Noah and His Family Leave the Ark
Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.
After patiently waiting for the land to dry, Noah and his family were finally able to leave the ark—over a year after he entered it. Echoing His original command to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28, God commanded Noah to release the animals, “so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth” (verse 17). These animals that were preserved through the Flood are the progenitors of all the varieties of animal species we see on earth today. Later, God gave the same command to Noah’s family (Genesis 9:1).
Imagine the feeling of joy and relief that Noah and his family felt as they exited the ark! They had a fresh start and were now able to begin the process of replenishing mankind. They probably felt a weight on their shoulders to do things righteously and get humanity restarted on the right foot. But likely these feelings of hope and opportunity were also mixed with much sadness—realizing that the world and people they had known were now dead.
Noah knew they would live again—in a better world. But now it was his responsibility to help rebuild a better world after the Flood.
To learn more about the book of Genesis, read our article introducing Genesis.
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “Tears to Joy.”
