JW subtitle extractor

Three days before Jesus was put to death,
his disciples posed a question
that has great importance
for all of us today.
They asked Jesus:
“What will be the sign of your presence
and of the conclusion
of the system of things?”
In reply, Jesus foretold that a time period
preceding the promised new world
would be marked by events such as wars,
earthquakes, food shortages,
and pestilence.
Jesus then said:
“For as they were in those days
“before the Flood,
“eating and drinking,
“men marrying
“and women being given in marriage,
“until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
“and they took no note
“until the Flood came
“and swept them all away,
so the presence of the Son of man will be.”
With those words,
Jesus confirmed
that Noah was a real person
and that the Flood
was an actual, historical event.
He also warned us
that the period just before the Flood
mirrors the period in which we live today.
So it’s important to consider closely
what happened in Noah’s day
and to see what we can learn from it.
The opening chapters of the book of Genesis
give us a picture of what life was like
in the centuries prior to Noah
—after Adam and Eve were expelled
from the garden of Eden.
Everyone spoke the same language,
and people had possibly
developed the art of writing.
They had built a city, maybe several cities.
They had learned
how to forge copper and iron.
They made musical instruments
—harps and flutes.
And because they were much closer
to the physical perfection of Adam and Eve,
they lived long lives
—hundreds of years.
But all was not well.
People turned away from Jehovah
and, as a result,
they became very violent and immoral.
Things got so bad
that Jehovah moved
a righteous man named Enoch,
the seventh man
in the genealogical line from Adam,
to prophesy that God
would not forever tolerate
a wicked and rebellious world;
he’d execute judgment against the ungodly.
Of course,
the ungodly people in Enoch’s day
didn’t like what he was saying.
They hated Enoch,
and they may have tried to kill him.
Enoch never saw the fulfillment
of this prophecy.
Another 600 years passed,
and by then conditions on earth
had become even worse.
Let’s read Genesis 6:1-7:
“Now when men started to grow in number
“on the surface of the ground
“and daughters were born to them,
“the sons of the true God began to notice
“that the daughters of men were beautiful.
“So they began taking as wives all whom they chose.
“Then Jehovah said:
“‘My spirit will not tolerate man indefinitely,
“‘because he is only flesh.
“Accordingly, his days will amount to 120 years.’
“The Nephilim were on the earth
“in those days and afterward.
“During that time the sons of the true God
“continued to have relations with the daughters of men,
“and these bore sons to them.
“They were the mighty ones of old times,
“the men of fame.
“Consequently, Jehovah saw that man’s wickedness
“was great on the earth
“and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart
“was only bad all the time.
“Jehovah regretted that he had made men on the earth,
“and his heart was saddened.
“So Jehovah said:
“‘I am going to wipe men whom I have created
“‘off the surface of the ground,
“‘man together with domestic animals,
“‘creeping animals,
“‘and flying creatures of the heavens,
for I regret that I have made them.’”
During that time,
some angels from heaven
noticed beautiful human women
and developed lustful feelings for them.
These angels rebelled against God
by coming to earth and taking on human bodies
in order to have sex with the women.
They became selfish, wicked demons.
They may have been charming,
intelligent, handsome,
and they had supernatural powers.
They must have been irresistible,
especially to women
who themselves had no love of God.
Perhaps the angels took some women by force.
Whatever the case,
the angels took “all whom they chose.”
What human on earth at that time
could hope to stop demons?
To these godless creatures,
people lost their daughters,
their sisters,
and possibly even their wives.
The women became pregnant
and gave birth to sons,
but their sons were not like other boys.
They were stronger.
They were bullies
—aggressive, fierce, and brutal.
Those qualities stayed with them
as they grew.
The boys became men,
but they were unusually cruel.
They were called Nephilim,
possibly meaning
“those who cause others to fall down,”
and people feared them.
Like their fathers,
the Nephilim had no love for God,
and they cared only about their fame
for being strong and vicious.
The materialized angels
and their savage offspring
dominated the world of that time,
and people followed their lead.
Jehovah saw
that man’s wickedness was rampant
“and that every inclination
of the thoughts of his heart
was only bad all the time.”
How Satan must have delighted
to see most humans reject Jehovah
and become more and more corrupt!
But in that world of depraved people,
there was a man who was faithful to Jehovah.
Let’s read about him at Genesis 6:8:
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.
“This is the history of Noah.
“Noah was a righteous man.
“He proved himself faultless among his contemporaries.
“Noah walked with the true God.
“In time Noah became father to three sons,
“Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
“But the earth had become ruined
“in the sight of the true God,
“and the earth was filled with violence.
“Yes, God looked upon the earth,
“and it was ruined;
all flesh had ruined its way on the earth.”
Some people today say
that there was no such person as Noah
and that the account
of the ark and the Flood
are just a legend or a fairy tale.
But the Bible writer knew
that Noah really existed
and that the Flood truly happened.
The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel
both refer to Noah.
Ezra, the writer of First Chronicles,
and the Gospel writer Luke
both include Noah
in the chronologies they compiled.
The apostles Peter and Paul both confirm
the Genesis account of the Flood.
And, as we mentioned earlier,
the Son of God himself testified
that Noah was a real person
and that the Flood really happened.
Noah’s faith was outstanding.
He lived in an evil world
—a world dominated
by materialized angels,
their violent offspring,
and a society of ungodly people.
Noah lacked
many of the things we have today
to help us keep our faith strong.
He had no Bible to help him
to love Jehovah
and to understand his ways.
He didn’t know
about all the faithful men and women
who would live after him.
And Noah had no congregation
of fellow believers
to encourage him
and to strengthen his faith.
Yet, Noah knew much.
He knew what happened in the garden of Eden,
and he could see the tragic results.
He saw that people grew old and died.
