Noah

Noah lived during a time of unprecedented wickedness. Scripture says that every imagination of man's heart was only evil continually, and God was grieved that He had made humanity. Yet Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He was a just man, perfect in his generations, and he walked with God.

God revealed to Noah that He would destroy all flesh by a flood, and He commanded Noah to build an ark of gopher wood according to specific dimensions. For decades—tradition suggests 120 years—Noah obeyed, building the massive vessel while preaching righteousness to a mocking world. The New Testament calls him "a preacher of righteousness."

When the ark was complete, God brought pairs of animals to Noah, along with seven pairs of clean animals. Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives entered the ark. Then God shut them in, and the fountains of the great deep burst forth while the windows of heaven opened. Rain fell for forty days, and the flood prevailed for 150 days. Every living thing outside the ark perished.

After the waters receded, Noah sent out birds to test if the earth was dry. When a dove returned with an olive leaf, hope revived. Finally, the family exited the ark after more than a year inside. Noah's first act was to build an altar and offer sacrifice. God established a covenant never to destroy the earth by flood again, setting the rainbow as its sign.