Bible Story Lessons

Many years ago there lived a good man called Noah, but everyone else in the world was very wicked.  When God saw the way the people behaved, He was very sad and angry.

And so God spoke to Noah and told him that He was going to send a great flood to destroy all the wicked people on the earth.  Noah was to build an ark which was like a huge boat.  It was to be big enough to house his family and pairs of every living creatures!

Noah told his sons to go and cut trees down and saw them into planks. "Is that enough, Father?" they asked.  "No, we more and more!" exclaimed Noah.  And so they had to work hard for many, many years cutting down trees, sawing them into planks and building the ark!

At long last it was finished, and then what a job they had!  They had to fetch seven of all animals that are used for food, and two of every other kind of living creatures, and bring them into the ark!

There were bears and elephants, parrots, and strange insects.  They spent many days getting them into the ark, and what a noise and stink they all made!  And then you can imagine the tons of food they had load!  Finally Noah wiped his brow and told his wife, his sons and their wives to get into the ark as well!

Noah was 600 years old when he went into ark and the rain began to fall.  That's very old isn't it? (Let the children respond).  And you know what?  God shut the door tight so none of those wicked people could get into the ark!

At first all the people were amazed at the water falling from the sky!  They had never seen rain before, but it rained and rained all day and all night.  And all you could hear inside the ark was the sound of the terrible downpour.  Do you think you can make the noise the rain made? (Let the children respond).

The rain continued to pour down for forty days and nights until the water covered the land, the trees, all the people and even the mountains!  The ark floated up as the water rose and only Noah and his family were safe.  After forty days, God stopped the rain and all you could hear was the noise of the animals and the water lapping at the sides of the ark.

Noah opened the little window at the top of the ark and peered out.   What do you think he saw? (Let the children respond).  Yes, there was just water, water, water everywhere!

It was only after three months that the waters began to go down and the ark came to rest on the Ararat Mountains.  After another forty days, Noah sent out a raven to see if there was dry land, but it just flew around and never came back.

Next, Noah sent out a dove, but she just flew back and landed on his hand. A week later, Noah sent the dove out again.  This time she came back carrying an olive leaf in her beak, so Noah knew that the waters were going down.  After another week, Noah sent the dove out again, but this time she did not return to him.

Although Noah and his family saw dry land near them, they waited for a sign from God.  The Lord finally told them to leave the ark and make a new home for themselves.  They had been in the ark for a full year!

Joyfully Noah, his family and the animals left the ark and went out onto dry land.  God promised Noah that the rainbow we see when it rains, is a sign that He will never send such a terrible flood on the earth again.

God blessed Noah and told him to have many children, so that the earth would have new tribes and nations.  Noah did as the Lord commanded him and his family grew and grew, and he lived until he was nine hundred and fifty years old.  That's very old isn't it? (Let the children respond).

God wants to bless us as well and so He sent Jesus to to teach us about Himself.  And God wants to look after you and protect you, just like He protected Noah and his family from the flood.  When you go to bed tonight, ask Jesus to watch over you and protect you all night long!

God bless.