Genesis 6:6-8 (NIV) 6 The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them. ” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
There is no progress that mankind makes, in status, in character, in moral norms apartfrom a Godly influence. All throughout history, there has been a cycle of digression from the assumptions of human progress to the point of extinction followed by enlightenment from a return to Godly influence and acknowledgment. The people of Noah’s time were surely caught up in their own perspectives of what was successful and right. They were involved in all sorts of sexual perversion, something that is always directly connected to societal depravity and imminent destruction. While it would seem to be somewhat novel, the extent that sexual perspectives have “progressed” in present times to redefine gender and what people think they have a right to do based upon their own “enlightened” positions, they are simply right at home with the doomed woke folks of Noah and Sodom’s eras. The very acts that would appear extreme for today are just regurgitations of times long ago. To be among the masses and their self-defined love and acceptance of any that are caught up in direct defiance of God’s established order is to be among those that: 1. were introduced to what is like to be outside of the boat when the rain starts coming down in earnest, and 2. will find out what it’s like to be alone when the flames begin raging all about.
For the times of extreme digression, when society has found itself on the precipice of falling into its chosen abyss, there have thankfully come those who have found something besides gratification of their fleshly egos – the favor of God. So, how was this life saving favor found? For many there would be this claim that if God is all loving and full of grace that His favor is just automatically on all of mankind through Christ, that there is no finding of it on our part. Though He has most certainly made His goodness and favor so very near in Christ, there can be no experience of it apart from our discovery of it as a result of an intentional pursuit. Finding of favor does not come to a heart that shows no response to the preferences of the One from whom it will come. Just ask Ananias and Sapphira or the man who was sleeping with his father’s wife in 1 Corinthians whom Paul recommended for destruction of the flesh. For Noah, favor was found when righteousness was chosen as a form of worship:
Genesis 6:9 (NIV)
9 … Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
So, 2 things: 1. Instead of just going with whatever he chose to identify with as if it were just as good as any other choice, he chose to identify with God’s identification of righteousness. 2. He walked continually/faithfully with God. (To walk with someone, must be in agreement with them. (Amos 3:3) If it’s God you’re walking with – the agreeing party will be you.)
From these 2 things alone there is a clue for finding favor that will save a family and even the human race. It is through a heart of humility like this that God’s favor is activated to produce a vessel of preservation. How necessary is our finding of favor? It is requisite for life and freedom in that life. In Christ we’ve been given direct access to that same world-affecting favor, but, like Noah, it must be found through a life of worship walked out in faithful agreement with God.
Covid, conflict, societal dismemberment – – – – but, we found favor.