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Myths About the Bible: Noah was Mocked?: The Fight Against Apathy

I’ve seen someone mention it in a Facebook post. I’ve heard more than one famous preacher pound the point:

‘There was Noah, in faith, building the ark. The world was mocking, “What are you doing Noah? You’re crazy Noah!” Noah was being ridiculed and laughed at, but he just kept on building.’

The problem is that you won’t find this anywhere in the Bible – not a whiff. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Noah was mocked.

I remember several years ago, after hearing a very famous preacher hammering away about Noah being mocked and relating it to persecution, and how everyone who obeys God will be mocked, I got out of my car, went straight into the house, pulled up BibleWorks, and did an exhaustive word search on ‘Noah.’ I couldn’t find one mention of him being mocked. I’ve read the Bible cover to cover many times since then and still haven’t found it.

In fact, if you consider Jesus’ words about Noah, this was likely not the case at all:

  • Matthew 24:37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

The fact of the matter is that the people of Noah’s day didn’t realize what was happening. They were too busy with other things to really care even if they did. That’s the point of Christ’s words. And so it goes with the ungodly. They continue not to care.

Now there are those who are mocking God’s people to be sure. But the fact that they were not mocking in the days of Noah should be an encouragement to us in some sense. As a preacher, this is encouraging. There was Noah, setting Christ before the world in the form of a type or shadow in the ark. And the world was indifferent. Preachers learn quickly that it is apathy, rather than ridicule, that gets to you. You can fight ridicule. It is hard to fight apathy. Indifference is one of our great enemies, and it has always been this way.

  • Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

If we are to get a ‘moral’ from Noah, it is that we must persevere through apathy. Will we be mocked as Christians? I don’t doubt it. But more often people just won’t care. We must stand, even if we stand alone and no one cares, or even notices, that we are standing. God cares, and that is what matters. The world doesn’t care if we are becoming heirs of the righteousness that comes through faith. Yet we stand forgiven.

24 comments

  1. Richard says:

    Proverbs 14:9 says, Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

    Does ‘mock’ in this context mean to ridicule, deride, or scorn? Does it mean to show contempt or mimic?

    We can agree that words and their meanings have changed over time. It is quite likely the preachers of old read, studied and wrote their sermons using the KJV translation of Yahweh’s inspired word. However, it is clear that ‘mock’ (Strong’s H3887) in the above text does, in fact, mean to “scorn, make mouths at, talk arrogantly”.

    So then the question becomes, did the people of Noah’s generation not know of the coming flood? Or, as you say, were they simply too busy to care?

    ‘The fact of the matter is that the people of Noah’s day didn’t realize what
    was happening. They were too busy with other things to really care even
    if they did. That’s the point of Christ’s words. And so it goes with the ungodly.
    They continue not to care.’

    Matthew 24:37-39 was quoted as a basis for this interpretation. Unfortunately, brother, I cannot agree with this interpretation. The people of Noah’s generation were certainly ‘unaware’, but this does not mean they were not warned. Properly understood, the people were ‘unaware’ of anything resembling a ‘flood’–for Yahweh had not yet flooded the earth in those days.

    It is true. The people of Noah’s day did not realize what was happening. But, again, this is not because they were not warned by Noah. For 2 Peter 2:4,5 says,

    For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,
    and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
    And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eight person, a preacher
    of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

    Noah was a prophet of Yahweh, and was sent to preach repentance by faith to a wicked generation; lest they should be judged with righteous judgment. We know this is true because 2 Peter 3:9 says:

    The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness;
    but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
    should come to repentance.

    Had Yahweh not sent Noah, a preacher of righteousness, to warn the people of their need to repent, then Yahweh would not be just in flooding the earth.

    Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just:
    for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
    Psalm 7:9

    How should the people come to believe and repent unless a preacher be sent to them?

    How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how
    shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they
    hear without a preacher?
    Romans 10:14

    My friend, I believe the people of Noah’s generation were given every opportunity to repent of their wickedness–whether by hearing the preacher of righteousness –or– by beholding the things that were made, having no excuse for their idolatry and wickedness (Romans 1:18-32). Further, I do believe they mocked Noah and spurned Yahweh’s call to repentance.

    For our Redeemer did testify that as in the days of Noah, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. Today, men continue in the world as though they are too busy to heed the call to salvation. This is not because of ignorance, for Jesus did say that ‘this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’ (Matt 24:14)

    Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days,
    a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
    Acts 13:41

    Brother Heath, you have a very nice platform to discuss such topics. Thank you for taking the time to put this blog together. May Yahweh continue to bless you and your ministry.

    Humbly yours,
    Richard

    • John Steve says:

      this is quite exhaustive. Thank you.
      And this also made me even more certain that the article got this right.
      Some of us may speculate or even believe, but there’s no account to substantiate that Noah was mocked.

