Skip to content Hope in a Dark World with Lecrae Feb 15 · 57 min ...more
Hope in a Dark World with Lecrae
February 15, 2022 · 57 min
Fall asleep with this Bedtime Bible Story of Noah and the Ark, read by Lecrae.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Series Bedtime Bible Stories February 15, 2022 · 57 min · Bedtime Bible Stories
Fall asleep with this Bedtime Bible Story of Noah and the Ark, read by Lecrae.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. ...more Show the full description Show less Fall asleep with this Bedtime Bible Story of Noah and the Ark, read by Lecrae.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Series Bedtime Bible Stories
0:00 Paying extra for tire care is BS. You know, bad service. So at Midas, we're rolling out our BS free tire guarantee, included with paid installation and tax on every purchase. You'll pay nothing for0:12 flat replacements, nada for flat repairs, and zilch for tire rotations every 5000 miles. That's 0 dollars for all that. So with this limited lifetime tire guarantee, you'll pay a whole lot of nothing0:23 compared to what the other guys charge for tire care. That's the BS free tire guarantee only at Midas.0:30 Do you need a reset of the mind and soul? Let go of the day's troubles and embrace Christ's peace by listening to Unwind with me, Demi Lee Thibault. Unwind is your0:42 destination for building mindful habits and finding rest. When we make efforts to renew our minds, transformation will follow. Listen to Unwind with Demi Li0:53 Thibault on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.1:00 Life hits us all hard sometimes. We get knocked down. And let's be real, sometimes it feels easier to stay there. But guys, God has called us to so much more, to live on purpose,1:12 to be conquerors. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Listen to The Daily1:24 Pursuit with Tim Tebow on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.1:31 Hello. My name is Lacray, and I wanna welcome you to my bedtime bible story on pray dot com. It's about Noah and the ark, And together, we'll experience
1:42 the epic voyage of the ark through the eyes of Noah's middle son, Shem. Shem teaches us a meaningful lesson in finding a faith that is all your
1:54 own. He shows us how to have faith in a dark world. The story of the ark is often a familiar 1. So tonight, ask God to show you something
2:06 new from this rich text. Ask him to open your mind to receive his powerful truth. Ask him to open your heart to receive his love.
2:18 And finally, ask him to bring rest and stillness to your body so that you can better receive all that you ask for. Let's begin by
2:30 relaxing our bodies and clearing our minds of any distracting thoughts. Once you're lying comfortably, close your eyes. If you haven't already,
2:42 take a few deep breaths through your nose, holding it at the top for a moment and letting it all go through your mouth. If it's helpful,
2:54 you can sigh or yawn. Read this several times and feel free to return to this practice at any time. Allow the muscles in your face to relax.
3:06 Soften your eyes and your eyebrows. Relax your forehead and cheeks. Let your jaw fall open and your tongue float
3:18 to the roof of your mouth. Can you release any tension in your neck? What about your shoulders? Is your back flat against the surface of your bed?
3:31 Can you release any tension there? Try to release every vertebrae if you can. If you feel your stomach or legs beginning to stiffen, let that tension go.
3:44 Allow your feet to fall to the sides if that's comfortable for you. Take a moment to relax any other part of your body where you may be holding tension.
3:55 Feel free to return to any areas we've covered to release tension at any time. Now, to help you relax your mind and set aside any stray
4:07 thoughts or distractions, we'll do a visualization exercise together. Let's imagine the fall of rain. This rain is falling steadily
4:19 from heavy gray clouds. The downpour is as steady as a drumbeat. Can you hear the pitter patter? Is your rain falling on a tin
4:31 roof above your head, or is it falling against your windowpane? Now in this storm, the wind causes the rain to change direction or forces it down harder.
4:44 The sound of the rain may ebb and flow. The sound intensifies or diminishes, but the steady fall of the rain is constant.
4:55 The wind can be like the world around you. Maybe it's a drifting thought or distraction that pops into your mind, and that's okay. Try your best
5:07 to come back to the steady beat of raindrops raindrops against your roof, against your window. It is steady and sure every time you return to it.
