Genesis 6-9
CAIN had a great many children; Seth had a great many children.
At last Adam and Eve died, and Cain died, and Seth died; but still there were a great many people in the world. Were the people good or wicked?
At first some were good, but at last they all grew wicked except one man. His name was Noah. The Spirit of God was in his heart, and he loved God.
God was very angry with the wicked people, and He determined to punish them.
God said to Noah, "I shall make it rain so much that all people shall be drowned, except you and your wife and your children.”
Then God told Noah to make a great ark. What is an ark? It is like a boat or a ship. Noah made a very great ark, which would swim upon the top of the water, when God should drown the wicked people.
Noah made the ark of 'wood. Noah cut down many trees, and cut boards, and fastened them together. He made one door, in the ark, and one little window at the top.
Noah told the people that God was going to drown the world, and advised them to leave off their wickedness.
But they would not mind. Still they went on eating and drinking, and not thinking of God, nor trying to please Him. God did not choose that all the beasts, and birds, and insects should be drowned; so He desired Noah to get some birds of every sort, and some beasts of every sort, and some insects of every sort, and to bring them into the ark. God could make all the animals go quietly into the ark. Noah put corn, and fruit, and grass into the ark for them to eat when they were in the ark.
So Noah got some birds of every sort; some doves, some ravens, some eagles, some sparrows, some larks, some goldfinches, and many others, and they flew in at the window. Noah got some beasts of every kind, some sheep, some horses, some dogs; and he got some insects of every kind; some butterflies, some ants, some bees.
All these went into the ark; for God made them gentle and obedient. Then Noah himself went in with his wife, his three sons, and their wives. How many people were there in the ark?—Eight people. But Noah did not shut the door; God shut the door, and Noah knew that he must not open it till God bid him.
Then it began to rain. It rained all day and all night. What did the wicked people think now? How they must have wished that they had minded Noah! If they climbed trees the water soon reached to the tops; if they went up high mountains, as high as the clouds, the water rose as high as they; for it rained forty days and forty nights. All beasts, and birds, and men, and children died, except those that were in the ark.
At last nothing was to be seen but water, and the ark floating upon the top of the water. How long did Noah live in the ark? Almost one whole year.
A long while after it had left off raining, Noah wished to know whether the waters were dried up. He went among his birds, and he chose a raven, and let it out of the window. A raven is a fierce bird. It did not like the ark; though there were no trees to be seen, nothing but water, yet the raven would not go back to Noah, but went on flying night and day over the water.
When Noah saw that the raven did not come back, he went again among his birds, and chose a dove. A dove is a very gentle bird. Noah put it out at the window; and when it saw nothing but water, the dove came back to the ark. Noah knew when his bird came ' back (perhaps it pecked at the window), and he put out his hand and pulled it in.
Noah waited seven days, 'then Noah sent the dove out again; and this time the dove saw some trees; yet the dove did not stay, but plucked off a leaf with its beak, and came back to Noah. Noah must have loved his good little dove.
Noah waited seven days more, and then he sent out the dove again, and this time it did not come back. Now Noah knew that the earth was dry, but he waited in the ark till God told him to go out.
At last, God said, "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, your three sons, and their wives, and the birds and the beasts, and the insects, and all the creeping things.”
When the door was open, the beasts came out. How glad the sheep must have been to lie down again upon the soft grass, and the goats to climb up the high hills! When the window was open, the birds flew out. How glad they must have been to perch again among the trees!
Noah saw all the green hills and fields again; but where were all the wicked people? He would never see their faces again.
Noah remembered God's goodness in saving him from being drowned. He made a heap of stones for an altar; he took some beasts and birds, and offered a sacrifice to God. God was pleased with this sacrifice.
Then God made a very kind promise to Noah. He said, “I will never drown the world again. When it rains, do not think there will be a flood. Look up in the sky after the rain, and you will see a bow. That shall be the sign that I remember my promise.'
Have you seen a rainbow, dear children? How large it is! What beautiful colors it has! It puts us in mind of God's kind promise not to drown the world any more.
You know why God made this kind promise. It was because the Lord Jesus would one day die for people's sins.
At last Jesus did come down and die; and one day He will come again, and then He will burn the world.
I hope we shall then be saved as Noah was; but if God should find us caring only for eating, and drinking, and playing, and not trying to please Him, we should be burned up.
Hymn 4
Oh tell me how the nations passed
The day before the flood?
Oh, did they know it was the last?
And did they call on God?
In merriment
Their time is spent
They sing and play,
And dance away;
They eat and drink,
And little think
They stand on endless ruin's brink,
Some rear the walls
Of sumptuous halls;
Some join their hands
In marriage bands;
Some Sell and buy;
All vainly try
To flee from God’s all-Seeing eye.
But God no more will silence keep;
He pours His wrath from high,
Unlocks the fountains of the deep,
And windows of the sky.
The clattering rain
Descends amain;
The rivers roar,
The torrents pour
The waters rise
Till piteous cries
No more are heard beneath the skies.
At first in flocks
They climb the rocks;
Nor fear to creep
Up mountains steep;
But waters flow
Where'er they go,
And wash them to the depths below,
Behold just Noah safely ride.
Upon the mighty deep;
While all who once God's will defied,
Beneath the waters sleep.
Child
Sudden as that tremendous day,
The judgment hour shall come;
Thousands shall then be swept away,
And meet an awful doom.
Let me not count these words a dream,
And still refuse, to hear;
However far the time may seem,
Each hour it draws more near.
When once the fire begins to burn
‘Twill be too late to pray;
Now from my cry God will not turn
His gracious ear away.