People are willingly ignorant of the historical reality of Noah's flood (2 Peter 3:5).
The apostle Peter says last-day scoffers are willingly ignorant that by God's word the heavens were of old and the earth stood out of water and in water, and that the world that then was overflowed with water and perished. Les Feldick connects this directly to modern rejection of Noah's flood.
2 Peter 3:5 — This verse directly uses the phrase 'willingly are ignorant of' and names the earth's creation by God's word and judgment by water as the subject they reject.
2 Peter 3:6 — It clarifies that the object of their willful ignorance is the world that was overflowed with water and perished.
In 2 Peter 3:3-6, the apostle Peter warns that in the last days scoffers will come, walking after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." Then he identifies the root of their error: "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished."
Les shows that 2 Peter 3 is exactly on the mark for today. He points out that scientists and textbook writers ignore Noah's flood, and he quotes the scoffers of 2 Peter 3 asking "where is the promise of His coming?" They do not want to believe the flood ever happened. Les explains that a geology professor will laugh at the idea of Noah's flood because accepting it would destroy the millions-of-years timeline. He also reminds us that the flood was far more than 40 days of rain, and that the world today is just as busy and closed to the truth as the antediluvian world was.
Les says a geology professor will scoff and laugh you out of his room if you suggest Noah's flood caused the earth's mixed-up surface. He says they will not accept it because the biblical chronology places the flood only 5,000 or 6,000 years ago, which would destroy their belief in millions and millions of years. Les further notes that college textbooks on history and science never make any reference to Noah's flood—they totally reject it and ignore it.
The Bible says the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. Les stresses that the ark was an enclosed rectangular box built to withstand the awful rigors of the flood, and that the secret of the flood's destruction is not just 40 days of rain but the fountains of the great deep mentioned in Genesis 7:11.
Les compares the antediluvian world to today. The door of the ark was left open for seven days, and people wrapped up in their world could have stepped in and escaped God's wrath, but none outside Noah's family took it. Les says the world today is almost in the same place, so busy that people do not take the open door of salvation.
2 Peter 3: Scoffers and the Flood
Les introduces 2 Peter 3 to show that last-day scoffers question the promise of Christ's coming and ignore the evidence of God's past judgment on the earth.
Understanding the Tower of Babel: Genesis 9-11 Explained
And I think perhaps that's the reason, then, that Noah lost his influence, because we're going to see in the moments to follow. The human race is going to take another tack straight down, in spite of all the knowledge that Noah and his three sons have concerning the will of God.
Modern Rejection of the Flood
Les says geology professors scoff at Noah's flood because accepting it would destroy the millions-of-years timeline, and textbooks never mention it.
The Open Door of the Ark
Les shows the ark door was open seven days but no one outside Noah's family entered, comparing that willful rejection to today's busy world.
Beyond 40 Days of Rain
Les corrects the common misconception that the flood was only 40 days of rain, pointing to the fountains of the great deep as the real cause of destruction.
Why God Holds Everyone Without Excuse — Romans 1:18-21
Now granted when Paul wrote, the Roman Empire comprised, I suppose, 90% of the then known and populated planet, all the way from Great Britain on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea, and out across the Mesopotamian Valley, and all the way out to the Ganges River of India. That was probably 90% of the then known world.
Why God "Gave Them Up" — Romans 1 & the Wrath to Come
What are they doing? They're refusing to listen to what God said. And so here's where I think these series of verses now have their beginning. Now then, I haven't got much time left, and it's always running away from me. You come now to verse 24. And the word is, wherefore. Most of you now know what wherefores do. They point you right back to where you just come from.
Biblical Timeline: Creation to Christ's Kingdom!
Now to be specific, there are probably little difference in years here, but they're not enough of any consequence. So for sake of memory, to remember these things, I like to back up a 400 year gap of time to Noah's flood. And then I guess we can put the name in here of Noah. And that takes place at about 2400 B .C. In other words, the 400 years before Abraham came about, we have the flood of Noah.
2 Peter 3:3: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
Peter predicts that scoffers will appear in the last days, setting up the refusal to accept God's judgment.
2 Peter 3:4: And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
The scoffers claim everything continues unchanged, which Peter then corrects by pointing to the flood.
2 Peter 3:5: For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
This verse explicitly names the willful ignorance: they refuse to acknowledge God's creation and judgment by water.
2 Peter 3:6: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
Peter states the consequence of that water judgment—the world that then was perished.
It means people choose not to know. Peter says they 'willingly are ignorant' of the flood. Les Feldick describes this as people who do not want to believe that the flood ever happened—they will not accept it.
Les Feldick says geology professors scoff at the flood because it would have happened only 5,000 or 6,000 years ago, which destroys their millions-of-years timeline. He also notes that college textbooks never make any reference to Noah's flood.
The Bible says people are willingly ignorant of the flood, and this is why they ask 'Where is the promise of his coming?' They ignore God's past judgment by water, which is the basis for expecting judgment to come.
Watch the Teaching: Why God Destroyed the Earth with a Flood (Genesis 6 Explained)