The Flood and God's Promise

When Noah, his family, and the animals entered the ark, the rains began and continued for forty days. The whole earth was covered in water. Even after the rains stopped, the ark continued to float for a total of 150 days until it was grounded on top of Mt. Ararat. 

While the water receded, Noah sent a raven and a dove out from the ark to see if they could find dry land.  

Eventually, God told Noah and his family to come out of the ark when the water had receded enough. The first thing that Noah did was to build an altar and offer some of the animals and birds as a sacrifice to God in thanks for keeping all of them safe. At that time, God caused a rainbow to appear in the sky. God said that this was a symbol of His promise to never destroy the world again by water.

Bible verses used in this episode:

Genesis 7:11-9:17

Outline:

1. The Flood (Genesis 7:11-24)
2. Leaving the Ark (Genesis 8:1-19)
3. Worship and the Agreement (Genesis 8:20-9:17)

Tips for teaching children:

• Sing the “Rise and Shine” Song
• Make any rainbow craft

Tips for teaching adults:

• Discuss the ways people might feel God has forgotten or abandoned them. When you see God remembering Noah, what comes to mind from your own experience of life? 
• Read through the story, focusing on aspects suggesting God is on a rescue mission. 
  • What aspects of this story suggest that this is a rescue mission? 
  • Where is God’s mercy seen in this story?
• Ask the class to share some interesting rainbows they have seen.  Or you could ask the class to bring to class pictures of rainbows, ones that have captured their attention. Follow up with these questions: 
  • “In Genesis 9:12-17, what is the sign of the covenant, and what purpose does it serve?  
  • Who does God make the covenant with (see Genesis 9:12-14)? 
  • What are the implications of this covenant?

Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:

Bible Lesson:  The Flood and God’s Promise

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org