Lesson 20: Genesis 6:13–9:29

“Lesson 20: Genesis 6:13–9:29,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)

“Lesson 20: Genesis 6:13–9:29”

Lesson 20

Genesis 6:13–9:29

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Have faith that the Lord understands your needs and wants to bless you. The Spirit can help you know how to apply gospel principles to your life.

Begin your study with prayer.

Obeying the commandments is not always easy.

Listen to President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) describe how one man learned why it is important to obey God all of the time.

2:3

Things That Appear Foolish to Others

1. What are some things the Lord has asked us to do that might appear to be foolish to other people?

Specific Instructions

As you study Genesis 6–9, look for truths that can help us obey the Lord, even when doing so may appear foolish.

You may remember that we read in the last lesson about how the people rejected Noah’s invitation to repent. As a result, the Lord promised to send a flood to cleanse the earth of wickedness. This flood was a fulfillment of the Lord’s earlier warning. He had described consequences that would come if the people did not repent, and He was now fulfilling His word.

Read Genesis 6:13–16, looking for specific instructions the Lord gave Noah to prepare for the coming destruction.

Difficult Challenges

Some of the descriptions given in Genesis 6:13–16 may be difficult to understand. The phrase “pitch it” (Genesis 6:14) means to cover the ark with a tarlike substance to seal it and make it waterproof. A cubit was a unit of measurement used by the Hebrews in biblical times. The measurement is based on the distance between an adult’s elbow and the tip of his or her longest finger. One cubit is generally estimated to be between 18 and 22 inches (45.72 to 55.88 centimeters). Assuming that 18 inches is one cubit, we can calculate that the ark was about 450 feet long (about 138 meters), 75 feet wide (about 23 meters), and 45 feet high (about 14 meters).

Read Genesis 6:17–22, looking for what else the Lord directed Noah to do.

2. Think of the challenges Noah faced as he obeyed the Lord’s instructions recorded in Genesis 6:13–22. Which of these challenges do you think would have been the most difficult to face? Why?

Noah’s Faith

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) described some of the challenges Noah faced. As you read President Kimball’s description, think about how Noah demonstrated faith in the Lord.

“As yet there was no evidence of rain and flood. His people mocked and called him a fool. His preaching fell on deaf ears. His warnings were considered irrational. There was no precedent; never had it been known that a deluge [or flood] could cover the earth. How foolish to build an ark on dry ground with the sun shining and life moving forward as usual!” (Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 140–41).

Noah and the People—What Happened?

What happened to Noah and the people he preached to?

Read Genesis 7:1–24 to find out.

Quiz 1

Indicate whether the statements below are true or false based on what you have read in Genesis 7.

Noah took seven of some animals on the ark (see Genesis 7:2–3).
1. True
2. False
Noah was 60 years old when the Flood came (see Genesis 7:6, 11).
1. True
2. False
Rain was the only source of water that flooded the earth (see Genesis 7:11).
1. True
2. False
The rain did not cease for 40 days (see Genesis 7:4, 17).
1. True
2. False
Eight people were saved on the ark (see Genesis 7:7, 13).
1. True
2. False
In addition to Noah’s family and the animals on the ark, one other family also survived the Flood by staying on the top of a mountain (see Genesis 7:19–23).
1. True
2. False

Questions to Consider

Imagine that you were one of the people who were not in the ark. What might you have thought and felt as the floodwater rose?

Now imagine that you were one of the people who were in the ark. What might you have thought and felt as the waters rose?

What principle can we learn from Noah’s willingness to faithfully obey the Lord’s commands?

Someone Who Acted in Faith

As we read Genesis 7:5, we can learn that if we act in faith by obeying the Lord’s commands, we can receive His blessings and protection.

3. Think of someone who has acted in faith by obeying the Lord’s commandments. This person could be you, someone you know, or someone from the scriptures or Church history. How did this person act in faith, and what blessings came as a result?

An Invitation to Obey the Lord

Consider this invitation from President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018):

“Noah had the unwavering faith to follow God’s commandments. May we ever do likewise. May we remember that the wisdom of God ofttimes appears as foolishness to men; but the greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right” (Thomas S. Monson, “Models to Follow,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2002, 61).

Think about how Noah’s experience demonstrates the truthfulness of President Monson’s words. What will you do to obey the Lord and act in faith?

Symbols of Covenants

Can you think of symbols that represent covenants we make with God? For example, the emblems of the sacrament help us remember our baptismal covenant.

As you study Genesis 8–9, look for a symbol the Lord used to represent His covenant with Noah.

A Covenant

We read in Genesis 8:1–9:7 that the waters on the earth gradually receded and that God then directed Noah and his family to exit the ark. Noah rejoiced and offered animal sacrifices to the Lord. The Lord commanded Noah and his family to multiply and replenish the earth. The Lord also explained the sanctity of life and that humans would be held accountable for the way that they treat living things.

Read Genesis 9:8–11, looking for a covenant God made with Noah and his sons.

God’s Covenant with Noah

Read Genesis 9:12–17. What was the symbol God used as a reminder of His covenant with Noah?

A Reminder of His Mercy

As we read Genesis 9:12–17, we can learn that God uses tokens (or signs) as reminders of covenants. The rainbow is a token, or sign, of the everlasting covenant—a reminder of God’s promises, including His promise to never flood the earth again. This covenant had first been given to Enoch (see Moses 7:50–51), and now the covenant was renewed with Noah. The rainbow became a symbol of God’s mercy to His children on earth.

What other tokens has God given us that can remind us of our covenants with Him and of His mercy?

A Difficult Account

Genesis 9:18–29 contains an account of an incident that occurred with Noah and his sons. This account is difficult to understand because we do not have all of the relevant details. We therefore do not know exactly what happened or the meaning of what occurred. Unfortunately, some people have incorrectly used Noah’s cursing of his grandson Canaan to justify slavery—particularly of people of black African descent.

However, from the beginning of the Restoration, the Lord has taught, “It is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another” (D&C 101:79). “Today, the Church disavows [rejects] the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today condemn all racism, past and present, in any form” (“Race and the Priesthood,” Gospel Topics, topics.lds.org).

Something to Remember

The following truths were identified in this lesson:

If we act in faith by obeying the Lord’s commands, we can receive His blessings and protection.
God uses tokens as reminders of covenants.

Remember that as you act in faith and obey the Lord’s commands, you will be blessed. You may want to write down what you are going to do and refer to this plan regularly.

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) a; (2) b; (3) b; (4) a; (5) a; (6) b