The amazing answer changes—Everything!
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth,
(Genesis 6: 5-8 NASB)
and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth,
and He was grieved in His heart.
The LORD said,
“I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land,
from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky;
for I am sorry that I have made them.”
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”
Have we ever read this passage and questioned: How did the man Noah find “favor in the eyes of the LORD”?
I have questioned.
I have wondered.
- What did Noah do or not do?
- What did Noah say or not say?
- What did Noah think or not dwell upon in his thoughts?
- What made Noah different from “the wickedness of man [that] was great on the earth”?
- What made Noah’s thoughts purer, unlike the rest of mankind “that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”?
When “The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth” &
When “He was grieved in his heart” &
When the Creator of everything spoke these words: “I will blot out man,” what made Noah find “favor in the eyes of the LORD”?
The simple answer to ALL these questions is simply—Nothing.
That is correct. Noah did nothing to ‘earn’ God’s favor.
So, if we scratch our head, sit down to really understand, and ask: If Noah did nothing to ‘earn’ this favor that God bestowed upon him when the rest of mankind was evil in their thoughts and actions and in their hearts, then how could one solitary man receive God’s favor?
The amazing answer to this single question—Changes Everything!
Noah was pronounced RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE of GOD’S AMAZING GRACE!
To better understand, we must go back to the beginning—yes, the ‘literal beginning’ of God’s creation. Please turn with me to the first book found inside God’s Holy Word.
“This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
(Genesis 2: 4-9 NASB)
in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.
Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth,
and no plant of the field had yet sprouted,
for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth,
and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living being.
The LORD God planted a garden toward the east,
in Eden;
[the Garden of Eden]
and there He placed the man whom He had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree
that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden,
and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
- Did we see it?
- Did we see how could one solitary man could receive God’s favor?
- Can we understand God’s “breath of life” that He breathed into the first man, Adam?
- Even before Noah ever lived on the earth, can we understand the way the first man, the one who was created first, was placed in the garden God Himself planted?
- Have we really contemplated “the tree of life [that God also placed] in the midst of the garden”along with “the tree of knowledge of good and evil” ?
Be prepared because the answer, the amazing answer changes—Everything!
Noah was pronounced RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE of GOD’S AMAZING GRACE!
Maybe you have reached this point and still you wonder—
Although all of this is the TRUTH because the Bible says it is so, still that does not prove how one single man (Noah) found favor with God. You are right; therefore, let’s explore JOY for a moment.
If we look at our calendar and walk outside, or if we look across the streets or church pews, seeing our neighbors, then we will notice something—Everyone seems to be taking summer vacations. In fact, when I was visiting a home the other day, a small two-year-old came over to me and boldly exclaimed:
“I’m going on (v)acation.”
At the time, I thought her words were cute because her parents had repeatedly spoken about their upcoming getaway, and being the smart little girl that she was, she knew that she was to be ‘excited about her ‘(v)acation.’
- Beach vacations are wonderful.
- Mountain holidays are splendid.
- Forest hiking is truly refreshing.
because the LORD God gave all of these experiences of nature for us to enjoy.
BUT there is a far-more-wonderful, splendid, refreshing, & amazing journey that MUST BE EXPERIENCED!
TRUE LIVING—REAL LIVING IS ONLY FOUND—
- In Knowing God!
- In Serving the One Who created us!
- In Following the One Who saved us!
- In Obeying the One Who has been placed inside us!
The melody “Made For More” by Josh Baldwin & Jenn Johnson speaks this truth. Pause & Really Listen to these lyrics. The LORD’S AMAZING GRACE!
To help us understand, let’s go to the letter sent to the Christians, to the Saints, to the Believers living in the city Phillipi by the apostle Paul. Now, this letter had to travel 1,600 miles, being carried from Rome to Phillipi by another man because the apostle Paul could not carry the letter himself to this body of believers.
We might be surprised to see why.
The apostle Paul was chained twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to prison guards.
Yes, that’s correct—Paul was under ‘house arrest’ at the time for the crime of preaching the Gospel when he wrote this letter proclaiming the JOY found in serving, following & obeying the LORD God.
- So, what was it that made Noah different from “the wickedness of man [that] was great on the earth”?
- And what made Noah’s thoughts purer, unlike the rest of mankind “that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”?
Even when the Creator of everything spoke these words: “I will blot out man,” what made Noah find “favor in the eyes of the LORD”?
The simple answer to ALL these questions—Noah Did Nothing.
That is right.
Noah did nothing to ‘earn’ God’s favor.
Truly, there was nothing Noah could ever do to ‘earn’ this favor that God bestowed upon him because JESUS DID EVERYTHING!
Noah was pronounced—RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE of GOD’S AMAZING GRACE!
The apostle Paul was also pronounced—RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE of GOD’S AMAZING GRACE!
Please do not believe me but again turn with me to The Letter of Paul to the Philippians found within God’s Word where we will see how a man named Paul, one sitting in prison day-in-and-day-out & one who would soon be put to death at the hand of Rome’s executioners could write and speak and proclaim JOY in the LORD.
- Divine Appointments to speak Jesus are just that: DIVINE, SENT BY GOD!
- Scripture is the true historical record: THE TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST!
- Our Savior is the focus: THE DIVINE REVELATION!
We who belong to God—
who know the ‘The Mystery’ revealed in God’s Word,
who are Redeemed children of God,
who are saved by the precious blood of the Lamb of God,
who know ‘The Way’ to God through Jesus—
MUST BE TELLING OTHERS ABOUT JESUS!
Thus, in closing, may we read to better see—The answer to all life’s questions.
- May we understand the ‘favor’ Noah received from the LORD God.
- May we fully intake the significance of “the tree of life” God placed in the garden.
- May we receive “the breath of life—the eternal life” given by our heavenly Father, who places within us His Holy Spirit, when we choose to receive His Amazing Grace.
- May we consider just how the apostle Paul could REJOICE in LORD & speak “with all boldness,” even while chained to a Roman guard.
- More important than any vacation, holiday, or getaway we may enjoy this season, may each one of us receive GOD’S AMAZING GRACE—GOD’S FAVOR WHICH CHANGES—EVERYTHING!
“What then?
(The Letter of Paul to the Philippians 1: 18-20 NASB)
Only that in every way,
whether in pretense or in truth,
Christ is proclaimed;
and in this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice,
for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance
through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
according to my earnest expectation and hope,
that I will not be put to shame in anything,
but that with all boldness,
Christ will even now, as always,
be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death.”