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TEXT: Genesis 6:8,13-22; 7:11-17, 23-24; 8:13-14; 9:11-17
OBJECTIVE
The students will be able to explain that Noah trusted God, and God used him to build the ark which would preserve man and the animal kingdom.
BIBLE LESSON OUTLINE
Introduction: Bring to class a small boat model, and the instructions for putting it together. Ask your students if they think they could put the model together without using directions. Explain to them that your Bible story today is about a man who built a boat—a real one! And God Himself was the One who gave the instructions.
- God saw the wickedness of man in the earth and determined to destroy the world with a flood.
- Because Noah was a righteous man, God instructed him to build an ark for the saving of his household.
- Noah followed God's instructions and spent many years building the ark though the people around him refused to heed his warnings.
- When the ark was finished, Noah, his family, and representatives of the animal kingdom entered the ark, and the flood came upon the earth.
Climax: For forty days and nights the flood continued, but Noah and those with him in the ark were safe. After the flood abated and the waters which covered the earth were diminished, Noah and his family left the ark. The rainbow was placed in the sky as a token of God’s promise to never again destroy the world with a flood.
Conclusion: Noah escaped the judgment that fell on the world because he was found righteous in the sight of God.
Response: The students will be able to describe how Noah proved his trust in God by building the ark, and relate how the ark was a means of escape for him and his family.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Although the Scriptures give no specific details of Noah's first 500 years, we know he lived a life that completely contrasted that of his contemporaries. Of the people in Noah's generation "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." But of Noah God said "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:5 and 9). 2 Peter 2:5 also states that Noah was a "preacher of righteousness." The fact that he lived a life pleasing to God condemned the people around him that had chosen to live wickedly. The ark, too, was a testimony to the world that Noah lived close enough to God to discover His purpose to pour out judgment upon mankind. Noah proved his faith when he stuck with the arduous task of completing the huge vessel that would eventually save him and his family.
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
- Make sure each student has a Bible or a copy of chapters 6 and 7 in Genesis. Read the statements below and have the students tell you in which chapter and verse the information is given.
1. The Lord told Noah to build an ark.
2. Noah was to build the ark of gopher wood.
3. The ark was to be sealed with pitch.
4. The ark was to have three levels.
5. Noah and his family gathered food for the ark.
6. God told Noah to take the clean animals by sevens, and the unclean animals by twos.
Use any other statements you may wish to include. - Make a pop-up file folder of Noah's ark. You will need a Manila file folder on which to draw a picture of the ark on the top part (see Patterns). Make the various animals, Noah, and the gangplank from heavy paper and glue to the folder as shown.
- Make a large calendar on a wall chart to show the 40 days that it rained. Help the children relate to this amount of time by adding a detail to each day: day 1—went to church; day 2—school; day 3—zoo; day 4—baked cookies; day 5—read a book, etc.
- Make paper bag puppets (see Patterns). Let your students play the different characters as you relate the story to them.
- Give each student a slip of paper with the name of an object from the story of Noah written on it. Have them draw a picture of their item with their left hand (or right hand if they are left-handed). Then let everyone try to guess what the other person has drawn. See how many correct guesses each picture gets. They might have fun with a silly assignment like a two-headed turtle, a straight-tailed pig, or a three-pouched kangaroo.
- Let the children make a clothespin animal menagerie (see Patterns). They may wish to draw their own or you could use the patterns given. Draw them on construction paper, cut them out, and place clothespins on the animals for the legs.
- Copy the fold-up ark onto heavy paper and use it to help tell the story of Noah and the Flood (see Patterns).
QUESTIONS
- Why do you think God decided to send the Flood and destroy all life?
- Why do you think God decided to save Noah and his family by having Noah build an ark?
- How do you think it felt to be on the ark in the middle of that terrible storm and flood?
- How do you think God feels about the way people live on this earth today?
- Noah believed God would send the Flood so he obeyed God and built the ark. Do people believe God today? What will happen to those who do believe when Jesus comes back? What will happen to those who do not believe when Jesus comes back?
- What promise does a rainbow represent?
- Can we always trust God to keep His promises? Talk about some of God's promises.
- How do you think Noah and his family felt about their being the only ones who escaped the Flood? Do you think they felt all alone? Do you think they felt like God was with them?
- How do you feel when God asks you to do something for Him? Are you glad that God can trust you?
PRE-SCHOOL SUGGESTIONS
- Make an ark book for each child (see Patterns). Punch a hole at the top of each book and fasten the pages and cover together with ribbon or brass fasteners. Let the children color each page as you talk about the different animals God sent into the ark.
- Make a rocking ark for each child (see Patterns). Fold a paper plate in half so it rocks back and forth when it stands on its curved side. Glue a copy of the ark (which you have sized to fit the plate) onto one side of the paper plate. Let the children color their arks and have them rock the arks gently as they "float" on the "water."
- Draw a picture of Noah's ark on the side of a shoe box. Cut out pairs of animals from magazines or catalogs and glue the pictures to tagboard or some other heavy paper. Let the children match the pairs of animals and clip them together with paper clips or clothespins before putting them into the shoe box ark.
- Give each child a copy of the picture of the ark and clouds (see Patterns). Let them draw the rain coming down from the clouds as you tell the story.
- Give each child a copy of the rainbow pictures to color (see Patterns) as you tell them of the rewards in trusting God.
- Make finger Jello animals for your class: Combine 4 envelopes unflavored gelatin with three 3-ounce packages of flavored gelatin. Stir 4 cups boiling water into the gelatin, stirring until it is dissolved. Pour into 9" x 13" pan. Chill until firm. Cut with animal cookie cutters.
REVIEW IDEAS
Have the department help build the ark. Make an ark from construction paper or posterboard. Cut it into a number of pieces with a question pertaining to the lesson, written behind each piece. Children come up by turns and pick a question from a pile. If they answer it correctly they may put the piece up on the board where they think it will fit. If they miss the question, another may come up and try. When all the questions are answered the ark should be completed.
Make a shadow box like the one in Unit 1. Instead of a picture of Heaven, draw it in the shape of an ark. Inside the slots to open, have questions for the children to answer. The children may take turns coming up to choose a slot and answer the question.
As you review the story of Noah, choose different children to portray the people and animals that might have been on the ark. Have the other students try to guess who or what they are.
SUPPORT MATERIAL
- Noah's Animals — Activity and Coloring Book, Standard Publishing
- Noah and the Ark — Inlay Puzzle, Standard Publishing
- Fill Noah's Ark — Game, Standard Publishing
- All Aboard for Noah's Ark — Game, Standard Publishing
- Creation to Abram — Pict-o-graph, Standard Publishing
- Noah's Big Boat — Palm Tree Book, Concordia
- The Story of Noah's Ark — Arch Book, Concordia
- Noah and the Ark — Suede-graph, Concordia
- Noah's Ark — Bible Story Puzzle, Concordia
- Noah — Children's Puzzle, Concordia
- Noah — My Bible Story Card, Concordia (picture on the front/story on the back)
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