He knew that the way
to the garden of Eden was barred
and the ground outside had been cursed.
He understood
what his great-grandfather Enoch
had foretold.
And Noah knew that his father, Lamech,
had given him a name
likely meaning “rest” or “consolation”
because he would, as his father foretold,
“bring us comfort from our labor
“and from the painful toil of our hands
because of the ground
that Jehovah has cursed.”
Surely, Noah wondered about these prophecies.
How would he bring comfort?
How and when would God act
against the wicked ones who surrounded him?
For hundreds of years,
Noah prayed and he wondered.
By the time he had lived well over 500 years,
he had married and had a family
—three sons.
Though he lived in a wicked world,
Noah remained faithful to God,
and he helped his family to do the same.
Then Jehovah delivered a message
that surely must have stunned Noah.
Let’s continue reading from Genesis 6:13:
“After that God said to Noah:
“‘I have decided to put an end to all flesh,
“‘because the earth is full of violence on account of them,
“‘so I am bringing them to ruin together with the earth.
‘‘‘Make for yourself an ark from resinous wood.
“‘You will make compartments in the ark
“‘and cover it with tar inside and outside.
“‘This is how you will make it:
“‘The ark should be 300 cubits long,
“‘50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.
“‘You will make a window for light for the ark,
“‘one cubit from the top.
“‘You should put the entrance of the ark in its side
“‘and make it with a lower deck,
“‘a second deck, and a third deck.
“‘As for me, I am going to bring
“‘floodwaters upon the earth
“‘to destroy from under the heavens
“‘all flesh that has the breath of life.
“‘Everything on the earth will perish.
“‘And I am establishing my covenant with you,
“‘and you must go into the ark,
“‘you, your sons, your wife,
“‘and your sons’ wives with you.
“‘And bring into the ark
“‘two of every sort of living creature
“‘in order to preserve them alive with you,
“‘a male and a female;
“‘of the flying creatures according to their kinds,
“‘the domestic animals according to their kinds,
“‘and all creeping animals of the ground
“‘according to their kinds,
“‘two of each will go in there to you
“‘to preserve them alive.
“‘For your part,
“‘you are to collect and take with you
“‘every kind of food to eat,
“to serve as food for you and for the animals.’
“And Noah did according to all
“that God had commanded him.
He did just so.”
Noah had long wondered
how Jehovah would act
against an ungodly world.
Now he knew;
a catastrophic flood would cleanse the earth.
Noah also knew
what he and his family must do.
So much depended on him!
The thought must have been overwhelming.
The ark would be gigantic.
Now new questions occupied his mind.
Trees, a great many trees,
would have to be felled
and the timber hauled, shaped, and joined.
How would he do that?
How would he gather so many kinds of animals?
How would he get food supplies
for the animals and for his family?
And what about the godless people around him?
What would they think?
Noah knew what had happened
to the righteous men who preceded him.
Abel had been killed by his brother Cain.
And Enoch likely was
in such danger of being slain
by ungodly ones
that God mercifully cut his life short
so that he wouldn’t fall into their hands.
People would see
what he was doing,
and they’d soon learn why he was doing it.
These God-dishonoring,
Nephilim-influenced people
might react violently.
Yet, Noah trusted in Jehovah,
and he got to work.
He did all that God had commanded him.
It took a long time
for Noah’s family to build the ark,
perhaps some 40 or 50 years.
There must have been challenges,
but we never read that Noah complained.
The family had no support from others.
Remember that Jesus said that the people
“took no note until the Flood came
and swept them all away.”
Of course, people took note
that Noah was building an ark.
His neighbors must have asked him
why he was building
such an enormous structure.
And Noah explained to them
why he was building it.
But Noah’s contemporaries took no note
that Jehovah was blessing Noah
and his construction efforts.
They took no note
of what this would mean for them.
Instead, the people
were caught up in everyday affairs
—eating, drinking, and marrying;
those were the things that concerned them.
To those godless people,
Noah and his family were fools
—crackpots.
They were the butt of ridicule, jeers,
and probably threats.
The ark was finally completed.
We can imagine Noah and his family
looking at it with pride
and remembering how God had helped them.
Jehovah always directs
his servants when needed.
Now Jehovah spoke again to Noah.
Let’s read chapter 7, starting with verse 1:
“After that Jehovah said to Noah:
“‘Go into the ark,
“‘you and all your household,
“‘because you are the one I have found
“‘to be righteous before me among this generation.
“‘You must take with you
“‘every kind of clean animal by sevens,
“‘the male and its mate;
“‘and of every animal that is not clean just two,
“‘the male and its mate;
“‘also of the flying creatures of the sky by sevens,
“‘male and female,
“‘to preserve their offspring alive over all the earth.
“‘For in just seven days,
“‘I will make it rain on the earth
“‘for 40 days and 40 nights,
“‘and I will wipe from the surface of the ground
“every living thing that I have made.’
“Then Noah did everything
that Jehovah had commanded him.”
There was no time to lose.
There was urgent work to do.
In seven days, the rains would come.
Animals, many animals,
had to be situated in the ark.
Supplies had to be secured.
Noah listened, and he obeyed.
For the second time in this inspired account,
we are told that Noah did all
that he was commanded to do.
Now please turn to Genesis 7:6:
“Noah was 600 years old
“when the floodwaters came upon the earth.
“So Noah, along with his sons,
“his wife, and his sons’ wives,
“went into the ark ahead of the floodwaters.
“Of every clean animal
“and of every animal that is not clean
“and of the flying creatures
“and of everything that moves on the ground,
“they went inside the ark to Noah by twos,
“male and female,
“just as God had commanded Noah.
“And seven days later
“the floodwaters came upon the earth.
“In the 600th year of Noah’s life,
“in the second month,
“on the 17th day of the month,
“on that day all the springs
“of the vast watery deep burst open
“and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
“And the rain poured down on the earth
“for 40 days and 40 nights.
