Covenant with Noah
key words
biblical reference
Genesis 6:5-9:17
lesson objective
To understand what a covenant is through the relationship between God and Noah, and that by knowing that God keeps his promises, strengthening their trust in him
memory verse
“ʻThough the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,ʼ says the Lord, who has compassion on youʺ (Isaiah 54:10, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Most preadolescents in your group have already heard Noah’s story and the flood. The ark and the animals intrigued them. They enjoyed knowing why God put the rainbow in the sky. But still, there is still much to appreciate from this important story.
The rainbow was a sign of the covenant that God established with Noah and with all living creatures. It symbolized the promise that God will never again destroy all living beings with a flood.
This lesson will help students understand the true meaning of a covenant. They’ll learn that it is a gift from God, which includes an invitation to live in a proper relationship with the Lord. He creates, designs, and offers all people a relationship based on an agreement. In response, we decide to love him. The preadolescents will discover in the following lessons that God’s people decided to obey him as their part in the established covenant.
Some preadolescents feel so disappointed in certain friends or role models that they imitate that it is hard for them to accept the truth that God keeps his promises. These Bible studies show us that God is always faithful to them and will help your students grasp the concept that the Lord is trustworthy.
biblical commentary
For a proper understanding of this lesson, we must understand the meaning of the word “covenant.” Generally, when we think of a covenant, we refer only to the terms of a “contract” or “agreement.”
A contract is a document that expresses what is expected of each person who signs it and legally binds them. It is established by mutual desire and benefits both parties.
An agreement is an understanding reached between two people, but it is not always legally binding. It is informal, usually established orally and is beneficial for both people.
Although a covenant can include aspects of both, it is much more than a contract or a simple agreement. It is a permanent promise made by one person to another. For example, a marriage is a covenant. A Dictionary of the Bible & Christian Doctrine (Eby, Lyons & Truesdale 2004) says: “Marriage is the relationship of a man and a woman as husband and wife. They vow to be faithful to each other for life.” Spouses often promise to love each other in good times and in bad times, whether in wealth or poverty, and in sickness and health.
In the five lessons of this unit, we’ll see that God makes two different types of covenants. In the first, the covenant that God established with Noah before the flood is a promise: to save him, a righteous man, and his family and other creatures. Noah’s responsibility was to obey God and build the ark. After the flood, God made a second covenant with him and with all creation, which was real without conditions. In this covenant, the Lord promised never to destroy the earth with water again. The rainbow was a visible sign set by God as a seal and a reminder for him and his creation that he would keep his word forever.
Through that covenant between God and his creation, we experience his love. He loves us so much that he is willing to extend his commitment to us through a sealed promise or covenant.
In the same way, when we convert and ask Jesus to come into our hearts, we establish a covenant with God. We promise him that we’ll love him regardless of the circumstances that happen in our lives. We promise that the relationship with him will be based on mutual love and respect. And he, in turn, promises to help and protect us. Our responsibility to him is loyalty and obedience.
As we study the covenants or promises that God made to his people through Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, we’ll see that this commitment of love from God remained throughout history.
In the final lesson of this unit, we’ll study a new and always valid covenant established through the Son of God himself: Jesus Christ. His faithfulness to us does not change, and our best response to that covenant relationship is to love him with everything we are and decide to always obey him.
introduce the lesson
What is a covenant?
Ask your students what they think a covenant is. Hand out Student Activity Sheet #383-A (What Is A Covenant?). Tell them to circle the figures they think represent covenants.
Ask: “Which figures did you mark?” Ask them to point them out. “Why did you choose those figures? Who are involved in those agreements? What do you think was promised in each one?”
Ask them to write down their definition of the word “covenant.” Then, ask them to read what they wrote. Do not give them the definition yet since they’ll discuss it later in this lesson. Use this activity to determine their current understanding of that word.
Say: “Today you’ll learn what covenants are, who makes them, and what they mean. While listening to the Bible story, you will try to discover what a covenant is, who makes them, and why they do it.”
teach the lesson
Noah’s story
Invite a man from the congregation to tell today’s Bible story. Encourage him to dress in biblical costume to portray the character of Noah. Allow your guest to use Student Activity Sheet #383-B and #383-C to tell Noah’s story. He can start this way: “Hello, my name is Noah. I want to tell you about the most important event of my life that changed the world!” Encourage the man to tell the story and instead of reading it. Allow the guest to continue telling the story in the first person. He can use the following as a conclusion:
“Now, every time you see a rainbow in the sky, you’ll be able to remember my story––the story of Noah––and how God saved me from the great flood. And even more, when you look at the rainbow, you’ll know that it has a deep meaning: God makes covenants with people, wonderful promises that help us know and follow him.”
