Noah’s Faith and God’s Big Plan (Genesis 6:9–22)
After Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, people spread out across the earth. But over time, things went downhill fast. The world became full of violence and evil. It seemed like people had forgotten about God altogether.
In the middle of all this darkness, one man stood out: Noah. His story, told in Genesis 6:9–22, shows us what it means to trust God even when everything around you looks hopeless.
Let’s walk through it together.
Noah’s Character
Noah wasn’t like everyone else.
The Bible says he was righteous and blameless among the people of his time. Most importantly, Noah walked faithfully with God.
He wasn’t perfect, but he loved God and tried to live the right way. Noah had a wife and three sons — Shem, Ham, and Japheth — who would all play a big part in God’s plan.
The World’s Wickedness
Sadly, the rest of the world wasn’t following God.
The earth was filled with corruption, violence, and selfishness. God saw that people’s hearts were full of evil all the time.
It broke God’s heart. He decided to send a great flood to wipe out everything — but He also decided to save Noah and his family because of Noah’s faithfulness.
God’s Instructions for the Ark
God told Noah to build a huge ark — a giant boat — out of special wood.
He gave Noah very specific instructions: the ark had to be long, wide, and tall, with different rooms inside and a roof over the top.
This boat would be the way God would protect Noah, his family, and the animals during the flood. It was a big project, but God made it clear what needed to be done.
God’s Covenant with Noah
Along with the warning about the flood, God gave Noah a promise:
Noah, his wife, his sons, and his sons’ wives would all be saved.
This was the beginning of what the Bible calls a covenant — a special agreement between God and His people. Even though judgment was coming, God was already planning a new beginning through Noah.
Gathering the Animals
God also told Noah to bring animals onto the ark — two of every kind, male and female.
Noah had to gather enough food for his family and for all the animals, too.
It was a big job, but God was helping Noah prepare for what was coming.
Noah’s Obedience
The last verse of this section is simple but powerful:
“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22)
Noah didn’t argue. He didn’t delay. He listened and obeyed, even though what God asked sounded crazy. Building a giant boat when there was no flood in sight must have been hard — but Noah trusted God completely.
Conclusion
Noah’s story reminds us that even when the world is full of darkness, God sees those who walk with Him.
Noah’s trust and obedience saved his family and became the start of a brand-new chapter in the world’s story.
When life feels confusing, unfair, or overwhelming, Noah’s example encourages us: trust God, even when it doesn’t make sense. His plans are always bigger, and His promises are always good.
Genesis 6:9-22 (WEB)
6:9 This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. 10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.13 God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. 14 Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. 15 This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. 17 I, even I, will bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive. 21 Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.