“On that very day,
“Noah went into the ark along with his sons,
“Shem, Ham, and Japheth,
“and his wife and the three wives of his sons.
“They went in with every wild animal
“according to its kind,
“and every domestic animal according to its kind,
“and every creeping animal of the earth
“according to its kind,
“and every flying creature according to its kind,
“every bird, every winged creature.
“They kept going to Noah inside the ark,
“two by two,
“of every sort of flesh that has the breath of life.
“So they went in,
“male and female of every sort of flesh,
“just as God had commanded him.
“After that Jehovah shut the door behind him.
“The flooding continued for 40 days on the earth,
“and the waters kept increasing
“and began carrying the ark,
“and it was floating high above the earth.
“The waters became overwhelming
“and kept increasing greatly upon the earth,
“but the ark floated on the surface of the waters.
“The waters overwhelmed the earth so greatly
“that all the tall mountains
“under the whole heavens were covered.
“The waters rose up to 15 cubits
“above the mountains.
“So all living creatures
“that were moving on the earth perished
“—the flying creatures, the domestic animals,
“the wild animals, the swarming creatures,
“and all mankind.
“Everything on dry land
“that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.
“So He wiped every living thing
“from the surface of the earth,
“including man, animals, creeping animals,
“and the flying creatures of the sky.
“They were all wiped off the earth;
“only Noah and those with him in the ark survived.
“And the waters continued overwhelming the earth
for 150 days.”
If Noah had wondered
how he would collect all those animals,
he now knew.
They would come to him.
Jehovah would bring them.
Noah didn’t have to go looking for them.
The animals did come
—every kind of animal,
some by sevens and some by twos.
Just imagine dozens and dozens of animals
strutting, hopping, slithering,
and waddling into the ark!
We can imagine Noah’s family
finding places for them all,
stroking the soft fur
of some animals as they passed
while avoiding
the rough hides or spines of others
and making sure to get out of the way
of the large animals as they lumbered past.
The birds came too
—fluttering, soaring.
What colors!
What smells!
What sounds!
Noah and his family must have shouted
to hear one another above the din.
When all were inside, Jehovah shut the door.
Can you picture the family
huddling together inside the ark
—listening, straining to hear?
Then it came.
Rain!
Perhaps it began almost imperceptibly,
but soon it came in torrents.
The sound was deafening.
What they had long anticipated
was now happening!
They were tired, exhausted,
but there was likely little sleep that night.
There were animals to check.
There was the din of the rain.
And how they prayed!
Did their thoughts turn to those outside?
Certainly.
They knew those people
and had preached to them.
Many were relatives.
How sad for them!
Like Jehovah,
Noah took no delight
in the death of the wicked.
It saddened him that so many had to die,
but he knew that those who perished
had ample warning of what was to come.
Even if they hadn’t seen
the ark Noah was building,
they would have heard about it.
They’d know why he was building it.
Now it was too late for them.
Jehovah had shut the door.
Noah’s family listened as the rain
battered the ark without letup.
And then came a moment
they would never forget
—movement!
They felt their massive wooden ark
lifting from the ground.
It was floating!
Their hearts were beating loud and fast.
Would their vessel hold together?
Let’s resume our reading
from Genesis 8:1
to see what happened next.
“But God gave attention to Noah
“and to all the wild animals and domestic animals
“that were with him in the ark,
“and God caused a wind to blow over the earth,
“and the waters began to subside.
“The springs of the watery deep
“and the floodgates of the heavens were stopped up,
“so the rain from the heavens stopped falling.
“Then the waters began
“to recede progressively from the earth.
“By the end of 150 days,
“the waters had subsided.
“In the seventh month,
“on the 17th day of the month,
“the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
“And the waters were steadily decreasing
“until the tenth month.
“In the tenth month, on the first of the month,
“the tops of the mountains appeared.
“So at the end of 40 days,
“Noah opened the window that he had made in the ark
“and sent out a raven;
“it continued flying outside and returning,
“until the waters dried off the earth.
“Later he sent out a dove
“to see whether the waters had receded
“from the surface of the ground.
“The dove did not find any resting-place to perch,
“so it returned to him into the ark
“because the waters were still covering
“the surface of the whole earth.
“So he reached his hand out
“and brought it inside the ark.
“He waited seven more days,
“and once again he sent out the dove from the ark.
“When the dove came to him toward evening,
“he saw that there was
“a freshly plucked olive leaf in its bill!
“So Noah knew that the waters
“had receded from the earth.
“He waited still another seven days.
“Then he sent out the dove,
but it did not return to him anymore.”
For 40 days and 40 nights,
the noise of torrential rain filled the ark,
and then it stopped.
Imagine Noah
and his family peering out of the ark
and seeing nothing but water,
no land anywhere.
A wind blew, and the waters subsided.
Finally, 150 days after the downpour began,
the ark settled on land.
What a happy day that must have been!
Was it safe to go out?
No.
The waters had to subside further.
There was plenty to do
to keep the family busy.
There were animals to feed and to care for.
Still, Noah’s family
must have longed to be outside,
to be free of the confinement,
to feel the ground under their feet.
Patience was needed.
Picture the family spending time together,
planning what they’d do
when they came out of the ark.
Another 73 days passed.
Now they could see the tops of the mountains.
Now was it safe to exit?
Noah peered out of a window.
He selected from the birds a raven,
and he sent it out, but it kept returning.
Noah put the raven back in its place
and selected a dove.
It too flew and returned,
not having found a place to perch.
A week later, he released it again,
and it returned
with an olive leaf in its bill.
Seven days later, Noah sent it again.
This time it did not return.
What next?
