the flood.

The Waters Recede

But God remembered Noah and every living thing in the ark. He caused a wind to blow, and the waters began to recede. The fountains of the deep were closed, and the rains ceased. After 150 days, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. As the waters continued to decrease, the tops of the mountains became visible (Genesis 8:1-5).

Forty days later, Noah opened a window and sent out a raven, which flew back and forth until the waters dried up. Then, he sent out a dove, but it found no resting place and returned. Seven days later, he sent the dove again, and it returned with an olive leaf in its beak. Noah knew the waters were abating. After another seven days, he sent the dove again, and it did not return (Genesis 8:6-12).

In the 601st year of Noah's life, God said, "Come out of the ark, you and your family, and let every living thing that is with you go forth to multiply on the earth." Noah built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings of clean animals and birds. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, nor will I destroy every living thing as I have done" (Genesis 8:13-22).

The Covenant of the Rainbow

God blessed Noah and his sons, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." He placed all animals under their dominion and allowed them to eat meat but forbade the consumption of blood. "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image" (Genesis 9:1-7).

Then God established His covenant with Noah and every living creature. "Never again shall a flood destroy the earth," He promised. As a sign of this covenant, God set a rainbow in the clouds. "When the rainbow appears, I will remember My covenant between Me and all living creatures," He declared (Genesis 9:8-17).

Noah's sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—became the fathers of the nations. But even after the flood, humanity's flaws remained. Ham dishonored his father, leading to a curse upon his son Canaan. Yet, the blessing of God remained upon Shem and Japheth, and they spread across the earth (Genesis 9:18-29).

Thus, the earth was renewed, and God's promise of hope endured, even as humanity began anew.