5:21 Let's return to the question you asked the Lord. You asked him to show you something new and to show you his love for you. You've told him your
5:32 heart is ready to receive. Let's deep our heart posture by expressing gratitude. Tell God that you're thankful for his provision. He created the
5:44 world and everything in it. He is a God that cares about every single detail. Thank him for his glorious creation, for all that natural splendor
5:56 of the world. Thank him for how he protects and provides for us. Tell him how grateful you are that he keeps his promises. Thank him for how he
6:08 is a God who pursues his creation. He wants to know you and desires a relationship with you. He wants to give you his comfort and his peace.
6:21 Thank him for the story of Noah and the ark in all of scripture. And finally, thank him for the hope that can only be found in him.
6:34 We can hope because of his faithfulness and the promises he fulfills. Let's begin. Eyes wide in exasperation, sweat beaded
6:46 at his temple. The vein at the top of his forehead protruded, angry and red. Fists and jaw clenched as he sized up the man hurling
6:58 accusations at him. Shem could tell that his younger brother was about to get himself into serious trouble, even from a great distance. Shem
7:09 sprang into action and hurled down the hill where the conflict was taking place in the town square. He had to get to his brother, Ham, before he said something regrettable or got himself killed.
7:22 Shem couldn't make out the specific words of the heated exchange, but the larger man was speaking in a fiery manner, accentuating his points by driving his pointer finger into Ham's
7:34 chest. The aggressor was standing at the head of a small gathering of equally intimidating men. They were egging their leader on, hurling insults and
7:45 jabs of their own. You'll sell in a matter of hours, Ham choked out as Shem suddenly reached the fray. Lunging forward and grabbing him by the back of his tunic, pulling him away from the
7:57 gloring man looming over them. Shem pulled Ham with perhaps a little more force than he intended. He went tumbling to the ground as he was pulled backward. This seemed only to
8:09 infuriate him more. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment and he angrily brushed the dust off his backside, pausing for only a moment before he leaped back toward the man.
8:21 Shem had to then wheel around to the front of Ham throwing the full force of his body in Ham's chest as he held him in place. His elbow slid up toward Ham's collarbone and his hand grasped his
8:32 shoulder. He forced his brother to look him in the eye before whispered sharply so that only Ham could hear, peace brother. This is not the way. You cannot let
8:44 them get you like this. Control your rage. Hate only begets more hate. You know this. Remarkably, this seemed to get through to him.
8:56 His shuddering breath seemed to slow and the whites of his eyes were not as visible at least. Shem released him and flexed his hand. He had been grasping his brother's clothes so tightly they were now wrinkled
9:08 in the spot where he had held him. And here comes more of the pious family now to gloat about the righteousness of their ways, the large man taunted behind Shem's back. Giving Ham a look
9:20 of warning, Shem slowly turned to address the now maliciously enraptured crowd. Please forgive my brother for provoking you into anger. We wish only to go in peace.
9:32 Before allowing the crowd an opportunity to respond, he turned on his heel, dragging Ham along with him. Ham attempted to speak several times, but a withering look from Shem
9:44 silenced him. When they were a ways away and safely out of earshot, Ham tried his luck, breaking the tense silence. Breaking the tense silence.
9:51 Why do you always do this? You make me look like
9:54 a fool. I was only trying
9:56 to defend our family. You you should have heard what they were saying about when will you understand? It doesn't matter what they say. Their words are worth less and their opinions even less
10:07 so,
10:08 sighed Shem, continuing to keep them at a brisk pace. Maybe they're right. Our family's become proud and judgmental, snapped Ham. Wondering if he would regret engaging Ham when he was this
10:19 fired up, Shem took in a deep sigh and began patiently. It's not our place to judge. The responsibility belongs to God alone. And yes, perhaps we were
10:31 righteous in their eyes, but I count that as a praise.
