Noah a Preacher of Righteousness?

by Spoletta 36 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Spoletta
    Spoletta

    During the Watchtower study today, I browsed Genesis and looked for evidence of Noah ever preaching to anyone. From what I could glean from the scriptures, it was a foregone conclusion that Noah's family would be it on the Ark.(unless they towed some rafts behind) My wife says that building the Ark could be considered a witness of his faith to the wicked world, but that seems kind of lame to me.

    So, should I just assume that God decided not to give anyone else a chance for redemption? It seems kind of unfair, when you consider the amount of time it took to build the Ark. Shouldn't Noah be held somewhat responsible for not making more of an effort?

    I just say this because many of the comments today tried to tie in the Door to Door ministry with Noah's example and I just couldn't see it.

  • wizzstick
    wizzstick

    Genesis 6:

    18 And I am establishing my covenant with you, and you must go into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

    21 For your part, you are to collect and take with you every kind of food to eat, to serve as food for you and for the animals.

    So there was only going to be food for the the animals and 'you' which, from V.18, means Noah and his family. No consideration was made for extra food for any who might repent.

    There was never any hope for pre-flood mankind. It was a forgone conclusion that God would wipe them all out. Noah's preaching wasn't of hope - it was a judgment message.

    When I was in the process of leaving an elder came round and tried to use the story of Noah and his preaching work to encourage me. When I pointed out about there only being enough foood for Noah and family he went very quiet!

  • smiddy
    smiddy

    Correct me if I am wrong but their is no scripture that suggests Noah or any of his family ever went to the homes of anyone preaching any message of hope for them if they followed his course

    The "witness" noah gave was not a preaching work he did only his building an Ark to save only his family and animals.

  • anointed1
    anointed1

    Noah's flood has always been a fairy tale for me. Noah and his family loaded 8.7 millions of species (some as pairs and others as group of seven) in seven days. Wouldn't that be in a lightning speed?

  • blondie
    blondie

    New International Version 2 Peter 2:5
    if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

    Reporting not supporting but here are some comments by non-jws


    A Silent Preacher and His Faith

    In 2 Peter 2:5, Noah is described as a “preacher of righteousness.” In what way was he a preacher? The Greek word kerux (κηρυξ) refers to a herald, or “one who announces.” Even when he wasn’t saying anything, his labor on the Ark would have been his witness. However, some Jewish scholars maintain that Noah did indeed leave some words, too. John Gill, in chapter 22 of the Pirke R. Eliezer, quotes Noah’s words according to Jewish tradition: “Be ye turned from your evil ways and works, lest the waters of the flood come upon you, and cut off all the seed of the children of men.”

    https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/noah/the-evangelist/

    Q. I've heard it taught that Noah warned the world about the flood, but I can't find that in the Bible. On the contrary, Jesus says in Matthew 24 that the flood was a surprise to the world. Why do people believe Noah warned the earth?

    A. The Biblical record provides only a glimpse of Noah's activities in the days leading up the flood, and most of the narrative in Genesis is focused on his work in building the ark. Nevetheless, we can make a reasonable assumption that Noah preached about the coming flood to his neighbors and community during the 100 years required to complete the ark.

    First, we know from Genesis 6 that Noah was a blameless man, which means he lived a godly lifestyle before others. Furthermore, 2Peter 2 tells us Noah was a preacher of righteousness:

    2Pet. 2:5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

    Knowing that Noah was a preacher proclaiming God's truth in some form to the people of his day and given his godly character, we can assume Noah preached about the approaching flood and the need to repent. Furthermore, offering the world such a warning would be in keeping with God's character, since God typically gives opportunity for repentance prior to His judgments.

    If Noah did warn the world, the world obviously chose to ignore his warnings, because the Bible teaches that the world was taken by surprise when the flood came. The fact that the world was caught off guard by the flood does not prove that Noah never preached concerning the coming judgment. It only tells us that the world paid no attention to the warnings.

    http://www.versebyverseministry.org/bible-answers/did_noah_warn_the_world_about_the_coming_flood

  • Spoletta
    Spoletta
    Some good points, but as this commentary says, we can only make assumptions from what is stated in the Bible. It is telling, however, that the dimensions of the Ark were set before Noah began building it, which seems to indicate that God didn't have much faith in Noah's preaching ability.
  • blondie
    blondie

    The WTS uses many weasel words:

    Likely

    We can assume

    From this we can imply

    etc.

  • anointed1
    anointed1

    The fact that the world was caught off guard

    shows there was no preaching!

    Because,

    about people who continue their habit of smoking even after the warning seen on the cigarette packet, we will not say they were “caught off guard” when succumbed to cancer.

  • prologos
    prologos

    wt always made a difference between preaching (warning) and disciple-making work, aka bible study. Noah was not trying to make disciples. at best perhaps trying to recruit people to help him, that, with a false hope of salvation through works. That what wt does. free labor for the non-existing hope of salvation.

    Noah and Jesus were wood workers, If you have ever worked manually with wood, even when not using dull bronze age handtools, all day long, day in and day out, you will do little else. (Jesus quit it to do the preaching)

    The preaching is more believable than the joinery to lift elephants above everest.

  • wizzstick
    wizzstick

    If Noah did warn the world, the world obviously chose to ignore his warnings, because the Bible teaches that the world was taken by surprise when the flood came.

    Thanks Blondie - interesting read.

    The writer misses the same point. Noah was told to take food for only the animals and 'you' - him and his family.

    God obviously decided that they'd be the only ones who would survive, so what would be the point in 'warning' people even though if any repented there was no food in the Ark for them?

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