Finding ‘GRACE’ in the SIGHT of GOD!
January 2
Bible Reading: Genesis Chapters 4-6
Finding ‘GRACE’ in the SIGHT of GOD!
"But Noah found grace in the
eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man,
perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons:
Shem, Ham, and Japheth." (Gen 6:8-10)
This is the first occurrence of the word ‘grace’ in Scripture. Its root meaning
is “to bend or stoop,” that implies
unmerited favor of a superior person to an inferior one. Noah found ‘grace’ in the sight of God and was
forewarned to build an ark. Noah was saved
by ‘grace’, an act of divine
sovereignty. His response was to do everything
that God had commanded (v. 22), an act of
human responsibility, and built an ark to save his own family from death
and judgment. Noah is testimony to the fact that God has always chosen His own
as an act of pure ‘grace’ and that
eternal salvation is because of His initiative.
Noah did not
find favor with people since he condemned the world by his life and preaching
but instead found ‘grace’ in the
sight of God. When the rest of the world was wicked, Noah kept his integrity.
He was a just man as he lived a holy life through right principles and was
righteous in his conversation and conduct. He was not only honest, but devout
in his attempt to please God and do the will of God. God looks down upon those with favor who sincerely look up to Him with
an eye of faith!
God saved
Noah, as He saves us, as an unconditional gift, which Christ purchased with His
own blood. Even so, Noah seems to be a type of Christ: just as Noah represented
his family, so Christ represents the whole family of God. Noah was saved just
as any sinner is saved, by grace (v. 8)
and through faith (Heb 11:7). He
heard God’s Word, believed God’s promise of protection, and proved his faith by
his works. There was only one way to be saved from destruction, and that was by
entering the ark; and the ark had only one door. This is a picture of the salvation we have in Christ!
Noah (Gen
6:9) and Enoch (Gen 5:24) are the only two men in scripture who literally "walked with God” in the midst of
wicked and sinful people. Let us also 'walk
with God' daily and 'labor for
the Master from the dawn till setting sun' that we may be accepted of him
and find ‘grace’ in His sight alone!
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Eph 2:8-9)
