First, we can see that Noah warned others about the impending judgment of God on the earth by reading 2 Peter 2:4-5, “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 eighth person, a PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.”

The OLD WORLD refers to the world before the flood.  Noah was the eighth person.  That means that Noah went into the ark with seven others…his wife, their three sons, and their three wives.  We read in Genesis 7:13, “In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark.”  We also read in 1 Peter 3:20, “…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.”  It’s so sad that in the days of Noah, only eight people heeded the words of the Lord concerning the impending judgment through this great flood. 

Noah was a PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, inasmuch as he set an example of obedience, and made efforts, in various ways, to warn and to save his generation.  It is said of Noah in Genesis 6:9 that, “…Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”  Noah was a righteous (just) man, and he preached (heralded, proclaimed) the righteousness of God certainly in his words and in his actions.  We also read in Hebrews 11:7 that, “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.”  So, while the Bible is not specific in how Noah warned others, as the proclaimed PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, his message must have resonated among all those who heard or witnessed his work of building the ark “to the saving of his house.”

Did Noah preach for 120 years?  Let’s read Genesis 6:1-3, “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be AN HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS.”  Many assume this refers to the time it took Noah to build the ark, thus believing he preached for 120 years as he worked.  This would show the longsuffering of the Lord that He was allowing ample time for men to repent of their evil ways.  If we refer back to 1 Peter 3:20, we see the Lord’s patience is shown.  “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.”

I can’t emphatically say this “120 years” refers to the time it took to build the ark, or Noah’s time of preaching the righteousness of God to the world, but I can emphatically say the Lord is, “longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).  The Lord’s desire is that men would turn from their wicked ways and turn to Him in faith.  Even as the Lord did not spare the old world because of their evil ways and unbelief, neither will He spare those today who refuse Him and neglect His offer of salvation.  “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” (Hebrews 2:3).  The Lord wants to save you, and He will if you repent of your sins and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. He promises us in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  (CC)  (700.2)