Let’s continue reading
from chapter 8, verse 13:
“Now in the 601st year, in the first month,
“on the first day of the month,
“the waters had drained from the earth;
“and Noah removed the covering of the ark
“and saw that the surface of the ground was drying.
“In the second month,
“on the 27th day of the month,
“the earth had dried off.
“God now said to Noah:
“‘Go out of the ark, you, your wife,
“‘your sons, and your sons’ wives.
“‘Bring out with you all the living creatures
“‘of every sort of flesh,
“‘of the flying creatures and of the animals
“‘and of all the creeping animals of the earth,
“‘that they may multiply on the earth
“and be fruitful and become many on the earth.’
“So Noah went out, together with his sons,
“his wife, and his sons’ wives.
“Every living creature, every creeping animal
“and every flying creature,
“everything that moves on the earth,
“went out of the ark by families.
“Then Noah built an altar to Jehovah
“and took some of all the clean animals
“and of all the clean flying creatures
“and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
“And Jehovah began to smell a pleasing aroma.
“So Jehovah said in his heart:
“‘Never again will I curse the ground
“‘on man’s account,
“‘for the inclination of the heart of man
“‘is bad from his youth up;
“‘and never again will I strike down
“‘every living thing as I have done.
“‘From now on,
“‘the earth will never cease to have
“‘seed-sowing and harvest,
“‘cold and heat,
“‘summer and winter,
and day and night.’”
When the dove didn’t return,
Noah removed part of the roof of the ark.
Now he could see
that much of the land had dried out.
Possibly, he could see
vegetation growing and flourishing
in a way that it hadn’t been possible
in the days before the Flood,
when the earth had been cursed.
Still, Noah waited for Jehovah’s direction.
And then it came, Jehovah’s command:
“Go out of the ark.”
At last!
What a joyful day that must have been!
They’d been in the ark for 370 days.
Picture the family coming out of the ark
—laughing, breathing fresh air,
eager to adjust to their new life.
The animals came out too,
and the family watched
as they dispersed in all directions.
Some they had drawn close to,
but now it was farewell
—a happy farewell.
There were no materialized angels,
no Nephilim, and no wicked people.
How grateful they were to Jehovah!
Noah wasted no time.
He built an altar and sacrificed to Jehovah,
and God expressed his pleasure.
Jehovah assured the family
that he would never again strike down
every living thing.
But he did more than that.
He concluded a covenant
with Noah and his sons
and gave them a sign
that we too can observe.
Let’s read about it at Genesis chapter 9,
starting with verse 8:
“Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“‘I am now establishing my covenant with you
“‘and with your offspring after you,
“‘and with every living creature that is with you,
“‘the birds, the animals,
“‘and all the living creatures of the earth with you,
“‘all those that came out of the ark
“‘—every living creature of the earth.
“‘Yes, I establish my covenant with you:
“‘Never again will all flesh be destroyed
“‘by the waters of a flood,
“and never again will a flood bring the earth to ruin.’
“And God added:
“‘This is the sign of the covenant
“‘that I am making between me and you
“‘and every living creature that is with you,
“‘for all future generations.
“‘I put my rainbow in the cloud,
“‘and it will serve as a sign of the covenant
“‘between me and the earth.
“‘Whenever I bring a cloud over the earth,
“‘then the rainbow will certainly appear in the cloud.
“‘And I will certainly remember my covenant
“‘that I made between me and you
“‘and every living creature of every kind;
“‘and never again will the waters
“‘become a flood to destroy all flesh.
“‘And the rainbow will occur in the cloud,
“‘and I will certainly see it
“‘and remember the everlasting covenant
“‘between God and every living creature
of every kind on the earth.’”
What a magnificent sign Jehovah gave!
Every rainbow would remind
both God and man of his promise.
How Noah’s family must have marveled
to see the colors spanning across the sky
—violet, indigo, blue, green,
yellow, orange, and red!
Never again will a flood deluge the earth.
But Jehovah is not one
to tolerate wickedness forever.
Let’s read what the apostle Peter wrote.
Please turn to 2 Peter 2:5.
The apostle wrote:
“And he [God] did not refrain
“from punishing an ancient world,
“but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness,
“safe with seven others when he brought a flood
upon a world of ungodly people.”
Today, we live in a world
that resembles the one before the Flood.
There’s violence,
and people do
all sorts of things that Jehovah hates.
People are concerned
with the everyday affairs of life
and take no note of the message of salvation
that we proclaim.
Ridiculers of God’s people mockingly say:
“Where is this promised presence of his?
“Why, . . . all things are continuing exactly
as they were from creation’s beginning.”
They are wrong.
Jehovah acted against wickedness
in the time of Noah,
and He’ll act again.
But, like Noah, the faithful will be saved.
God’s Word assures us:
“Jehovah knows how to rescue
“people of godly devotion out of trial,
“but to reserve unrighteous people
to be destroyed on the day of judgment.”
Jehovah will make the earth a paradise,
just as he originally purposed.
The Paradise will be inhabited
by good people.
There will be no people
who rebel against God.
And what of the rebellious spirit creatures?
When the flood deluged the earth
in Noah’s day,
the rebellious angels left their human bodies
and returned to the spirit realm in disgrace.
However, these demons have continued to exert
an evil influence on humans down to this day.
But when Jehovah acts again,
the demons and their ruler, Satan,
will be put out of action.
The Word of God says this:
“By faith Noah,
“after receiving divine warning
“of things not yet seen,
“showed godly fear and constructed an ark
for the saving of his household.”
Faith moved Noah to obey Jehovah.
As a result,
he and his family survived the Flood.
Noah lived a long life, some 950 years.
But when that faithful man is resurrected,
he’ll have the prospect of living forever.
If we display the faith of Noah
and obey Jehovah,
we too can walk
with Jehovah as our Friend
—and that friendship can last forever!