      • Heath says:

        Jude is talking about the future. Notice it’s a prediction of the Apostles (who came long after Noah) that he is calling his audience to remember for the future. Jude 1:17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” I think you’re reaching for something that’s not there in the passage.

        • Carmen says:

          I did a web search asking, “Was Noah mocked?” and came across this site. I believe you’ve gotten it right. Noah wasn’t mocked. People didn’t care enough to mock him. And I assure you, they’re doing the same thing right now. Even Christians, living in so much fear of a virus, they’re willing to take the mark of the beast to be “saved”. God Has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind! We need to get back into our churches and preach the Word of God, and we must stand together. As Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. No truer words were ever spoken. May God have mercy on us.

    • TJ says:

      I specifically looked up this very subject as I have repeatedly heard in preaching and seen in dramatic presentations that Noah was mocked by his neighbors. And yet, I know it wasn’t in the Genesis passage and could never find it in any other reference in the OT or NT.

      Recently a pastor spoke of the mocking of Abraham when he listened to the Lord and left his home, journeying out into the unknown. Again, in my recollection, I could not think where I saw any mocking or scorn of Abraham. Reading through the mentioned text (which the pastor referenced), I found no confirmation .

      I don’t believe that I have seen it mentioned in other references to Abraham, similar to the situation with Noah. One might see it as poetic license but that can lead to bad teaching, particularly when the reference speaks of we will receive the same reaction and shouldn’t be surprised. We will be scorned and we will be mocked but let us not say, “Like Noah, we will be….”

      A better approach for someone teaching God’s Word would be to insert assumptions or speculations with such phrases as “I imagine that Noah’s neighbors found it odd.”; or “Abram’s neighbors were likely confounded at his packing up and relocating….”. That would preserve the actual text and would allow the pastor to introduce his thoughts but not teach it as fact. When the speculation becomes the point of the story , such as “You will be scorned like Noah”, then the preacher is missing the actual message. As noted, people were going about life as they had before and totally missing the “writing on the wall”.

  2. masande malinga says:

    Am happy to found this story of Noah on this section..I think Noah preached them about righteousness before the building of tht Arch.. He didn’t preach them about the building of the Arch..what’s the use of entering in Heaven whilst u a sinful

    • John says:

      I think it would have happened “this way.” I think “people would have said and done this.” Yet it is not stated in the text of the Bible anywhere. Pure speculation. I agree with the author. Thank you

  3. Joe says:

    I can see Richard’s point about the preaching. One would also think logically, that if Noah was a “righteous” man, that he would have preached or at least witnessed the faith. (Maybe before God spoke to him, and that’s why he’s called righteous). He also makes a compelling point that the New Testament writers understood Noah to have done this through the various traditions that had been passed down to that time.
    But, there is no “mocking” mentioned, even though I think it to be reasonable. Some people would have seen this building project and laughed, many would have also been apathetic.

  4. Dennis says:

    What does the word strive mean in Gen 6:3 2 Peter 2:5 calls Noah a preacher of righteousness. The word preacher here comes from herald=one who announces. Announces what? Righteousness, there is one righteous, so the Spirit of GOD strived with man and Noah proclaimed HIS (GOD) righteousness. Along with the ark making it own statement of Noah and GOD message. 2 Peter 3:1-7 vs 5 talks about scoffers but this may be extrapolating bit.

  5. paul kamau says:

    i once heard someone saying that people mocked and ridiculed Noah such that they used to poo in the ark. “God brought smallpox/measles and one man stepped on the poo that was on the ark and got healed instantly..” he added. the people ended up clearing all that poo because it was the only ‘medicine’ that could heal people. i have lived to search this story and have never found it. is there anything as such in the Bible or is it a thing that preachers use to mislead people?

  6. Joe Wright says:

    It does matter that mocking is not found in the account of Noah in Genesis. That said, I would not take my pastor to task for adding this to his sermon.
    Man’s nature is run through with defiance for the things of God. It takes no effort of imagination to believe that public reaction to Noah’s construction of the ark would have been mute.
    I would have been one to scoff had God not plucked me from the slough.
    In any case, Jesus of Nazareth saved me and over this minute use of extrapolation I would not divide with a fellow believer.
    Thank you for your work.