10:36 We should strive to be righteous. We should also strive to be peaceful. A way of living you seem determined to contradict with your every action. Do you really wanna stoop to the level of these men?
10:48 The blood of our ancestor Cain runs through their veins, same as ours. But look where his rage and pride got him. We must work at mastering our emotions.
11:00 Don't let them get a rise out of you. As you and I both know, God will sort it out. He doesn't need our help. He's been nothing but a faithful defender of our family. We have no reason
11:12 to doubt now.
11:14 Considering this long speech, Ham said,
11:18 Shem, how can you be so confident in what our father has told us? Do you really think God is going to destroy them?
11:24 So this was the heart of his brother's outburst. Slowing to a stop, he looked into his brother's eyes before answering. Ham was struggling with doubt. He projected strength.
11:36 Granted, it teeded on the edge of outright volatility at times, but it was all a front for skepticism. That was why the rebukes of the unbelievers grated on his nerves.
11:48 They undercut the fragility of his faith. He was desperately afraid to look like a fool. If all that God had told their father did not come to pass, that's certainly what they would all look
12:00 like, bigoted fools at that. He felt empathy for his brother. It was all rather unbelievable at times. Shaking his head and suppressing his own brief moment of doubt, his
12:12 father's words came to him and he spoke them as if they were his own. When pride is more important than your faith,
12:20 consider who you are serving, God or yourself.
12:26 He could tell immediately that Ham recognized Noah's words and knew that Shem had fed him a familiar line instead of a true answer to his question. Ham rolled his eyes and quickened his pace so that he was several yards
12:37 ahead of Shem as they made their way back to their homestead. A stony silence once again fell between the brothers. Shem sighed. This is what it meant to be an older brother, the burden of
12:49 carrying out his father's faith. His very mantle fell to him. Well, he and Japheth, the eldest. But Japheth never seemed to question. He never doubted.
13:01 He seemed to walk in step with their father, never stopping to give his younger brothers the assurance they needed. Shem hated to admit it even to himself, but he modeled so much of his life after
13:12 Japheth as if outward expression could convince inward conviction. After years of practice, he figured he had the world convinced. But in reality, there was so little Shem actually
13:24 understood about his father's mysterious mission and his profound faith. He had simply become good at copying his words. God had come to their father and told him of his
13:36 disgust with mankind. Their own family extended, but still, The generation stretching back to the beginning of living memory were not so far away. Shem could count the generations
13:48 back to Adam, God's very first human creation on 2 hands. He knew his family's infamous failings and betrayals as well. He knew that they were denied the
13:59 paradise of Eden because of those sins and that the difficult land around them was a part of the punishment. But he also knew that a handful of his ancestors had walked faithfully with God. In their
14:11 favor, there was joy and plenty. There were blessings found in the presence of God. His father was 1 of these men. Shem's grandfather said of Noah, this 1 will bring us
14:23 relief from the agonizing labor of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed. So in many ways, his father also had a lot to live up to.
14:36 God was set on destroying all living things save Noah and his family, Armed with very specific instructions which they had indeed carried out to the letter so far, the family would prepare to ride out this impending
14:48 destruction in an ark. This proclamation had loomed large over Shem's entire life. He'd been born into a world with an expiration date and all he had known was the
14:59 preparation for its preservation or so he hoped. He'd been living in expectation of this promise for so long it was hard to imagine it actually coming to fruition. It was not
15:11 as though Shem was surprised in learning God's disappointment with the world. There was certainly wickedness and deceitfulness at every turn. But the world was their home, and it was a unique challenge to be set apart in
15:22 the way that they were. Shem wanted desperately to have the faith of his father, to believe in the way that he did, but he did not feel comfortable expressing his vulnerabilities with others, even his
15:34 own family. It was far easier to disassociate from his feelings and throw himself into action, burying himself in work. And there was plenty to do. This was perhaps what drove the wedge
15:46 between his brothers and him. Shem performed his role as the champion of their father's faith with a deafness. Ham and Shem traversed the narrow road that cut out the main village,
15:58 passing well trodden paths that led to surrounding farms. The road meandered lazily around hills, as if not wanting to exert itself climbing over a steep rocky outcrop. Their
16:09 homestead was just around this next bend and even though he knew to expect the ark to be sitting in plain view of the road, it always seemed to catch him by surprise. Though it had sat there in various
16:21 states of readiness for the better part of 50 years, farmland turned shipyard. The gopher wood structure soared 45 feet into the air. Out of habit, Shem
16:33 looked around to see if fellow travelers were coming or going on the road. He never did get used to the open mouth stares the sight of the Ark warranted, as if they needed yet another reason to stand out amongst their
16:45 neighbors. It wasn't as if there weren't boats in the area. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers bookended either side of the valley their people called home. But their people were far from nautical.
