Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

And God said to 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. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.

Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.

And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry.

Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

—From Genesis 6:5, 8, 13–14; 7:2–3, 16–19; 8:6–13; 9:8–9, 11–13 (NKJV)

Reflection

Oh, for the end of all this water! Noah and his family may have spent their days feeding animals and fixing tiny leaks as the waters thrashed against the sides of their ship. Any vessel with gaps, no matter how small, would take on water. It could potentially sink. And so it is with the Christian life. Daily concerns like your spouse’s thoughtless comment, the discouraging note that came in the mail, the friend who won’t return your calls, or the one whose life seems so Instagram perfect—these things have the power to weigh you down and make you waterlogged by despair, envy, greed, sin. They have the power to sink you. What is the pitch in your life?

Celebrate Together

Gather the family for today’s Celebration in our book, The Joy of Advent. Discover the power of pitch to seal a boat and a life, explore the Jesse Tree symbol for Noah’s Ark, discover the history behind today’s carol, and enjoy a family conversation (or private journaling) about God’s perfect plans.

Inspiration

Music

Reflect as you enjoy Ding, Dong, Merrily on High on Noah’s joy as the door to the ark at last creaked open. [Play Video]

Enjoy Masters in This Hall, originally a dance tune, and imagine how Noah and his family may have longed to celebrate their survival. [Play Video]

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Prayer

God of the spirits of all flesh, who has shown mercy to me
And has saved me and my children from the waters of the flood,
And has not caused me to perish as you did the sons of perdition;
For your grace has been great towards me,
And great has been your mercy to my soul;
Let your grace be lifted up upon my children,
And let not wicked spirits rule over them
Lest they should destroy them from the earth.
But bless me and my children, O God, that we may increase and multiply and replenish the earth.

(The Prayer of Noah, adapted from the Book of Jubilees, chapter 10, vv. 3–4)

Resources

• Experts have been searching for archeological evidence of Noah’s ark in the mountains of Turkey. Explore a summary of the expeditions, and wonder with us: Has Noah’s ark been found?

• While the ark’s final resting place remains a mystery, the biblical story of Noah and his ark has been a focus over centuries for debates about the trustworthiness of the Bible. What’s really going on in the biblical story of Noah?

• Highlighting how the story of Noah is not just a children’s tale, the film depiction Noah vividly shows the destruction Noah faced.

• Find a selection of Noah’s Ark coloring pages here.

• Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

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