Grace Found
Genesis 6:5–8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:8

Not only is sin internal as well as external; not only is it pervasive in that it affects everything we can possibly think or do. It is also continuous, for in God’s judgment we all do “only evil continually” (v. 5). From our perspective a statement like that is almost beyond belief. We would not make it of other people, even the worst of people. We certainly would not make it of ourselves. But this is God speaking—God who sees all things and sees the heart—and God is truthful.

Could a blacker picture of the utter depravity of man in his rebellion against God ever be painted? It is hard to think so. Yet just at this point, when the black thunderclouds of God’s wrath against human sin are at their most threatening, a small crack appears. Grace shines through, and the promise of a new day dawns.

The older, Authorized Version says, “Noah found grace.” But whether the word “grace” or the word “favor” is used to translate the Hebrew term hën, the significant thing is that this is the first appearance of the idea in the Bible. It is true, of course, that Adam and Eve also found grace when they sinned; justice alone would have sent them into outer darkness forever. Seth and Enoch and all the others found grace. But here for the first time, grace is explicitly mentioned. Since this is said of a time when the evil of a degenerate race was at its zenith, it indicates that so long as life lasts, regardless of the extent of the evil, there is always opportunity to find God’s grace where alone it can be found, namely, in the work of Jesus Christ in dying for his people’s salvation. Noah may not have known details about that future work of Christ. But he looked forward to the deliverer and ordered his life accordingly.

Notice that Noah did not earn grace. Noah found grace. He was willing to accept God’s judgment on his sinful and rebellious nature and place his hope in the Savior. It is the same today. We have no claim on God. We have not earned anything but his just wrath and our eventual destruction. But we can find God’s grace in Christ.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.