16:57 Even the fishermen docked their vessels at night, never going far. The Ark God instructed Noah to build was quite the anomaly. It boasted 3 decks and was enclosed by a sturdy roof.
17:09 Noah and his sons had spent the better part of Shem's life building the Ark. They had constructed its hull, hill, bulkheads, bilge, and everything in between. They had been careful to
17:21 follow God's instructions of how large, what design, what wood to use, and how to use pitch and oil as a varnish to ensure it was waterproof. The construction of the
17:33 Ark had seen Shems becoming a man, taking a wife, and he had been sure it would see him becoming a father until his own father had announced a few weeks ago that it was time to begin
17:44 stocking the ark with food and preparing it for the duration of their stay. And so it seemed the day they had been long waiting for was finally here.
17:57 They'd built many rooms inside the ark, fashioning them to house various animals. This part of the plan always captured Shem's imagination, especially as a younger man. He wondered if
18:09 he and his brothers would need to go on a great hunt to track down their animal passengers, but all his musings were put to shame when they suddenly started showing up and placidly walked right up to the
18:21 ark. Shem's family simply had to shepherd them to the correct stall. By some strange miracle, their fear of humans and desire to consume or hunt 1 another was
18:32 absent. It began with familiar animals, donkeys, goats, cows, and sheep,
18:40 dogs, rabbits, doves, eagles, lizards, and boars.
18:47 Then came more exotic animals that had traveled a great distance. Ostriches, lions, bears, gazelle, elephants,
18:59 giraffes, apes, monkeys, and other strange animals Shem had never seen before. And as
19:06 the days stretched into a
19:08 week, the Ark became more and more crowded. It was a wonder that they had room for everyone and enough food for all. Shem knew now that their time on the Ark would be spent feeding and
19:20 caring for all the animals inhabiting a great task for only 8 people. Lost in his memory, Shem was abruptly brought back to the present by a familiar voice calling,
19:32 Shem,
19:33 Ham, you're back. Your father wants to mark the occasion with a blessing and a speech.
19:38 Shem grinned as he approached his wife, Anna, and greeted her warmly. Ham still fuming from the events from earlier entered the homestead without a word. Shem shook his head defeatedly in answer to
19:50 the inquisitive look on Anna's face. He and Anna were finally past the shyness and the newness of being newlyweds and had come to a strong foundation of friendship and
20:01 understanding. What would have been an entire conversation early in their marriage was now a familiar shorthand of looks and gestures that somehow seemed to go beyond the constraints of verbal speech.