    • Agyei says:

      We shouldn’t think that Noah’s time the earth was like a small city, Noah’s time people had grew in number and were not all staying in one place… so was Noah moving from place to place telling people to come and enter the ark. Did Yahweh ask him to do that or he was asked to prepare the arc for himself, his family and selected beasts?
      Genesis 6:18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
      Genesis 6:19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

  7. Dan Graber says:

    Everything about Noah Preaching and people mocking is the exact opposite of what the Bible tells us. Heb 11:7 says Noah was warned by God – it clearly does not say Noah warned anyone about anything. 180 degrees from the truth is not a regular thing with Bible teachers except with Genesis where it is normal. Preachers have always had trouble believing the science in the Bible because it has not been taught by preachers. Heb 11:7 says Noah condemned the world by preparing an ark to the saving of his house.  Being moved with fear to build an ark is not equal to: being out and about preaching and warning people about God’s coming judgement.  God condemned these people already, and said he was going to destroy them with the earth at the same time he told Noah to get busy building an ark for only 8 people.  It would have been foolish and disobedient for Noah to not be focused on the task at hand, or to say anything to the people God told him he was going to destroy.
    Being moved with fear, implies fast and furious construction by a very small crew. No time to fool around preaching to condemned people when the destruction of the world is pending upon your own family.  Time is of the essence here, God is waiting patiently but Noah would not want to delay.
    2 Peter 2:5 speaks of of Noah preaching to you and me today in that he did all that God had commanded him to do. Noah preaches righteousness in that he obeyed God, this characterization of Noah is repeated several times in the Genesis narrative. 2 Pet 3:3-7 says the mockers are here on earth today in “the last days” – not Noah’s day. Verse 3. Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts. Today’s mockers are mocking the Genesis account of origins, specifically the creation of the earth out of water (first 3 days of creation) and the destruction of the earth by Noah’s Flood. Evolutionary Unitarianism science mocks the catastrophic events of the Bible, so preachers that hold to these old earth views must, move the mocking from the last days and place it on people in Noah’s day, so that their parishioners don’t notice that their preacher mocks the word of God with his worldview based on uniformitarian evolutionary science. This ubiquitous twisting the story of Noah goes hand in hand with the gap theory, day age theory, theistic evolution, progressive evolution, framework theory, historic creation which is neither, and any and all deep time worldviews held by Christians today. It’s an unpleasant reality that Church leadership has long struggled with fully adopting Genesis simply because naturalism is the only science being taught.

  8. Juliet says:

    I would think Noah may have been mocked in some way while building the ark.
    It may not have been stated in the Bible,but logically thinking about it,no one had ever seen or built an ark,it had never rained before at that time,so,I am sure a lot of people felt Noah was ‘mad’ or something. I am sure Noah told them he was building an ark because God told him He would send rain and they found it funny and unbelievable because it had never rained before at that time, probably that was why they were taken unawares.

    • Moxe says:

      Indeed. I have read the entire account and it is clear that from the beginning God was to destroy all flesh except Noah and his household. All instructions point to Noah, others excluded. No wonder the didn’t know anything until they perished. That is the selective nature of God and I’m personally not surprised.

    • Danny connery says:

      I’ve been doing a study on Noah recently and came across this page. One thing’s for sure. The Bible doesn’t tell us every single thing that people did or didn’t do.
      God could’ve taken Noah home with the 7 , like Enoch before them, and flooded the Earth. He didn’t. In Peter’s epistle it mentions the Divine long suffering. God gave them many years to accept Noah’s message. He was called a preacher of righteousness. I believe many were indifferent, but I believe they mocked and scoffed like they do today.
      I believe Noah told them that judgement was coming . I believe Noah preached it. Sadly they refused his message.
      I do agree 100% that we should pray and fight through the apathy and earnestly contend for the faith. Thank you and God bless

  9. tj says:

    Very interesting. I came to this site after doing a search concerning Abraham being cursed(mocked) by family and friends when he , by faith, left his country. The teaching I heard was on Genesis 12:3. When I found nothing anywhere about local sentiment when Abram hit the road, I was motivated to look up exactly what was said on Noah as I too had been taught about the crowds mocking Noah.

    Same thing. No where can I find Noah was mocked but it is always included in story books & in movies. Probably the worst movie I ever saw that was a depiction of Noah was the Steve Carell movie where a mob of people camp out on Carell’s yard and get on the Ark with him (it’s a modern day version but still, I am sure that people now think it wasn’t just Noah and fam on the Ark & it will be taught to generations in the future)..

    Recognizing that there can be assumptions made/ or possible scenarios, there is that thin line that exists. When things are regularly promoted as truth concerning Biblical events/figures, it soon “becomes” the Bible story. ANd as such, it becomes part of one pulpit after another until it all is just a story/a tale/a myth.

    Thanks for your writing on this . It was very interesting and thought-provoking.

  10. ML says:

    2 Chronicles 36:16. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy. The Bible does speak to it in a broad sense.

  11. yes Noah was mocked beacause like one says over here: In Jude 1.18 a situation is described, mocking. And about this vers in the future, the bible tells us that it was exactly the same situation when Noah built the ark. So there is your proof.

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