Noah's Ark in Milan

Brian and I went to Milan, Italy this past weekend. The trip was mainly to visit Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper" but we were not able to photograph the beautifully restored painting. We were, however, able to take some photos inside a chapel that had been painted by unknown artists. Usually frescoes are not as vibrantly maintained/restored as these. Also, the subject matter is more often scenes involving Jesus, Mary, angels, the Apostles, etc. Rarely do we get to see Noah's ark. I loved the vibrancy and detail of these three...especially the first one, where all the animals are lined up, two by two. This is usually the scene in Children's Bibles and Bible stories, the happy-go-lucky animals.
We rarely see scenes such as this one, where the people are caught up in the despair of a flood. It is a very sobering reminder of the importance of listening to and obeying God. Afterward, we have a picture of God's promise, never to flood the entire earth again. The peace of the dove and the rainbow are a stark contrast to the unfortunate destruction, seen laying below in the newly carved out valley. I wonder what it was like, stepping of the ark, knowing you had a fresh start on the earth? I can't imagine the responsibility of it all. The complete narrative of Noah's Ark can be found in Genesis chapters 6-9.



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