20:13 She knew Shem's brothers and their dynamics, their antics, and especially Ham's moods. Anna's eyes narrowed and a look of amusement landed on her face as she observed her
20:25 sister-in-law, Yamima, greet her husband in a manner completely at odds with his sour mood. She sighed. She admired the younger woman's optimism. It was too bad her husband didn't share the same
20:37 admiration. Shem took on his hand as they walked toward the tent and he greeted Yemima, who quickly blinked away her disappointment, an easy smile replacing the frown that had clouded her face only
20:49 a fraction of a second earlier. Ham disappeared into the depths of the tent to go wash up before dinner without another word. Hurry up, the meal is about to be prepared. I still don't know why you had to go traipsing
21:00 into town to get your brother and on the eve of what's to come. We could have made use of both of your hands, I tell you, snapped Beulah, talking a mile a minute as she rounded up the couple and Yemima, practically
21:12 shooing them along. She was the eldest son's wife, but you'd have thought she married a king instead of a farmer with her bossy commanding demeanor. Shem stopped to wash up in the basin just inside the entrance
21:24 to the tent. And by the time he joined the family further inside the tent, Ham was already seated on the ground with their mother, Naama. He was undoubtedly recounting the events of the day, anticipating a sympathetic
21:36 ear. She listened patiently and seemed to be reacting in the exact manner Ham wanted. She sighed and frowned, mirroring Ham's animated gestures. Beulah
21:48 barked orders at Anna and Yemima as they assembled the meal on the mat in the center of the tent. The family would take their places, seated around the mat and began the meal once Noah blessed it.
21:59 Shem, Anna, Yemima, Beulah all took their seats just as Japheth stoically entered the tent. After he had methodically washed his hands, he sat at the right of
22:11 the head of the mat and curtly nodded to his wife. She returned in kind and Shem wondered if they would ever have the same easy friendship he and Anna shared. Father?
22:23 Beulah asked Japheth over Ham and Nama's side conversation. He is praying, answered Japheth. Matter of factly, when he is finished, he will come and join us. Beulah eyed the
22:35 steaming food and the bowls waiting on the mat in front of them, passing quiet judgment but didn't say anything. Beulah eyed the steaming food and the bowls waiting on the mat in front of them, passing quiet
22:47 judgment but didn't say anything. It wasn't anything grand as it was the last of the food they had on hand. Meat had been salted, fruit had been dried, and everything else that could be
22:58 kept reasonably well was already stored in their living area aboard the ark. But the meal in front of them was fresh. The aroma wafted over to Shem, causing his mouth to water. Just as he was
23:10 beginning to wonder how much longer his father would be, Noah briskly burst through the opening in the tent. He also washed his hands in the basin. He looked invigorated, energized by his time with God. Shem could
23:22 tell there was a pleased look under his great beard and eyebrows. He always marveled at the amount of time Noah could spend in silence praying and how it would fundamentally alter his mood. His entire
23:33 demeanor, really. Shem would end up letting his mind wander and wind up feeling groggy. The only other person in the family who could pray as long as Noah was Japheth, but he was as unexcitable as they come.
23:45 Noah took his place at the head of the mat, taking Nama's hand and kissing it. He then turned to Japheth.
23:53 He placed the gentle hand to
23:54 his cheek and beamed at him proudly. He then extended the gesture by turning and taking in all of them with a fond look. Noah then thanked God for their meal, prayed a blessing over his family, and then
24:06 they ate. After a few moments of a comfortable, satisfied silence as the family ate, the smile returned to Noah's face as he began.
24:16 Tomorrow marks the beginning of a great covenant with God. We have spent these long years preparing in faith for a promise yet to come. We've been toiling for harvest these long
24:28 seasons, and soon we shall see the yield of this crop. The naysayers around us have been laughing as we plant and prune in the dark. They do not see the ember of
24:40 hope the Lord has allowed me to glimpse. Indeed, they will not be here to see it. Yes, there will be hard days ahead. God's judgment will not be easy to
24:52 witness. Surely we will see his mighty hand at work, his justice carried out, but I urge you, do not forget his promise. His promise is
25:03 that spark of hope of which I speak. Do not forget it when the storms come, and do not forget it when the waters rise. Before we board the ark tomorrow, I want to take a moment and remind you of
25:15 God's faithfulness. Remember this, my children and my wife. Faith and hope go hand in hand. It is by remembering what God has
25:27 done that our faith builds, and it is by remembering his promise of what is to come that gives us hope. Before any of you children were born, God came and
25:39 told me about how the wickedness of the world grieved his heart. He told me that he would destroy it all, save my family and 2 of all living creatures. It was then
25:51 that I knew the preparations for this great mission would become my life's work, and as it has become yours as well. We began the construction of the ark when you 3 were old enough to
26:03 help me.
