And it’s time for another Jesse Tree devotional! This time, it’s going to be Noah’s story — which is one of the most popular Old Testament stories out there. In fact, it’s one of the first biblical stories that are introduced to children, partly because it makes such a great toy. Matching animals… a giant boat. It’s practically designed for a toy!
Our Noah’s Ark toy! Since it’s basically a requirement that every family with small children must have a toy of this type.
So, there are many people who have a child-like understanding of the story of Noah since they played with the toys. And so, the story of Noah’s Ark is kind of a cute story to many people who have left the faith.
Of course, if you stop to think about it — I mean, really stop to think about it — it is actually quite a morbid story. And the artwork definitely gets morbid. So, a huge warning to you before you start reading this story:
It’s not just cute animals marching into the Ark.
In fact, it gets pretty dark at parts.
And so, here is the ornament:
A pretty rainbow, made by yours truly! Crochet pattern is here, just in case you would like to make it yourself.
A rainbow, depicting the God’s promise to never destroy the entire world again!
Now, let’s read the scripture behind this symbol..
Noah
The Great Flood, by Adam Elsheimer, c. 1599-1600. Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany.
Noah’s Ark, by Roelant Savery, c. 1628, National Museum in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Construction of Noah’s Ark, by Jan Luyken, c. 1688-90. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Construction of Noah’s Ark, by Nicolas Bertin, c. 1685. Private collection.
The Entry of the Ark, by Jan Bruegel the Elder, c. 1613. J. Paul Getty Center, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Noah: The Eve of the Deluge, by John Linnell, c. 19th century. Cleveland Art Museum, Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
The Animals Entering Noah’s Ark, by Jacopo Bassano, c. 1570s. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.
Noah’s Ark, by Edward Hicks, c. 1846. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
The Deluge, by John Martin, c. 1834. Yale Center for British Art, New Haven Connecticut, United States.
The Deluge, by Francis Danby, c. 1840. Tate Britain, London, United Kingdom.
Noah’s Ark Afloat, by Juan Gerson, c. 1562. Temple of the Franciscan Ex-Convent of La Asunción de Nuestra Señora, Tecamachalco, Puebla, Mexico.
The Subsiding of the Waters of the Deluge, by Thomas Cole, c. 1829. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C., United States.
The Dove Returns to Noah, by James Tissot, c. 1896-1902. Jewish Museum, New York, New York, United States.
The Sacred Dove: An Allegory of the Flood, by Pieter Casteels III, c. 1721. Private collection.
Noah’s Ark on the Mount Arabat, by Simon de Myle, c. 1570. Private collection.
Thanksgiving After Leaving the Ark, by Domenico Morelli, c. 1901. Private collection.
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Okay, okay! I admit it… I might have gone a little overboard in illustrating this particular scripture. Anyway, come back for tomorrow, in which I promise you a shorter reading. 🙂
Karina Tabone is a wife, mother of four, author, blogger, and lover of Christian artwork. She's the author of the Illustrated Rosary series, which pairs every prayer of the Rosary with beautiful religious artwork. She likes also milkshakes, sunshine, and mystery novels. Follow her on Twitter at @illustr_prayer.
