Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
So Robert is asking what is the.
Speaker 2
Spiritual meaning of Noah?
Speaker 1
The interesting question, Robert, and definitely, I think the story of Noah. You could just go forever and just unpack it all. But I’m going to stick with specifically Noah himself a bit, or what the Bible specifically says. There’s actually three verses directly on point to this. First, let’s look at first, Peter 320. And all these are going to come from the New Testament. And the New Testament is giving us indications of what are greater meanings of Noah. The first Peter 320, it says, speaking of the days of Noah, these people who were formerly disobedient when once the divine long suffering waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through the water. There is also an antetype which now saves us baptism, not the removal of the field of the flesh, but the ants have a good conscience towards God through the resurrection of Jesus. So let’s unpack that a little bit first. It’s interesting, the number eight, there are eight souls were on the ark. Eight actually is a significant number. That’s seven plus one. And in the Bible, we often see eight being associated with like a new beginning.
Speaker 1
So here now you have the eight humans now that represent the new beginning for the human race. Technically, you could say Jesus was resurrected on the 8th day, one day after the 7th. So there’s a lot of significance here just in that. But here he’s also saying there’s an anti type. So if you’re not familiar with this word, the Bible has a lot of type and antitpe. And the type think of it as like we use the word prototype, for example. You make a prototype and this is the first of something that will later on become even better and you have more of them. And that’s the idea with the type, any type. And so here it’s saying what you saw in Noah was a type, and then there’s going to be a greater type coming later. And so this flood experience of Noah being on the flood was a type of baptism. There’s a lesson in connection with baptism. So Noah, I guess he was sort of surrounded with water from above and below, and this is a baptism. And here he’s not even Peter is not just keeping baptism to a literal experience, but he’s saying it also goes beyond that to the answer of a good conscience towards God.
Speaker 1
And that’s something that very much we see in Noah, where he listened to God, obeyed God, did what he was told, he built the ark, he got into the ark. He also preached during all this time and becomes a great example of how we should respond to God when he calls us to do whatever God has called us to do. And then baptism has a connection with that. So that is one lesson or one meaning of Noah. Then we get Hebrews eleven seven. Hebrews eleven seven. It says by faith, Noah when warned about things not yet seen in holy fear, built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of righteousness. That is in keeping with faith. So here we see that Noah also calls him the preacher of righteousness. And I see this as a big deal because Noah is kind of a symbol of also the last days. We’ll touch on that and God’s people who are giving this last warning to the world that hey, God is going to bring destruction. So back then for no was destruction by water. But if you go back to Peter, it talked about how the world is now going to be destroyed by fire.
Speaker 1
So God’s end time. People are warning the world if, hey, there’s going to be massive global warming, actual global warming, where the whole world will be destroyed by fire. God doesn’t want anybody to perish. Just as God back then wanted everybody in the world to get onto the ark and he provided a way for safety and for them to be saved. He likewise wants all of us to get into the spiritual arc, which is going to be a saving relationship with Christ to be saved when he comes a second time to gather his own and then the world will be destroyed. So that’s a very significant meaning of Noah. Now here’s another one kind of related, matthew 24, starting at verse 37. And it reads, but as the days of Noah were so awesome will the coming of man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of man be. Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left.
Speaker 1
Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the other left. And so again, more confirmation that the end days are going to be very much like the days of Noah life was going on as normal. Noah’s preaching hey guys, the end is coming. You need to reform. You need to prepare to get on this boat. And people laughing, you’re crazy. Hey, the world has been is the way it’s always been. You make yourself up. You’re crazy man. And just likewise, how does world respond when you go out and tell them, hey, guess what, jesus is coming very soon the world is going to be destroyed. Get ready. They likewise say the world has always been. Tomorrow is going to be the same. I mean people, even within my community, he’ll say, hey, don’t shake people that could be your centuries away still. And so many people are going to be caught off guard. And I want to point out one thing that’s really interesting in these verses we just read is a lot of people like to talk about the rapture theology where it’s God’s people that will be taken.
Speaker 1
But if you go back and actually look at the verses we just read, it says that the people who did not get onto the ark, the wicked during Noah’s days, were the ones that were taken by the flood. And if you read it and you look at even the Old Testament, that same language taken is used for people who are going to be destroyed. Lot, the angel worn lot, you need to get away from Gomorrah or else you will be taken. You will be swept away in the destruction that came to Sodom and Gomorrah, which is also another example with lots of end days implications. So Noah here is really telling us god’s people are going to be like Noah given warning to the end, to the world, be ready. God doesn’t want anybody be lost. But the sad lesson is most people probably going to be caught off guard. Most people probably are not going to listen, and they will be just met with sudden surprise, which God doesn’t want anybody be surprised, but it’s going to happen. Tina, anything you’d like to add?
Speaker 2
I think that was really good. I love the story of Noah. I think his story is so symbolic and so important for us today. And I mean, Jesus points out in like Matthew 24, like, look at the story of Noah because this is what’s going to indicate basically what will be at the end of time. And I think that it’s really important to, you know, keep our eyes on that because even if, like you’re saying, yeah, Jesus might not come for a while, he could come for you today. And so it’s important that we are always ready to meet the Lord at any point in time. And my only thought as far as when I think about the story of Noah is it talks about Him. Oh, man, where is it? I can’t think about the top of my head, but basically it talks about it lists Noah and two other, I think, noah, Job and Daniel, and it says, like, their righteousness. It talks about the righteousness of Noah. And what the Bible says, like, our righteousness is as filthy rags. So the fact that they had righteousness, it wasn’t their own. They I believe they were fully surrendered to to Christ and to his will.
Speaker 2
And that’s why they were called righteous, not because they had any righteousness, but because they accepted and put on fully the righteousness of Jesus and they were fully submitted to Him and fully obeyed. And I mean, literally, Noah did something I really questioned myself if I would truly have the faithfulness to do, because he was in a circumstance where there never had been rain. They were just due in the morning and God said, no, rain is going to come. He’s like, this is something the world has never experienced. But by faith, I’m going to trust what God says and prepare for something I’ve never even imagined could happen. And I think that’s the situation we as God’s people are in as we approach Jesus second coming. Just like you’re saying we have to get ready, because it’s going to be something that we’ve never experienced. But we have to trust God by faith fully. So thank you. Yeah, that’s a great question. And any study in the life of Noah, I think is good preparation to develop our character into being ready for when Jesus comes.
Speaker 1
Amen. Good lesson in faith and righteousness. Amen.
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In His Service
BibleAsk Team
