God Shuts the Door of the Ark: A Story of Faith and a New Beginning
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Join Noah as he recounts the amazing story of the Great Flood, how God gathered the animals, and protected his family in the ark, bringing about a new beginning for the world. This biblical narrative, told for children, focuses on faith, obedience, and God's mighty power.
Learn more about Noah and the Ark.
Let's listen as Noah tells how God shut the door of the Ark.
Hello, my dear children! Gather 'round, gather 'round, for I have a most wondrous story to tell you today. It is a story from a very, very long time ago, when the world was filled with much naughtiness, and God, in His great sorrow, decided to wash the earth clean.
My name is Noah, and I was alive then, a very old man, 600 years of age when this grand adventure began! Can you imagine being 600 years old? I had seen many things, but nothing, oh nothing, like the time of the great flood.
A Message from God
Do you know why God chose me? Because I walked with Him. I listened to His voice, and I tried my best to do what was right in His eyes. And one day, God spoke to me, His voice like thunder and yet so gentle in my heart. He said, "Noah, the end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
Oh, my heart was heavy, for I knew the world was indeed full of wickedness. But then God gave me a most amazing command! He told me to build an ark! Not just any boat, mind you, but a colossal wooden vessel, a floating house big enough to save my family and all the creatures of the earth.
Building the Mighty Ark
For many, many years, my sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and I, with the help of our wives, toiled away. We cut down mighty trees, sawed huge planks, and sealed every crack with pitch, inside and out. The ark was an enormous undertaking, longer than a hundred cars lined up end to end, and taller than a three-story house! People would walk by and stare, pointing and laughing. "Noah, what are you doing?" they would shout. "Building a boat in the middle of dry land? Are you mad?"
But I knew in my heart that God's word was true, and so we kept on building. We built rooms, three decks high, for all the animals. We gathered food, enough to last for a very, very long time.
The Animals Arrive At The Ark!
Then, the most extraordinary thing began to happen! Can you imagine? When I was 600 years old, God told me,
"Go into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
Of every clean animal you shall take seven pairs, male and female; and of every animal that is not clean, two pairs, male and female; and of the birds of the air, seven pairs, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth."
The animals came! Not by my calling, but by God's mighty hand. From the towering mountains and the deepest jungles, from the wide plains and the hidden valleys, they came.
God Shuts the Door of the Ark
For seven days, after all the animals and my family—my wife, my three sons, and their wives—were safely inside, the world outside was still. The people still mocked, still went about their wicked ways, unaware of what was to come. But then, on that seventh day, something truly amazing happened.
It wasn't me, or my sons, who shut the massive door of the ark. Oh no! This door was too heavy, too grand for human hands to close completely. The Bible tells us, "And the Lord shut him in." Can you imagine? God Himself, with His mighty hand, closed the door, sealing us inside, safe from the storm that was about to break. It was a sign, a promise of protection for all within.
The Waters Rise
Then, the heavens opened! Have you ever seen a truly big rainstorm? Imagine that, but a thousand, million times worse! On the seventeenth day of the second month, when I was 600 years old, "on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." It wasn't just rain; it was as if the very ground burst open, sending up geysers of water, and the clouds emptied themselves with a roar!
The rain fell for forty days and forty nights without stopping. The waters rose higher and higher. First, they covered the little hills, then the taller trees. Soon, the tallest mountains were swallowed by the raging waters. The Bible tells us that the waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.
Now, what does fifteen cubits upward mean? Imagine your father or mother, standing on a very tall ladder, and then imagine another person standing on their shoulders! That's how deep the water went above the highest mountain peaks! It was higher than a three-story building, even over the very tallest mountains!
Outside the ark, everything that had the breath of life perished. Every living thing on the dry land, from the smallest creature to the tallest giants, was swept away by the flood. It was a terrible thing to think about, the entire world outside the ark consumed by the relentless waters. But inside, we were safe, bobbing on the waves, protected by God's promise.
Floating for Many Days in the Ark
The ark floated upon the face of the waters. For 150 days, that's five months, the waters covered the earth. Imagine five whole months of just water, water everywhere! We were completely reliant on God's grace, day in and day out, as the ark tossed and turned. But God remembered me and all the living things that were with him in the ark. He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside. Slowly, slowly, the floodwaters began to recede.
A New Beginning
At last, on the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. It was a moment of great relief and thanksgiving! Still, we waited. It was not until the first day of the first month of my 601st year that the waters had dried from the earth. Finally, on the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was completely dry, and God told us it was time to leave the ark.
We stepped out onto a fresh, clean earth. The birds flew out, the animals bounded away, and my family and I knelt down to thank God for His faithfulness and His mercy. He had saved us, and through us, He would begin again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old was Noah when the flood started? Noah was 600 years old when the great flood began.
How many animals went into the ark? For clean animals and birds, there were seven pairs (14 animals in total) of each kind. For unclean animals, there were two pairs (4 animals in total) of each kind.
How long did the rain last? The rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights.
How long did the waters cover the earth? The waters covered the earth for 150 days before they began to subside.
Conclusion: God's Promise
So you see, my dear children, the story of the flood is a powerful reminder of God's justice, but also of His incredible love and mercy. He chose one family, one righteous man, Noah, to save humanity and all living creatures. And after the flood, God made a beautiful promise to us, a covenant that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. He set His rainbow in the clouds as a sign of this promise, a reminder that even after the greatest storms, there is always hope and a new beginning.
What does this story tell us about God? It tells us that He is mighty, that He keeps His promises, and that He loves us. Just like Noah, we can trust in God, listen to His voice, and strive to live in a way that pleases Him.
Think about it: What does it mean to trust God, even when things look impossible, like building a huge ark in the middle of dry land?
God shut the door of the ark - Genesis 7
References
The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (1982). Thomas Nelson. (Original work published various dates).
Walton, J. H. (2001). Genesis. Zondervan. (Provides insights into the ancient Near Eastern context of the Genesis narrative).Young, D. A., & Stearley, R. F. (2008). The Bible, Rocks and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth. InterVarsity Press. (Discusses scientific and theological perspectives on the flood narrative).
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