The Flood

God observed 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 determined to destroy both man and beast, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:5-8). God commanded Noah to build an ark of gopher wood, providing specific dimensions and instructions to coat it with pitch. Noah was instructed to bring his wife, his three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and his sons' wives into the ark, along with pairs of every living thing to keep them alive (Genesis 6:14-19).

In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened. Rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. The waters prevailed until all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered, and every living substance was destroyed from the earth (Genesis 7:11-23). The ark floated upon the face of the waters for one hundred and fifty days. Eventually, God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:1-4).

Noah sent out a raven and later a dove to determine if the ground was dry. When the dove returned with an olive leaf, and later did not return at all, Noah knew the waters were abated. God commanded the occupants to leave the ark and multiply. Noah built an altar and offered burnt offerings, which God smelled as a sweet savor (Genesis 8:11-21). God then established a covenant with Noah and his sons, promising never again to destroy all flesh by a flood. He set a bow in the cloud as a token of this everlasting covenant between God and every living creature (Genesis 9:11-16).