In Genesis 7, God warned Noah of an impending flood that would destroy all of humanity, as well as every breathing thing on the face of the earth. He gave Noah 120 years to build an ark, and only those within the ark would be spared the wrath of God's judgment. Noah builds the ark and then came the flooding deluge. In Genesis 8, Noah and his family ride out the tribulational waters, but eventually, after several months, the waters recede. Noah keeps checking to see when the ground was dry enough to exit the ark. Finally, after over a year on the ark, God instructs Noah, his family, and all the animals to leave. They were commanded, as Adam and Eve were, to "be fruitful and multiply on the earth." It was a re-creational moment. A new beginning for humanity. Noah's first act, though, was to worship God, which led God to covenant with Noah that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood. Why? Because God knew that "the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth," which is an indictment in itself, given the infection and influence that sin would still have over the human race. In the meantime, as long as the earth remains, "seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease" (Gen. 8:22).