4. Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6-9)

Years passed and humanity grew greatly, but unfortunately, selfishness and violence grew as well. The world became filled with wickedness and people forgot about God, living as if others did not exist. The Bible says that God was "grieved to the heart" seeing what His creation had become. However, in the midst of all that darkness, there was a man named Noah who was different. He was a righteous person who walked with God and tried to do good. Therefore, God decided to give humanity a second chance through him.

God warned Noah that a great flood would cleanse the earth and asked him to build a gigantic wooden ark. Imagine the scene: Noah building a huge boat in the middle of dry land, probably enduring the mockery of his neighbors who did not understand anything. But Noah trusted God and worked with patience. He took his family and pairs of all animals into the ark so that life could start anew. When the rains began, they were not a normal storm; it was as if the floodgates of the heavens were opened. The water covered everything, reminding us that without God, the world returns to chaos.

After a long time floating in the silence of the ocean, Noah released a dove that returned with an olive branch in its beak: there was dry land! When they finally left the ark, the first thing Noah did was give thanks to God. Then something beautiful happened: God placed a rainbow in the sky. That rainbow was not just a natural phenomenon, but a "signature" or a contract of friendship. God promised that He would never again destroy the earth and that He would always care for us. It was a new beginning, a second chance for human beings to learn to live in peace and harmony with the Creator and nature.