But Noah Found Grace In The Eyes Of The Lord

Picked up this book last Thursday, Longman and Walton's book expounds on the grace of God which envelops this passage


...the flood story fits into the pattern established by the account of the first sin and continued by the narrative concerning Cain and Abel. These are stories of sin, followed by a divine judgment speech, and the ultimate execution of judgment. However, between the judgment speech and the judgment itself, we have seen the consistent mention of a token of grace. Thus, these stories highlight three main theological points:

1. Humans are sinners.
2. God consistently judges sinners.
3. God remains gracious toward his sinful creatures.​

We are now ready to turn attention to the grace evident in the flood narrative—particularly in the covenant God makes with Noah. First, Noah and his family do not deserve to survive the flood. Noah does not earn his right to live because of his righteousness, and certainly the rest of his family does not. But God desires to pursue order and reconciliation, and this love for his human creatures leads him not only to tell Noah to build the ark in order to survive the flood but to enter into a covenant with him after the waters recede.
As God delivers his instructions to Noah concerning the coming flood and the building of the ark, he also announces, “Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you” (Gen 6:17–18).

Tremper Longman III and John H. Walton, The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2018), 103–104.

Rob

 

Glen,
To me, "finding grace" in the eyes of God is impossible for man to do in and of himself.
We all know this foundational principle:

" What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips:
14 whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness:
15 their feet [are] swift to shed blood:
16 destruction and misery [are] in their ways:
17 and the way of peace have they not known:
18 there is no fear of God before their eyes." ( Romans 3:9-18 )

There is none that naturally seeks after God, and no man naturally "fears" ( respects ) Him, either.

We also know that faith is not the means by which a person comes to God, but that it is the evidence of God's working in a person:

" Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." ( Hebrews 11:1-3 )

The believer does things by faith and through faith...but gaining His favor is not one of them, for how can a person gain a GIFT, if even the faith that is "required" is also a gift of God?

" For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
9 not of works, lest any man should boast." ( Ephesians 2:8-9 )

Here we see that salvation is through faith, and by grace. Some would say, "but the gift is His grace!"

OK, I'll agree with that, as well.

But to me, faith must be a gift, otherwise gaining His favor rests upon man's efforts to please God and thereby "win" that favor from His hand as a reward:

" But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. " ( Hebrews 11:6 )

Now, we know that faith is only by "hearing", and "hearing" by the word of God ( Romans 10:17 )

Therefore, by the word of the Almighty was Noah granted the faith to believe that a flood was coming, and prepared an ark:

" 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." ( Hebrews 11:6-7 )

Noah "found grace" in the eyes of God, simply because God had mercy upon him, a sinner in need of a Saviour:

" What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." ( Romans 9:14-16 )




So, when I see the Bible saying anywhere that someone "found favor" with God, or "found grace" in the eyes of God, it is rightly and justly said to be so, because God decided to grant that favor and grace to a rebellious sinner who wasn't even looking for them.

For that truly is the definition of grace:

Grace: "the condition or fact of being favored by someone."

Inevitably some will say, " But God is not a respecter of persons!"

He isn't.

There is nothing a man or woman can do or possess ( because everything good a person has, is given to them by God... John 3:27, 1 Corinthians 4:7 ), that will ever make God to look upon them favorably.

To me, that is the definition of "respecter of persons".



" And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. " ( Exodus 33:19 )


This is one of the most offensive concepts to the natural mind that has ever been stated...that God would choose to show favor on one, and not another...to save someone over someone else, simply for His pleasure and purpose.


Noah was found to be in God's grace.
...and that is the single most amazing and joyful things a person can ever be said to have.

 

Here is a good article on this subject:

https://www.jesussaidwhat.com/saving-faith-days-of-noah-the-raptu