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               NOAH

FAMOUS PAINTINGS 
OF NOAH

HUMBLE MAN IS SUPERHERO

   PEOPLE IN THE STORY

   BIBLE REFERENCE

   FAMOUS QUOTES

   INTERESTING SITES

  ACTIVITIES/QUESTIONS

THE WORLD GOES TO POT
Noah was a good man in a corrupt world. He had a wife, three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and three young daughters-in-law, and he just wanted to be left alone to live his life - his name meant 'rest' or 'comfort'. He walked with God.

But the rest of the world had gone to the dogs. People were so corrupt and depraved that God began to regret creating them. On the other hand, that which He had created, He could destroy. He decided to obliterate mankind.

GOD'S DIRECTIONS TO NOAH
Noah would be an exception. God would spare him and his family. He told Noah what He was about to do, and directed him to build an ark. He gave detailed instructions for the design and proportions of the vessel and the selection of the people and animals to be taken aboard. 

Noah was to put pairs of all the animals and birds on the earth into the ark. Of course, Noah's neighbors poured scorn on what he was doing. But despite the jeers of the people around him, Noah built the ark, collected the animals and birds, and prepared for the worst. It came. God opened the heavens and flooded the earth. It rained for forty days and forty nights. At the end of that time, no-one except Noah and his family remained alive. Nothing and no-one was spared. 

NOAH AND HIS FAMILY ARE SAFE
But Noah and his family, locked inside the ark, were safe - as Moses was safe when his mother placed him in a basket of reeds that floated on the water. Eventually the rain stopped and, after one hundred and fifty days the waters abated and the ark rested on the top of the mountains of Ararat.  God had sent a wind, God's breath, which blew over the waters and made them recede. 

Noah opened the window of the ark and sent out birds to see what they would do. He sent out a raven, then a dove, and finally a second dove. At first they were unable to find anywhere to perch, but then  the dove came back with an olive twig between its beak, and Noah knew it had found a branch on which to perch. He waited another seven days, to be confident that the earth was finally dry. Then God told Noah to leave the ark, freeing all the animals and birds as well.

NOAH GIVES THANKS TO GOD
The first thing that Noah did was to build an altar of thanksgiving to God. He made a burnt offering whose smell wafted up to God's nostrils - an odd image. God made Noah a promise:  He would never again destroy all living creatures, as He had just done. As a sign of His promise, He made a rainbow across the sky. The rainbow was to be a sign of a covenant between God and Noah, and all of Noah's descendants, that 'the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh'.

'He planted, among other things, a vineyard. When the grapes ripened he made wine, but he drank too much and became drunk. While he was drunk he threw off all his clothes and fell down, naked, on the ground.' 

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NOAH GETS DRUNK
The second story about Noah describes a man with quite different characteristics. Noah is now a 'husbandman' who tills the earth and sows crops. He planted, among other things, a vineyard. When the grapes ripened he made wine, but he drank too much and became drunk, succumbing to one of the bad habits of a settled society. While he was drunk he threw off all his clothes and fell down, naked, on the ground. 

His son Ham came in and saw him, and was amused by the sight. He went off to get his brothers, so that they could see too. But they were more respectful towards their father, and shielded their eyes and approached their father backwards, while they covered him. 

When Noah woke up and heard what had happened, he was angry - very angry. It is not clear to the modern reader why the sight of their father's uncovered body should have been such a taboo for Noah's sons.  Possibly there was some sexual act involved - Leviticus 18:7 forbids a person to 'uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness'. 

THE CURSE OF NOAH
In any case, Noah cursed Ham and all his descendants for the son's lack of respect. Ham's progeny would be servants while the other sons would prosper, as would their descendants. Ham was the father of Canaan, who was the forefather of the Canaanites, traditional enemies of the Hebrew people and this story, of course, offers and explanation for that enmity.

(These incidents have been popular with artists. See BIBLE ART: NOAH for paintings by some of the world's great painters.)

BIBLE REFERENCE 
Genesis 6-9

PEOPLE IN THE STORY
Noah: a simple, quiet man with a family who finds himself in an extraordinary position. Obeys God even when everyone scorns him for doing so, and so saves the earth and all that is in it.
Noah's wife: stands by her man despite the objections of everyone around her.
Shem, Ham and Japheth: Noah's three sons
Unnamed wives of Noah's sons

FAMOUS QUOTES
'But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.' Genesis 6:8
'I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights...' 7:4
'...the Lord said in his heart "I will never again curse the ground because of humankind.' 8:21
"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." 9:1

INTERESTING WEBSITES - stories, pictures, information

Paintings that capture the terror of the Flood
BIBLE ART: NOAH 

Noah as First Farmer
BIBLE ARCHAEOLOGY: AGRICULTURE

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ACTIVITIES AND FOCUS QUESTIONS

Living Through Catastrophe
Have you ever been in any sort of natural catastrophe? Storm, flood, fire? Write a flow-of-consciousness piece about your experience. What do you remember most vividly? What were your emotions? Did you pray for help at the time? Were you comforted by God's presence, or did you feel alone? Share your memories with a learning partner.

The Bible as our Ark
Some people say that the Bible is our personal Ark, providing shelter and guidance when we are troubled by something, or in danger. Have you found it to be so? Has the Bible helped you? Were there any particular stories or quotations that gave you comfort and strength? If so, make a list you can refer to from time to time. If not, read some sections from the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Psalms and see if you can find something there that would help you.

In depth study of one person's story
Choose one of the people whose stories are told on this site and develop a PowerPoint presentation about them.
The presentation must be at least 10 slides long and should include 
 *  a supporting image/picture/painting of each person 
 *  a map of Israel showing the cities and areas where the story took place.  
You may call up other websites to support your ideas.

In your presentation (approximately 10 minutes), answer the following questions:

1. What are the main events of the person's life? Tell the story.

2. What were their main qualities? What made them stand out from the crowd?

3. What obstacles did they face? Did they overcome them, or go with the flow? Explain.

4. How did they use their abilities to do God’s work?  

5. Which part of their story appeals to you most? Why?

You must include three short quotations from the Bible texts to illustrate the points you are making. 

Focus Questions
1. What are the most interesting moments in Noah's story? 
2. In the story, who speaks and who listens? Who acts? Who gets what they want? If you were in the story, which person would you want to be friends with? Which person would you want to avoid?
3. What is God's interaction with the main characters? What does this tell you about the narrator's image of God? Do you agree with this image?
4. What is happening on either side of the story, in the chapters before and after it? Does this help you understand what is happening?
5. The narrator/editor has chosen to tell some things and leave other things out. What has been left out of the story that you would like to know?
6. Are the characteristics and actions of the people in the story still present in the world? How is the story relevant to modern life, especially your own? 

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Bible Stories: People of the Old Testament - Bible Study Resource: Noah