Noah in the New Testament

Noah is mentioned in the New Testament? Yes! Noah has a big foot print! As  I’ve been saying, Noah is an important person in the Scriptures.

Matthew 24:37-39 
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

First, why is he called ‘Noe’ instead of Noah? The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and in Hebrew his name is Noach (No’akh); in Greek this is written Νωε (No-eh) which is transliterated Noe. Fun stuff!

Second, Jesus obviously regards both Noah and the flood as historical. Why do I keep repeating this? Because all around us we are told it is only a myth, yet every time Noah and the flood are mentioned in Scripture, the assumption is he and it were historical.

Third, Jesus says there is something about the days of Noah that correspond to the second coming. As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. What would that be?

before the flood they were eating and drinking… until the day Noe entered the ark – They didn’t believe the preaching, the warning, or even what they saw with their eyes (Noah building the ark), consequently they were living as they always had, as if they had 500 years. 

knew now until the flood came – “Tomorrow will be the same as today. Next weekend we’ll go to the mountains or to the game;” somehow, totally unaware the flood was coming.

and took them all away – Ignorance is not bliss and it is no excuse. They knew not yet the flood came and took them all away.

so shall also the coming of the Son of man be – "Whatever was normal yesterday, will be normal today; whatever is normal today we will do tomorrow." They are unprepared for the coming of the Son of man. They don’t believe what we’ve been telling them so they know not. All this cries out, We must tell them Jesus is coming! Christians, we must ask ourselves, Do we believe he is coming? Are we living ready?

Luke 3:36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,

This is simply the genealogy of Jesus, but it presents Noah as historical as Abraham and David. If Noah is a mythical character, Jesus is thereby disqualified to be Christ. There are always consequences for unbelief.

Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
This is the same as in Matthew.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

This is powerful. (‘Noah’ is the same Greek word as “Noe’ in the gospels; no idea why the KJV translators did this.) Noah is an example of faith - in him we see how faith works.

Noah being warned of God – First, Noah heard the Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

moved with fear – Second, he believed what God said.

prepared an ark – Genuine, saving faith always results in appropriate action. If you believe in Christ, you will be baptized. If you believe in Christ, you will begin to do what He says. If you believe Christ is coming again, you will prepare your heart and life. How do we know Noah believed God? He did what God said, Build an ark.

heir of the righteousness which is by faith – This is big. Noah was right with God because he believed God, not because of what he did. And he did a lot! He was indeed a righteous man, but it all sprang from his faith in God, every act and work.

1 Peter 3:18-22
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;  
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.  
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:  
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

eight souls were saved by water – He means by means of water. The water was not the agent of salvation - the water was the judgment of God. The ark was the agent of salvation - all the people outside the ark were taken away. The people in the ark went through the water to a new world. The water was judgment to one and a new world to another.

the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us - by like figure he means,"a thing resembling another, its counterpart; something in the Messianic times which answers to the type"*. What the flood was to Noah, baptism is to us. He was saved by water, we are saved by water. I know this is controversial, but it is clearly what Peter is saying. However, just as in Noah’s day the water was the agent of judgment, so is baptism today. Noah needed to be in the ark in order to be safely carried to the new world by the water. What is our ark? Christ. Who suffered for sins that he might bring us to God; Who is the power of salvation by the resurrection from the dead. We must believe in Christ in order for the waters of baptism to safely carry us to the new world.

As Watchman Nee explains, “Entering into the ark, Noah and those with him stepped by faith out of that old corrupt world into a new one. It was not so much that they were personally not drowned, but that they were out of that corrupt system. That is salvation.
Then Peter goes on: "Which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism" (verse 21). In other words, by that aspect of the Cross which is figured in baptism you are delivered from this present evil world, and, by your baptism in water, you confirm this. It is baptism "into his death", ending one creation ; but it is also baptism "into Christ Jesus", having in view a new one (Rom. 6:3). You go down into the water and your world, in figure, goes down with you. You come up in Christ, but your world is drowned.”+

2 Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

In the context of chapter 2 Peter is saying Noah is a perfect example of this truth: (2:9) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

2 Peter 3:3-7 Does not mention Noah by name, but does speak of the flood as an example of people who are “willingly ignorant” of the coming judgment of God.

Noah. And the flood. This flood was a pivotal event in the history of the world and Noah was a key figure in Genesis. Noah was righteous, whole-hearted, and walked with God. He was a man of faith and patience. Isaiah and Ezekiel emphasize his righteousness; Jesus tells us he and the flood are an example and warning concerning His second coming; Hebrews highlights his faith; Peter says the water of baptism is the counterpart of the waters of the flood – get in the Ark and be carried to safety. There is much to be learned from Noah. And the flood.

* Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon
+ The Normal Christian Life