7. Noah and his wife faced what challenge in protecting their sons from the vile influences of the day?

⁷ Imagine trying to raise a family in such a world! Yet, Noah did so. He found a good wife. After Noah turned 500 years of age, his wife bore him three sons​—Shem, Ham, and Japheth.a Together, the parents had to protect their boys from the vile influences surrounding them. Little boys tend to be filled with awe and admiration for “mighty ones” and “men of fame”​—and the Nephilim were just that. Noah and his wife could hardly shield the children from every report about the exploits of those giants, but they could teach the appealing truth about Jehovah God, the one who hates all wickedness. They had to help their boys see that Jehovah felt hurt by the violence and rebellion in the world.​—Gen. 6:6.

8. How can wise parents today imitate the example of Noah and his wife?

⁸ Parents today may well sympathize with Noah and his wife. Our world is likewise poisoned by violence and rebelliousness. Cities are often dominated by gangs of wayward youths. Even entertainment directed at young children may be saturated with violent themes. Wise parents do all they can to counter such influences by teaching their children about the God of peace, Jehovah, who will one day bring all violence to an end. (Ps. 11:5; 37:10, 11) Success is possible! Noah and his wife succeeded. Their boys grew up to be good men, and they married wives who were likewise willing to put the true God, Jehovah, first in their lives.

13. What aspect of Noah’s work may have been more challenging than ark-building, and how did people respond to it?

¹³ As the years passed and the ark took shape, Noah must have been so glad to have the support of his family! There was another aspect to the work that might have been even more challenging than ark-building. The Bible tells us that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness.” (Read 2 Peter 2:5.) So he courageously took the lead in trying to warn the people of that wicked, godless society about the destruction that was heading their way. How did they respond? Jesus Christ later recalled that time, saying that those people “took no note.” He said that they were so caught up in the affairs of daily life​—eating, drinking, and marrying—​that they paid no heed to Noah. (Matt. 24:37-39) No doubt many ridiculed him and his family; some may have threatened him and violently opposed him. They may even have tried to sabotage the construction project.

14. What can Christian families today learn from Noah and his family?

¹⁴ Yet, Noah and his family never quit. Even though they lived in a world that was geared toward making their primary pursuit in life seem trivial, misguided, or foolish, they still kept at it faithfully. Christian families today can thus learn a great deal from the faith of Noah and his family. After all, we live in what the Bible calls “the last days” of this world system of things. (2 Tim. 3:1) Jesus said that our era would be just like the era in which Noah built the ark. If the world reacts to the message about God’s Kingdom with apathy, ridicule, or even persecution, Christians do well to remember Noah. They are not the first to face such challenges.