Thank your visitor for coming. Ask your group: “What did you learn, or were reminded of, in today’s Bible story?”
A covenant for everyone
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #383-B and #383-C to the group. Read it or let some of the students do it out loud.
After the story, review the main points with your students. Ask these questions:
Who made the covenant with Noah and why? (God, because Noah loved him.)
Who was included in that covenant? (Every living creature of that time, and all the generations that would come.)
What is the sign of that covenant? (Rainbow)
What did he promise? (That God would never again destroy the earth with a flood.)
connect the lesson
Which Part Belongs to Whom?
Make sure each student has a copy of Student Activity Sheet #383-C. Tell them: “In a covenant, the two who establish it must do certain things.” Read the sentences that appear here and decide who should fulfill each part, God or Noah. Allow time for them to write down their answers on their activity sheets. Then, read each sentence and ask a volunteer to tell who had to do each part.
Ask: “What was the most important thing Noah should do?” (Listen to and obey God.)
“What did Noah do whenever God spoke to him?” (He listened to and obeyed God.) Have the students fill in the blanks.
“In the covenant Noah made with God, what was his part?” (Love God, listen to him, and obey him.)
“What is the covenant that God made with his people?” (To love them and take care of them.)
“When we love God and serve him, we make a covenant. That means we decide to develop a relationship with him and do what he wants us to do, knowing that we can trust that he is always faithful to his promises.”
Transform them into truth
This activity will help students gain practice in using the Bible. Make sure each child has one. Or if you divide into small groups or pairs, make sure each small group has a Bible. All the sentences below are false. Allow your students to take a look at each one and change the phrase to true. Lead them to open the first book of the Bible: Genesis. It will be easy for them to find the various chapters and verses.
Say: “The phrases I’m going to read to you are not true. I want you to change them so that they become true?” Read the first sentence and ask if anyone knows how it can be corrected. If anyone says yes, give the students the opportunity to respond. Then, read the reference passage and allow another student to look for it to check the accuracy of the response. If no one knows it, look directly at the passage. Allow the first student to find it to read the correct answer. You can also divide into small groups or pairs, having them compete with each other to find each passage and answer the questions in the shortest possible time.
The names of Noah’s three sons were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Genesis 6:10).
God told Noah how to build the cedar ark (Genesis 6:14-16).
The Lord told Noah to take his family and get into the ark because Noah was afraid (Genesis 7:1).
Noah refused to obey the Lord (Genesis 7:5).
It rained for 20 days and 20 nights (Genesis 7:12).
Water flooded the earth for 100 days (Genesis 7:24).
The ark landed on Mount Sinai (Genesis 8:4).
Noah released a parrot and a raven (Genesis 8:6- 7).
Say: “After today’s story, let’s always remember the covenant that God made after the flood. The rainbow reminds us that he always keeps his promises.”
practice the memory verse
Present the new verse of the month, Isaiah 54:10, using Student Activity Sheet #383-D. Read the passage to the students, and then read it together several times. Say: “What does this verse tell us about God? (That he never changes; that you can trust him.) What are God’s promises to us?” (His love does not fail; he has compassion for his people.)
Have the students fill in the blanks, writing in their names to customize the verse. Tell them to take the sheet to their home and place it in a prominent place to memorize the text more easily.
wrap-up
Pray
To end today’s session, guide your students in a silent prayer. First, give the directions. Then, wait about two minutes while each one silently prays. Say: “Thank God for his love and for making a covenant with us.” (pause) “Thank God for his promise to never destroy the earth with a flood.” (pause) “Tell God how much you love him.” (pause) “Thank you, Lord, for loving us and providing the way for us to have a love relationship with you. Amen.”
Encourage
Thank the children for their participation in today’s session and return any of their items so they get to take it home.
Invite
Say something of interest about the next session to encourage the students to attend and to invite friends.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™