The Lord told Noah how he would cause all the people and animals living on earth to die. He would send a flood of water over the earth. That flood of water would ensure that no human and animal would have a chance to escape death. Everything on the earth would be under water. The condition of Genesis 1:2 will return for a time. The word used here for a flood of waters
is also read in Psalm 29:10. The Lord shows that he is the almighty God and King in sending this flood of water. He will not be mocked.
Yet this flood did not mean the end of God’s creation and of the man he made in his image. Over against the great destruction, the Lord established his covenant with Noah. It was the continuation of the covenant he made with Adam. The flood that was coming is the covenant punishment that came upon all mankind.
The promise of the Lord was that he now wanted to save his creation and mankind through Noah and his family. It could only happen through obedience to the Lord. It could only happen when Noah entered the ark in obedience to God.
It was not only Noah and his family who had to enter the ark. One male and one female of each species of animal had to enter the ark, from the smallest to the largest. Creation was to be preserved in its great richness and variety.
Noah also needed to ensure that there was sufficient food in the ark. They and the animals would need to stay in the ark for more than a year. Noah again showed that he was righteous and blameless. He did what the Lord commanded him, even though the people around him said he was crazy.
17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.