Noah—Faith Moved Him to Obey
- 

Noah—Faith Moved Him to Obey

Three days before Jesus was put to death,
his disciples posed a question
that has great importance
for all of us today.
They asked Jesus:
“What will be the sign of your presence
and of the conclusion
of the system of things?”
In reply, Jesus foretold that a time period
preceding the promised new world
would be marked by events such as wars,
earthquakes, food shortages,
and pestilence.
Jesus then said:
“For as they were in those days
“before the Flood,
“eating and drinking,
“men marrying
“and women being given in marriage,
“until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
“and they took no note
“until the Flood came
“and swept them all away,
so the presence of the Son of man will be.”
With those words,
Jesus confirmed
that Noah was a real person
and that the Flood
was an actual, historical event.
He also warned us
that the period just before the Flood
mirrors the period in which we live today.
So it’s important to consider closely
what happened in Noah’s day
and to see what we can learn from it.
The opening chapters of the book of Genesis
give us a picture of what life was like
in the centuries prior to Noah
—after Adam and Eve were expelled
from the garden of Eden.
Everyone spoke the same language,
and people had possibly
developed the art of writing.
They had built a city, maybe several cities.
They had learned 
how to forge copper and iron.
They made musical instruments
—harps and flutes.
And because they were much closer
to the physical perfection of Adam and Eve,
they lived long lives
—hundreds of years.
But all was not well.
People turned away from Jehovah
and, as a result,
they became very violent and immoral.
Things got so bad
that Jehovah moved
a righteous man named Enoch,
the seventh man
in the genealogical line from Adam,
to prophesy that God
would not forever tolerate
a wicked and rebellious world;
he’d execute judgment against the ungodly.
Of course,
the ungodly people in Enoch’s day
didn’t like what he was saying.
They hated Enoch,
and they may have tried to kill him.
Enoch never saw the fulfillment
of this prophecy.
Another 600 years passed,
and by then conditions on earth
had become even worse.
Let’s read Genesis 6:1-7:
“Now when men started to grow in number
“on the surface of the ground
“and daughters were born to them,
“the sons of the true God began to notice
“that the daughters of men were beautiful.
“So they began taking as wives all whom they chose.
“Then Jehovah said:
“‘My spirit will not tolerate man indefinitely,
“‘because he is only flesh.
“Accordingly, his days will amount to 120 years.’
“The Nephilim were on the earth
“in those days and afterward.
“During that time the sons of the true God
“continued to have relations with the daughters of men,
“and these bore sons to them.
“They were the mighty ones of old times,
“the men of fame.
“Consequently, Jehovah saw that man’s wickedness
“was great on the earth
“and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart
“was only bad all the time.
“Jehovah regretted that he had made men on the earth,
“and his heart was saddened.
“So Jehovah said:
“‘I am going to wipe men whom I have created
“‘off the surface of the ground,
“‘man together with domestic animals,
 “‘creeping animals,
“‘and flying creatures of the heavens,
for I regret that I have made them.’”
During that time,
some angels from heaven
noticed beautiful human women
and developed lustful feelings for them.
These angels rebelled against God
by coming to earth and taking on human bodies
in order to have sex with the women.
They became selfish, wicked demons.
They may have been charming,
intelligent, handsome,
and they had supernatural powers.
They must have been irresistible,
especially to women
who themselves had no love of God.
Perhaps the angels took some women by force.
Whatever the case,
the angels took “all whom they chose.”
What human on earth at that time
could hope to stop demons?
To these godless creatures,
people lost their daughters,
their sisters,
and possibly even their wives.
The women became pregnant
and gave birth to sons,
but their sons were not like other boys.
They were stronger.
They were bullies
—aggressive, fierce, and brutal.
Those qualities stayed with them
as they grew.
The boys became men,
but they were unusually cruel.
They were called Nephilim,
possibly meaning
“those who cause others to fall down,”
and people feared them.
Like their fathers,
the Nephilim had no love for God,
and they cared only about their fame
for being strong and vicious.
The materialized angels
and their savage offspring
dominated the world of that time,
and people followed their lead.
Jehovah saw
that man’s wickedness was rampant
“and that every inclination
of the thoughts of his heart
was only bad all the time.”
How Satan must have delighted
to see most humans reject Jehovah
and become more and more corrupt!
But in that world of depraved people,
there was a man who was faithful to Jehovah.
Let’s read about him at Genesis 6:8:
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.
“This is the history of Noah.
“Noah was a righteous man.
“He proved himself faultless among his contemporaries.
“Noah walked with the true God.
“In time Noah became father to three sons,
“Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
“But the earth had become ruined
“in the sight of the true God,
“and the earth was filled with violence.
“Yes, God looked upon the earth,
“and it was ruined;
all flesh had ruined its way on the earth.”
Some people today say
that there was no such person as Noah
and that the account
of the ark and the Flood
are just a legend or a fairy tale.
But the Bible writer knew
that Noah really existed
and that the Flood truly happened.
The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel
both refer to Noah.
Ezra, the writer of First Chronicles,
and the Gospel writer Luke
both include Noah
in the chronologies they compiled.
The apostles Peter and Paul both confirm
the Genesis account of the Flood.
And, as we mentioned earlier,
the Son of God himself testified
that Noah was a real person
and that the Flood really happened.
Noah’s faith was outstanding.
He lived in an evil world
—a world dominated
by materialized angels,
their violent offspring,
and a society of ungodly people.
Noah lacked
many of the things we have today
to help us keep our faith strong.
He had no Bible to help him
to love Jehovah
and to understand his ways.
He didn’t know
about all the faithful men and women
who would live after him.
And Noah had no congregation
of fellow believers
to encourage him
and to strengthen his faith.
Yet, Noah knew much.
He knew what happened in the garden of Eden,
and he could see the tragic results.
He saw that people grew old and died.
