Ariel Childs Books: Inspiring Children's Literature
Genesis 6-9
God’s Justice and Noah’s Ark
In this lesson, we talk about why God sent the flood and destroyed the earth, and what that shows us about God’s fairness and mercy. We also discuss the consequences of our actions and what it would mean if God allowed evil to continue without stopping it.
vocabulary Words
Just: Doing what is right
Justice: Fairness and right action
Unjust: Not fair or right
Righteous: Honest and good
Ark: A big boat used for safety
Repent: To turn away from sin
God’s Sadness Over Sin
God looked down at the people He had made. He didn’t just see their actions—He saw deep inside their hearts. And what He saw broke His heart.
People were:
Hurting each other
Killing
Lying
Ignoring God
They didn’t want God’s rules. They wanted to do whatever they pleased. They even thought, “God won’t stop us—so He must be okay with it.” But they were wrong. God wasn’t ignoring them. He was giving them time to repent (turn away from sin).
Why Did God Send the Flood?
God is just—that means He always does what is right. He loves people, but He also cares about justice. Imagine a judge who let a murderer go free. Would that be right? Of course not! A good judge must punish wrongdoing. So, because people refused to stop doing evil, God had to act. He decided to send a flood to wipe out the evil from the earth. But God didn’t do this without warning…
God Shows Patience and Grace
God told a man named Noah to build an ark (a giant boat).
Why? Because Noah was different—he walked with God. It took over 70 years to build the ark. During that time, people had the chance to change. God was waiting… patiently. But sadly, no one turned from their sin except Noah and his family.
What About the Animals?
Two of every kind of animal went into the ark.
Seven pairs of clean animals (like sheep and goats) were included for sacrifices.
Some animals (like lions) didn’t eat meat yet—God originally gave plants as food. (Genesis 1:30)
Tiny creatures like insects and spiders didn’t take up much space. Some scientists say the ark could fit over 70,000 animals—plenty of room!
God’s Promise
After the flood, Noah made a sacrifice to thank God. God was pleased and made a promise:
“I will never put a curse on the ground again because of human beings—As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest.” (Genesis 8:21-22 (ICB)) fulfilling part of the prophecy Noah’s father had spoken years earlier—that Noah would bring comfort (Genesis 5:29). Now it wouldn’t be so hard to grow plants.
God also allowed people and animals to eat meat (Genesis 9:3).
ACTIVITY: Build Your Own Ark Timeline & Justice Scale
Supplies:
Paper
Ruler (or draw straight lines)
Markers/crayons
Optional: stickers or magazine cutouts
Part 1: Ark Timeline
Draw a horizontal line across the page. Label these points:
Start of Ark Building
70 Years Pass (Noah preaches + builds)
Animals Enter (7 Days Before Flood)
40 Days of Rain
150 Days the Water Stayed
Earth dries
Noah’s Sacrifice
God’s Promise & Rainbow
Add pictures or symbols to each!
Part 2: God’s Justice Scale
Draw a large scale like this:
JUSTICE SCALE
SIN | MERCY
On the SIN side, write things people did before the flood (lying, stealing, hurting others).
On the MERCY side, write what God did (waited 70 years, saved Noah, sent a rainbow).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why was God sad when He looked at people?
2. Why didn’t God stop people right away?
3. What does it mean that God is “just”?
4. How did God show both justice and mercy in this story?
5. What can we learn about God’s heart from this story?
Foreshadowing God's Justice, Righteousness, and Mercy
Romans 3:22–26 (ICB)
In Genesis 6 through 9, we see the beginnings of God’s justice and mercy through the story of Noah and the flood. These truths are fulfilled more fully in Jesus Christ. In Romans 3:22–26, we see a clear picture of how God makes people right with Himself:
[22] God makes people right with Himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same.
[23] All people have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.
[24] People are made right with God by His grace, which is a free gift. They are made right with God by being freed from sin through Jesus Christ.
[25] God sent Jesus to die in our place to take away our sins. We receive forgiveness through faith. All of this is because of the blood of Jesus’ death. This showed that God always does what is right and fair. God was right in the past when He was patient and did not punish people for their sins.
[26] And God gave Jesus to show today that He always does what is right. He did this so He could judge rightly and also make right any person who has faith in Jesus.
