Noah of the Flood

Biblical figure, Noah

The name Noah or pronounced Noach comes from a Hebrew verb which means “rest”.  Noah is a descendant of Seth. He was born to Lamech when Lamech was one hundred and eighty two years old (Genesis 5:28 KJV).  Adam lived until Lamech was fifty eight or just one hundred sixty four years before Noah was born.

The Bible describes Noah as a “just man and perfect in his generations”, and says he had even walked with God (Genesis 6:9 KJV). At the age of five hundred, Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth Genesis 5:32 KJV).

Noah and the Great Flood

Genesis chapter 6 tells us that God wants to destroy all living flesh he created and regrets creating them. “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created... both man and beast... for it repenteth me that I have made them” (Genesis 6:6-7 KJV) However, Noah found grace in the eyes of God. (Genesis 6:8 KJV). God then commissioned Noah to build an ark.. Noah built a huge ark exactly as God instructed him and brought with him his sons, wife, his sons’ wives and a pair of each living creature (Genesis 6:14-22 KJV) and seven of those that are clean beasts, male and female (Genesis 7:2 KJV).

How Long Did It Take To Build The Ark

There are speculations that say that the making of the ark took Noah a hundred and twenty years. This theory has been concluded from Genesis 6:3 “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with men... yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years”. Most interpret it as God gave human kind one hundred and twenty years before the flood to repent. Thus, Noah used this time preaching righteousness and building the ark.

However, there is a different interpretation of the story that says it only took one hundred years or even shorter than that to build the ark. This says that since Noah was five hundred years old when he begat his sons, and this was also the time when God warned Noah about the flood and commissioned him to build an ark. Certainly, in this version, we can say that Noah has been righteous and has been preaching righteousness to others even before he reached five hundred since he was already conversing with God.

Noah was six hundred years old when the great flood came. For forty days and forty nights, rain poured upon the earth killing all creatures off the ark. The flood lasted for one hundred and fifty days. Noah and all that is with him survived the great flood. God then promised Noah  that never again would God bring forth flood to destroy the world (Genesis 9:11 KJV).

Noah lived another three hundred and fifty years after the flood. And all of Noah's days were nine hundred and fifty years before he died (Genesis 9:28-29 KJV). The Biblical Timeline charts Noah's existence from 2950 BC to 2000 BC.

Noah's Blessings

After the flood subsided, Noah planted a vineyard and drank from its wine. He got drunk and was uncovered inside his tent Genesis 9:20 KJV). Ham, the youngest of his sons saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers about this. Shem and Japheth  took a garment and walked backwards to avoid seeing their father's nakedness and approached their father to cover his nakedness (Genesis 9:23 KJV). Noah woke up from his wine and knew of what had happened. He cursed Canaan, youngest son of Ham, saying “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shell he be unto his brethren” (Genesis 9:25 KJV). And unto Shem and Japheth, Noah said: “blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant” (Genesis 9:26-27 KJV).

Related Articles
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References for How Long It Took To Build The Ark
http://ldolphin.org/cisflood.html
http://www.learnthebible.org/sunday-school-outlines/the-building-of-noah-s-ark.html
http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/building-noahs-ark/

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