He knew that the way
to the garden of Eden was barred
and the ground outside had been cursed.
He understood
what his great-grandfather Enoch
had foretold.
And Noah knew that his father, Lamech,
had given him a name
likely meaning “rest” or “consolation”
because he would, as his father foretold,
“bring us comfort from our labor
“and from the painful toil of our hands
because of the ground
that Jehovah has cursed.”
Surely, Noah wondered about these prophecies.
How would he bring comfort?
How and when would God act
against the wicked ones who surrounded him?
For hundreds of years,
Noah prayed and he wondered.
By the time he had lived well over 500 years,
he had married and had a family
—three sons.
Though he lived in a wicked world,
Noah remained faithful to God,
and he helped his family to do the same.
Then Jehovah delivered a message
that surely must have stunned Noah.
Let’s continue reading from Genesis 6:13:
“After that God said to Noah:
“‘I have decided to put an end to all flesh,
“‘because the earth is full of violence on account of them,
“‘so I am bringing them to ruin together with the earth.
‘‘‘Make for yourself an ark from resinous wood.
“‘You will make compartments in the ark
“‘and cover it with tar inside and outside.
“‘This is how you will make it:
“‘The ark should be 300 cubits long,
“‘50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.
“‘You will make a window for light for the ark,
“‘one cubit from the top.
“‘You should put the entrance of the ark in its side
“‘and make it with a lower deck,
“‘a second deck, and a third deck.
“‘As for me, I am going to bring
“‘floodwaters upon the earth
“‘to destroy from under the heavens
“‘all flesh that has the breath of life.
“‘Everything on the earth will perish.
“‘And I am establishing my covenant with you,
“‘and you must go into the ark,
“‘you, your sons, your wife,
“‘and your sons’ wives with you.
“‘And bring into the ark
“‘two of every sort of living creature
“‘in order to preserve them alive with you,
“‘a male and a female;
“‘of the flying creatures according to their kinds,
“‘the domestic animals according to their kinds,
“‘and all creeping animals of the ground
“‘according to their kinds,
“‘two of each will go in there to you
“‘to preserve them alive.
“‘For your part,
“‘you are to collect and take with you
“‘every kind of food to eat,
“to serve as food for you and for the animals.’
“And Noah did according to all
“that God had commanded him.
He did just so.”
Noah had long wondered
how Jehovah would act
against an ungodly world.
Now he knew;
a catastrophic flood would cleanse the earth.
Noah also knew
what he and his family must do.
So much depended on him!
The thought must have been overwhelming.
The ark would be gigantic.
Now new questions occupied his mind.
Trees, a great many trees,
would have to be felled
and the timber hauled, shaped, and joined.
How would he do that?
How would he gather so many kinds of animals?
How would he get food supplies
for the animals and for his family?
And what about the godless people around him?
What would they think?
Noah knew what had happened
to the righteous men who preceded him.
Abel had been killed by his brother Cain.
And Enoch likely was
in such danger of being slain
by ungodly ones
that God mercifully cut his life short
so that he wouldn’t fall into their hands.
People would see
what he was doing,
and they’d soon learn why he was doing it.
These God-dishonoring,
Nephilim-influenced people
might react violently.
Yet, Noah trusted in Jehovah,
and he got to work.
He did all that God had commanded him.
It took a long time
for Noah’s family to build the ark,
perhaps some 40 or 50 years.
There must have been challenges,
but we never read that Noah complained.
The family had no support from others.
Remember that Jesus said that the people
“took no note until the Flood came
and swept them all away.”
Of course, people took note
that Noah was building an ark.
His neighbors must have asked him
why he was building
such an enormous structure.
And Noah explained to them
why he was building it.
But Noah’s contemporaries took no note
that Jehovah was blessing Noah
and his construction efforts.
They took no note
of what this would mean for them.
Instead, the people
were caught up in everyday affairs
—eating, drinking, and marrying;
those were the things that concerned them.
To those godless people,
Noah and his family were fools
—crackpots.
They were the butt of ridicule, jeers,
and probably threats.
The ark was finally completed.
We can imagine Noah and his family
looking at it with pride
and remembering how God had helped them.
Jehovah always directs
his servants when needed.
Now Jehovah spoke again to Noah.
Let’s read chapter 7, starting with verse 1:
“After that Jehovah said to Noah:
“‘Go into the ark,
“‘you and all your household,
“‘because you are the one I have found
“‘to be righteous before me among this generation.
“‘You must take with you
“‘every kind of clean animal by sevens,
“‘the male and its mate;
“‘and of every animal that is not clean just two,
“‘the male and its mate;
“‘also of the flying creatures of the sky by sevens,
“‘male and female,
“‘to preserve their offspring alive over all the earth.
“‘For in just seven days,
“‘I will make it rain on the earth
“‘for 40 days and 40 nights,
“‘and I will wipe from the surface of the ground
“every living thing that I have made.’
“Then Noah did everything
that Jehovah had commanded him.”
There was no time to lose.
There was urgent work to do.
In seven days, the rains would come.
Animals, many animals,
had to be situated in the ark.
Supplies had to be secured.
Noah listened, and he obeyed.
For the second time in this inspired account,
we are told that Noah did all
that he was commanded to do.
Now please turn to Genesis 7:6:
“Noah was 600 years old
“when the floodwaters came upon the earth.
“So Noah, along with his sons,
“his wife, and his sons’ wives,
“went into the ark ahead of the floodwaters.
“Of every clean animal
“and of every animal that is not clean
“and of the flying creatures
“and of everything that moves on the ground,
“they went inside the ark to Noah by twos,
“male and female,
“just as God had commanded Noah.
“And seven days later
“the floodwaters came upon the earth.