26:04 Noah paused to look at each of his 3 sons in the eyes in turn.
26:08 And though I know it has been a great burden to bear, you labored beside me just the same. It takes a strong man of great character to hold fast to his ideals when
26:20 everyone around you doubts, mocks, and seeks to deter you. I say all of this not to minimize the struggle it's been, just the opposite. I acknowledge
26:32 that I could have done a better job empathizing with your pain and confusion over the years. But all that to say, here we are now, and I could not be
26:44 prouder. Nama and I have had the pleasure of watching you grow and become honorable and faithful men. Welcoming your wives into our
26:55 family has similarly been a great joy and a momentous milestone as a father. I see now that you 6 children are the future hope, not only for
27:07 my line, but also for the world. I pray you will continue to remain true and that you will walk with God long after I'm gone, teaching your children to do the
27:19 same. You are the fresh start that the world needs. Wear that responsibility well, for the task will fall to no 1 else. And Nama,
27:31 last but certainly not least in my heart, thank you for being my steadfast partner all these years. You've brought me so much joy and
27:43 have been such a source of encouragement in my life. You have served your children and me well. I can think of no greater role model for our children.
27:55 Your faith in our mission has inspired me in the moments I doubted. I can barely express how much you mean to me.
28:05 Noah broke off, his voice stick with emotion. Nama tears streaming down her face reached out her hand to him and he held it as he gathered his thoughts to continue. His daughter in laws and Ham were similarly
28:16 moved. Shem had always envied how freely Ham could express his feelings. Whether in anger or in sentimentality, you always knew where Ham stood. Pragmatic and forceful though she
28:28 was, Beulah always softened in the presence of her father-in-law. She had a great deal of respect for him, and his praise for their family visibly lifted our spirits. Even Japheth was
28:40 displaying rare emotion. He took steadying breaths and discreetly wiped tears away. Several of them did manage to get past him, disappearing into his beard. Shem took in all of their reactions
28:52 and couldn't help but let the familial pride wash over him. Despite their scrapes and their doubts, these were his people. He felt stirred by his father's speech.
29:04 He had no idea until that very moment how much his father's admiration meant to him. Noah cleared his throat and continued. Now you all know how long winded I am,
29:15 but there isn't much more to say other than this. God has provided instructions for us, and we have obeyed. We have followed every command to the best of our
29:27 abilities. God brought the animals to us and entrusted them into our care. Now they are all securely aboard the ark, and the only thing left for us to do is go
29:39 and join them. Rest well tonight, my children, and remember this moment and these lessons well. The world will look very different in the morning.
29:55 Day 1. Morning unfurled with frenzied anticipation. Eager orange and pink sun rays beating back the dim grays and blues of night. The sun hurled itself over
30:07 the distant ridge and into the sky in no time. Silence hung in the air, interrupted only by the occasional muffled crow of a rooster from deep within the walls of the ark. The family
30:19 busied themselves with last minute preparations, each seemingly lost in their individual thoughts. The expectation of what the day would bring hung heavy in the air. Shem eyed the horizon curiously. He could
30:31 see threatening rain clouds steadily drifting closer to the homestead from the west. They seemed to be coming to meet the dawn head on. The dazzling dichotomy of the light and the dark poised in the morning sky
30:43 seemed ominous for what Shem knew lay ahead. Noah noticed it too and stiffened without uttering a word. His shift in body language gained everyone's notice. Wordlessly, they picked up
30:55 the pace of their tasks and began making their way toward the ark for the very last time. His brothers carried crates with blankets, bedding, and cookware. His sisters in law, wife, and mother
31:06 had packs slew across their shoulders with produce, dried meats, and fruit, all that was left of their lives in their home. Noah stood in the doorway of the ark facing the oncoming clouds with an
31:18 assured look on his face. Confidence, it seemed, returned to his face once aboard the ark. Shim walked up the ramp, bringing up the rear. He returned and followed his
31:30 father's gaze. The clouds were darkening and stretching to fill the entire sky now. It was as if they slowed their forward march to fill all the existing space in the west before advancing. Dense
31:42 and heavy with rain, the shadow of clouds fought back the blossoming morning sun coming from the east. Dropping his eye line, Shem looked down at the now empty tents and pins on their
31:53 homestead. Clouded in darkness, it all seemed a hollow reminder of the lifetime spent within those structures. Somehow, that recognition made it easier for Shem to turn and pull his eyes
32:05 away as Noah placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Shem turned and Noah reassuringly smiled at him. Noah and Shem then turned together to face the rest of the family crowded at the entrance
32:17 to the ark. They too were taking in the last few moments of their home. Still no words were spoken among them, but they all took in the significance of the moment. This was the end,
32:29 but it was also the beginning. Noah then spoke to his sons,
32:34 come and help me pull the door shut.
