Noah drops off the biblical scene after the flood because he lost his testimony, not his salvation.
Les Feldick points to Noah's drunkenness in Genesis 9 as the turning point. After Noah drank wine, became drunk, and was exposed in his tent, Les says, "You never hear another word about Noah." He concludes that Noah lost his testimony, but not his salvation, which is why the biblical record gives him no further place in the narrative.
Genesis 9:20-24 — This passage records Noah's drunkenness and the actions of his sons, the event after which Les says Noah drops off the scene.
In Genesis 9, after the flood, Noah began to be a husbandman and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunken, and he was uncovered within his tent (Genesis 9:20-21). Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brethren without (Genesis 9:22). Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, went backward, and covered their father's nakedness; their faces were backward and they saw not their father's nakedness (Genesis 9:23). When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his younger son had done unto him (Genesis 9:24).
Les Feldick directly answers the question by pointing to Noah's drunkenness. He describes Noah as a great man of faith who found grace in God's eyes and survived the flood, yet alcohol got to him. Noah drank the wine and was drunken to the point of passing out, and he was uncovered in his tent. After Ham saw his father's nakedness and Shem and Japheth covered him, Noah awoke and knew what had happened. At that point, Les says, "You never hear another word about Noah. He drops off the scene." Les draws the conclusion: "Now I don't think he lost his salvation, but he lost his testimony." He also notes that God does not gloss over the failures of even His choicest servants, fitting Noah's recorded lapse into that pattern. This loss of testimony, not any loss of salvation, is why the biblical record is silent about Noah after the flood.
Les Feldick is clear: "Now I don't think he lost his salvation, but he lost his testimony." Noah remained a man who had found grace in God's eyes, but the drunkenness incident and its aftermath destroyed his testimony and influence in the biblical record. Les uses this to illustrate that even the old patriarchs could lose their testimony for one reason or another.
Noah began to be a husbandman and planted a vineyard. Les says this is the first recorded instance of alcohol use in Scripture. He drank the wine, became drunk to the point of passing out, and lay uncovered in his tent. Ham saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers. Shem and Japheth took a garment, walked in backward, and covered their father without seeing him. When Noah woke, he knew what his younger son had done.
Les says God doesn't gloss over or cover up the failures of even His choicest servants, such as Abraham, David, and Moses. Noah's lapse is included as part of that pattern. Les also uses it to show that a man of faith who survived the flood could lose his testimony—which is why, after this episode, you never hear another word about Noah.
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Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has taught home-style Bible classes for twenty years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les' teaching is so interesting, people say the time seems to fly by. And now, here's Les Feldick.
Noah's First (Recorded) Use of Alcohol
Les points to Noah's vineyard and wine as the first recorded instance of alcohol in Scripture and observes what it did to the man—marking the beginning of the event that ended his testimony.
Noah's Drunkenness and Exposure
Les describes how alcohol got to this great man of faith: Noah drank wine, became drunk to the point of passing out, and lay uncovered in his tent.
The Hidden Meaning of "Pitch" in Noah's Ark | Genesis 6 Bible Study
But whatever, Noah now is being approached with God to do something that has never been done before, and that is to make an ark or a boat that would survive a flood. Now you want to remember, it's never rained before. But what made Noah do it? Let's go back again to that book of Hebrews chapter 11, and we call it the great faith chapter.
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Now, I think most people realize I don't like that word, but sometimes we have to use it for lack of a better one. But as a result, then, of no civil law per se, no government to maintain law and order, and no system of worship to really maintain a relationship with God, we find that by the time you get to Genesis chapter 6, the earth is filled with violence. It's corrupt. It's rotten to the core.
Noah Lost His Testimony, Not His Salvation
Les gives the direct answer: after Noah got drunk, you never hear another word about him—he drops off the scene because he lost his testimony, not his salvation.
From Adam to Tribulation: God's Biblical Timeline Explained
And so by the time we get up to about 2400 B.C., or about 1600 years after Adam, the human race has gone down so far morally, and they have come into such a period of violence and what have you, that God said, I'm going to have to destroy them. And so we come into Noah's flood, and come out of the flood of course with Noah and his three sons and their wives.
The Aftermath with His Sons
Les recounts how Shem and Japheth covered their drunken father and how Noah awoke and knew what his younger son had done, the final episode in Noah's recorded life.
Genesis 9:20: And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
This verse introduces Noah's activity after the flood that led to his drunkenness.
Genesis 9:21: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
This is the specific act Les identifies as the cause of Noah losing his testimony.
Genesis 9:23: And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
This shows the respectful response of Noah's two sons after his drunkenness.
Genesis 9:24: And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
This is the final personal detail recorded about Noah in the Genesis narrative after the flood.
Les Feldick teaches that Noah lost his testimony, not his salvation, when he drank wine and became drunk. After that episode, you never hear another word about Noah—he drops off the scene.
No. Les Feldick says plainly, "I don't think he lost his salvation, but he lost his testimony." Noah's failure ruined his influence but not his standing with God.
Yes. Les points out that Noah planted a vineyard, drank the wine, and became drunk to the point of passing out. He calls this the first recorded instance of alcohol use and notes what it did to Noah.
Watch the Teaching: Understanding the Tower of Babel: Genesis 9-11 Explained