“In the 600th year of Noah’s life,
“in the second month,
“on the 17th day of the month,
“on that day all the springs
“of the vast watery deep burst open
“and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
“And the rain poured down on the earth
“for 40 days and 40 nights.
“On that very day,
“Noah went into the ark along with his sons,
“Shem, Ham, and Japheth,
“and his wife and the three wives of his sons.
“They went in with every wild animal
“according to its kind,
“and every domestic animal according to its kind,
“and every creeping animal of the earth
“according to its kind,
“and every flying creature according to its kind,
“every bird, every winged creature.
“They kept going to Noah inside the ark,
“two by two,
“of every sort of flesh that has the breath of life.
“So they went in,
“male and female of every sort of flesh,
“just as God had commanded him.
“After that Jehovah shut the door behind him.
“The flooding continued for 40 days on the earth,
“and the waters kept increasing
“and began carrying the ark,
“and it was floating high above the earth.
“The waters became overwhelming
“and kept increasing greatly upon the earth,
“but the ark floated on the surface of the waters.
“The waters overwhelmed the earth so greatly
“that all the tall mountains
“under the whole heavens were covered.
“The waters rose up to 15 cubits
“above the mountains.
“So all living creatures
“that were moving on the earth perished
“—the flying creatures, the domestic animals,
“the wild animals, the swarming creatures,
“and all mankind.
“Everything on dry land
“that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.
“So He wiped every living thing
“from the surface of the earth,
“including man, animals, creeping animals,
“and the flying creatures of the sky.
“They were all wiped off the earth;
“only Noah and those with him in the ark survived.
“And the waters continued overwhelming the earth
for 150 days.”
If Noah had wondered
how he would collect all those animals,
he now knew.
They would come to him.
Jehovah would bring them.
Noah didn’t have to go looking for them.
The animals did come
—every kind of animal,
some by sevens and some by twos.
Just imagine dozens and dozens of animals
strutting, hopping, slithering,
and waddling into the ark!
We can imagine Noah’s family
finding places for them all,
stroking the soft fur
of some animals as they passed
while avoiding
the rough hides or spines of others
and making sure to get out of the way
of the large animals as they lumbered past.
The birds came too
—fluttering, soaring.
What colors!
What smells!
What sounds!
Noah and his family must have shouted
to hear one another above the din.
When all were inside, Jehovah shut the door.
Can you picture the family
huddling together inside the ark
—listening, straining to hear?
Then it came.
Rain!
Perhaps it began almost imperceptibly,
but soon it came in torrents.
The sound was deafening.
What they had long anticipated
was now happening!
They were tired, exhausted,
but there was likely little sleep that night.
There were animals to check.
There was the din of the rain.
And how they prayed!
Did their thoughts turn to those outside?
Certainly.
They knew those people
and had preached to them.
Many were relatives.
How sad for them!
Like Jehovah,
Noah took no delight
in the death of the wicked.
It saddened him that so many had to die,
but he knew that those who perished
had ample warning of what was to come.
Even if they hadn’t seen
the ark Noah was building,
they would have heard about it.
They’d know why he was building it.
Now it was too late for them.
Jehovah had shut the door.
Noah’s family listened as the rain
battered the ark without letup.
And then came a moment
they would never forget
—movement!
They felt their massive wooden ark
lifting from the ground.
It was floating!
Their hearts were beating loud and fast.
Would their vessel hold together?
Let’s resume our reading
from Genesis 8:1
to see what happened next.
“But God gave attention to Noah
“and to all the wild animals and domestic animals
“that were with him in the ark,
“and God caused a wind to blow over the earth,
“and the waters began to subside.
“The springs of the watery deep
“and the floodgates of the heavens were stopped up,
“so the rain from the heavens stopped falling.
“Then the waters began
“to recede progressively from the earth.
“By the end of 150 days,
“the waters had subsided.
“In the seventh month,
“on the 17th day of the month,
“the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
“And the waters were steadily decreasing
“until the tenth month.
“In the tenth month, on the first of the month,
“the tops of the mountains appeared.
“So at the end of 40 days,
“Noah opened the window that he had made in the ark
“and sent out a raven;
“it continued flying outside and returning,
“until the waters dried off the earth.
“Later he sent out a dove
“to see whether the waters had receded
“from the surface of the ground.
“The dove did not find any resting-place to perch,
“so it returned to him into the ark
“because the waters were still covering
“the surface of the whole earth.
“So he reached his hand out
“and brought it inside the ark.
“He waited seven more days,
“and once again he sent out the dove from the ark.
“When the dove came to him toward evening,
“he saw that there was
“a freshly plucked olive leaf in its bill!
“So Noah knew that the waters
“had receded from the earth.
“He waited still another seven days.
“Then he sent out the dove,
but it did not return to him anymore.”
For 40 days and 40 nights,
the noise of torrential rain filled the ark,
and then it stopped.
Imagine Noah
and his family peering out of the ark
and seeing nothing but water,
no land anywhere.
A wind blew, and the waters subsided.
Finally, 150 days after the downpour began,
the ark settled on land.
What a happy day that must have been!
Was it safe to go out?
No.
The waters had to subside further.
There was plenty to do
to keep the family busy.
There were animals to feed and to care for.
Still, Noah’s family
must have longed to be outside,
to be free of the confinement,
to feel the ground under their feet.
Patience was needed.
Picture the family spending time together,
planning what they’d do
when they came out of the ark.
Another 73 days passed.
Now they could see the tops of the mountains.
Now was it safe to exit?
Noah peered out of a window.
He selected from the birds a raven,
and he sent it out, but it kept returning.
Noah put the raven back in its place
and selected a dove.
It too flew and returned,
not having found a place to perch.
A week later, he released it again,
and it returned
with an olive leaf in its bill.
Seven days later, Noah sent it again.
This time it did not return.
What next?