32:36 The men strained to pull the great door closed. The wood groaned and screeched as they tugged handle on the back of the door. Ham and Japheth even slipped their fingers through to the other side to pull
32:48 along the door itself. Worried looks were exchanged as it became clear the door may not close flush to its opening. Just as they stepped back to take a moment to regroup before trying again, a great
33:00 wind, almost like a giant invisible hand came and pushed the door closed with a sense of finality. Relief washed over them as they inspected the edges of the door. It was
33:12 perfectly sealed. God, it seemed, had shut them safely inside. The next 40 days,
33:24 high above Noah's family and high above the ark, clouds finally closed the gap in the sky. Rain clouds now covered the expanse of the great sky. They covered the entire earth.
33:36 The first drops of rain came careening down and landed on the roof of the ark. As suddenly as it began, a chorus of raindrops began falling upon the land and everything on the earth's
33:48 surface like unending and unrelenting applause. Out in the fields, towns, and even the great stone cities, men, women, and beasts shrunk away from
34:00 this mysterious rain. It came out of nowhere. Not a wisp of a cloud had been seen the day or the evening before. Running with shirts and cloaks, covering their heads, and
34:11 using their hands to shield their eyes from the downpour, they sought shelter in their homes or in their towers. Animals sought the refuge of their burrows or in trees or under rocks, rocks, anything that would give them
34:23 protection from the rain. The unyielding rain fell in long sheets that seemed to extend straight down from the sky. There was no wind to blow the rain off its course. Nothing prevented the droplets
34:35 from reaching their target below. A perfectly still world with vertical columns of rain showering its surface. The clouds stood fixed in the sky and fired a ceaseless assault
34:47 upon the earth. Opaque, impenetrable forces that blocked out the light, preventing the day from ever truly beginning. The ground eagerly soaked
34:58 up the rain at first. The trees and other vegetation drank long and deep, but the rain kept coming. Soon deep puddles formed on the ground, and the plant life began
35:10 to drown, the water choking out their life. In the settlements, rain streamed off of the roofs collecting in puddles on the streets below. Out in the fields, runoff found its way to streams
35:22 and rivers. Tiny puddles and ponds expanded rapidly, and when they outgrew their bonds, they left in search of a larger body of water in which to collect. Up in the
35:34 hills, it was the same. Lakes and rivers overflowing at a steady rate. Man made and natural dams began to swell and buckle at the weight of the water lapping over the
35:46 edges. Water sloshed out over the tops of these structures and rushed over, compelled ever downward. At high elevations where there were no such structures, water simply threw
35:57 itself over cliffs and hills, desperate to make its way into the valleys below. When water met civilization in the valley floor below, it showed no mercy. Water united into new rivers
36:09 that wound their way over fields, washing away tents, pens, and fencing. All that man had erected was swiftly wiped away. Generations of building a home and
36:21 a livelihood mattered little to the charging force that was the river. Where there were towns and cities, deep river banks were cut by the water, following through the streets' natural path,Show more
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