“And Yahweh regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals... for I am sorry that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the sight of Yahweh."1
Noah found favor, favor is the Hebrew word associated with Grace, so Noah found Grace. Grace is unmerited favor, like a gift freely given, not deserved by works. Grace is the undeserved chesed or loving kindness of God. We see a correlation between the time of Noah and what Paul writes to the Ephesians about the new covenant of Grace, "For by Grace you are saved through faith..."
At one time we were Gentiles in the flesh, alienated from God, separated by a law, "performed in the flesh by human hands" alienated, "strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." But we were brought near by the blood of Christ who broke "down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility."3 "And through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."
At one time we were Gentiles in the flesh, alienated from God, separated by a law, "performed in the flesh by human hands" alienated, "strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." But we were brought near by the blood of Christ who broke "down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility."3 "And through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."
"Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved..."4
We see the correlation between the time of Jesus and with Noah's time, they were dead in their trespasses and sins, they were of the flesh, "and the earth was filled with violence." The Bible says the earth became defiled because of man, it would spew them out. They walked according to the course of the world "according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."3 Are not the people in the day of Noah symbolic of the flesh? literal giants of the flesh, and God said He would not always strive with flesh. They lived in the passions of their flesh, "carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."
But Noah found grace in the sight of God. Noah built an ark to save mankind, he called the people out of the world, and into the ark, but they thought him foolish, they went about their lives. Jesus said his coming would be like in the days of Noah. Jesus built a church, to save mankind, he calls people out of the world to God, a gospel of Grace proclaimed to all the world. Jesus has been lifted up for salvation, we are baptised into His death and raised into His life.
But Noah found grace in the sight of God. Noah built an ark to save mankind, he called the people out of the world, and into the ark, but they thought him foolish, they went about their lives. Jesus said his coming would be like in the days of Noah. Jesus built a church, to save mankind, he calls people out of the world to God, a gospel of Grace proclaimed to all the world. Jesus has been lifted up for salvation, we are baptised into His death and raised into His life.
"By faith Noah, being divinely instructed concerning things not yet seen, aggressively laying hold of, prepared an ark for salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and according to faith, righteousness became an heir."5
This word for divinely instructed is derived from xrēma meaning "a legal agreement for transacting business." This was a covenant that God entered into with Noah, we see the remembrance of the promise today in the rainbow. Paul writes it was through faith Noah was saved and counted among the righteous. This covenant was by Grace, Noah believed and it was counted as righteousness. It is symbolic of the new covenant, saved through faith.
Would we not agree that the violence and hatred of the world today grieves the heart of God? And would we not agree that such would justify a cleansing by fire? When God was grieved in His heart that He had made mankind, Noah found Grace in the sight of God. Today, could God find Grace in a man? is there one who would believe and be divinely instructed concerning things not yet seen, aggressively laying hold of? maybe He has... God chooses Grace. But ___ found Grace in the sight of God.