Let’s continue reading
from chapter 8, verse 13:
“Now in the 601st year, in the first month,
“on the first day of the month,
“the waters had drained from the earth;
“and Noah removed the covering of the ark
“and saw that the surface of the ground was drying.
“In the second month,
“on the 27th day of the month,
“the earth had dried off.
“God now said to Noah:
“‘Go out of the ark, you, your wife,
“‘your sons, and your sons’ wives.
“‘Bring out with you all the living creatures
“‘of every sort of flesh,
“‘of the flying creatures and of the animals
“‘and of all the creeping animals of the earth,
“‘that they may multiply on the earth
“and be fruitful and become many on the earth.’
“So Noah went out, together with his sons,
“his wife, and his sons’ wives.
“Every living creature, every creeping animal
“and every flying creature,
“everything that moves on the earth,
“went out of the ark by families.
“Then Noah built an altar to Jehovah
“and took some of all the clean animals
“and of all the clean flying creatures
“and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
“And Jehovah began to smell a pleasing aroma.
“So Jehovah said in his heart:
“‘Never again will I curse the ground
“‘on man’s account,
“‘for the inclination of the heart of man
“‘is bad from his youth up;
“‘and never again will I strike down
“‘every living thing as I have done.
“‘From now on,
“‘the earth will never cease to have
“‘seed-sowing and harvest,
“‘cold and heat,
“‘summer and winter,
and day and night.’”
When the dove didn’t return,
Noah removed part of the roof of the ark.
Now he could see
that much of the land had dried out.
Possibly, he could see
vegetation growing and flourishing
in a way that it hadn’t been possible
in the days before the Flood,
when the earth had been cursed.
Still, Noah waited for Jehovah’s direction.
And then it came, Jehovah’s command:
“Go out of the ark.”
At last!
What a joyful day that must have been!
They’d been in the ark for 370 days.
Picture the family coming out of the ark
—laughing, breathing fresh air,
eager to adjust to their new life.
The animals came out too,
and the family watched
as they dispersed in all directions.
Some they had drawn close to,
but now it was farewell
—a happy farewell.
There were no materialized angels,
no Nephilim, and no wicked people.
How grateful they were to Jehovah!
Noah wasted no time.
He built an altar and sacrificed to Jehovah,
and God expressed his pleasure.
Jehovah assured the family
that he would never again strike down
every living thing.
But he did more than that.
He concluded a covenant
with Noah and his sons
and gave them a sign
that we too can observe.
Let’s read about it at Genesis chapter 9,
starting with verse 8:
“Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“‘I am now establishing my covenant with you
“‘and with your offspring after you,
“‘and with every living creature that is with you,
“‘the birds, the animals,
“‘and all the living creatures of the earth with you,
“‘all those that came out of the ark
“‘—every living creature of the earth.
“‘Yes, I establish my covenant with you:
“‘Never again will all flesh be destroyed
“‘by the waters of a flood,
“and never again will a flood bring the earth to ruin.’
“And God added:
“‘This is the sign of the covenant
“‘that I am making between me and you
“‘and every living creature that is with you,
“‘for all future generations.
“‘I put my rainbow in the cloud,
“‘and it will serve as a sign of the covenant
“‘between me and the earth.
“‘Whenever I bring a cloud over the earth,
“‘then the rainbow will certainly appear in the cloud.
“‘And I will certainly remember my covenant
“‘that I made between me and you
“‘and every living creature of every kind;
“‘and never again will the waters
“‘become a flood to destroy all flesh.
“‘And the rainbow will occur in the cloud,
“‘and I will certainly see it
“‘and remember the everlasting covenant
“‘between God and every living creature
of every kind on the earth.’”
What a magnificent sign Jehovah gave!
Every rainbow would remind
both God and man of his promise.
How Noah’s family must have marveled
to see the colors spanning across the sky
—violet, indigo, blue, green,
yellow, orange, and red!
Never again will a flood deluge the earth.
But Jehovah is not one
to tolerate wickedness forever.
Let’s read what the apostle Peter wrote.
Please turn to 2 Peter 2:5.
The apostle wrote:
“And he [God] did not refrain
“from punishing an ancient world,
“but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness,
“safe with seven others when he brought a flood
upon a world of ungodly people.”
Today, we live in a world
that resembles the one before the Flood.
There’s violence,
and people do
all sorts of things that Jehovah hates.
People are concerned
with the everyday affairs of life
and take no note of the message of salvation
that we proclaim.
Ridiculers of God’s people mockingly say:
“Where is this promised presence of his?
“Why, . . . all things are continuing exactly
as they were from creation’s beginning.”
They are wrong.
Jehovah acted against wickedness
in the time of Noah,
and He’ll act again.
But, like Noah, the faithful will be saved.
God’s Word assures us:
“Jehovah knows how to rescue
“people of godly devotion out of trial,
“but to reserve unrighteous people
to be destroyed on the day of judgment.”
Jehovah will make the earth a paradise,
just as he originally purposed.
The Paradise will be inhabited
by good people.
There will be no people
who rebel against God.
And what of the rebellious spirit creatures?
When the flood deluged the earth
in Noah’s day,
the rebellious angels left their human bodies
and returned to the spirit realm in disgrace.
However, these demons have continued to exert
an evil influence on humans down to this day.
But when Jehovah acts again,
the demons and their ruler, Satan,
will be put out of action.
The Word of God says this:
“By faith Noah,
“after receiving divine warning
“of things not yet seen,
“showed godly fear and constructed an ark
for the saving of his household.”
Faith moved Noah to obey Jehovah.
As a result,
he and his family survived the Flood.
Noah lived a long life, some 950 years.
But when that faithful man is resurrected,
he’ll have the prospect of living forever.
If we display the faith of Noah
and obey Jehovah,
we too can walk
with Jehovah as our Friend
—and that friendship can last forever!


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