Finding Favor in God’s Eyes

Dear friends in Christ,

            When my wife was growing up she was not grandpa’s favorite.   You see, she was adopted into the family.   One of her grandpas did not treat her like one of his own.   When all the other grandchildren were given gifts of money for Christmas my wife received a shirt box that had macaroni glued on and the box was empty.  She could not earn his favor.  She would not be his favorite.

As we enter the Advent season preparing for Christmas, we might wonder where do we stand in God’s eyes?  Are we his favorite? The Apostle Paul reminds us Romans 2:11 (NIV84) — 11 For God does not show favoritism. He wants all to be saved, and that’s what Jesus’ coming into the world made possible.   But not everyone pleases the Lord.  Ephesians 5:8–10 (NIV84) — 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. Today we will turn back the pages of history and will reflect on a man who in spite of the society in which he lived, found favor in the eyes of the Lord. That will be the focus of our sermon, “Finding Favor in God’s Eyes”

In our text we read the following descriptions of the world in Noah’s day and the impact on the Lord. Genesis 6:6 (NIV84) — 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. Genesis 6:5 (NIV84) — 5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. Genesis 6:11 (NIV84) — 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. Genesis 6:12 (NIV84) — 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

            Twice it said “God saw” and once “God’s sight.”  The Lord was very aware of everything that was going on, he didn’t miss a thing.  Certain words stand out, wickedness, evil thoughts, corrupt, violence.  What is it like today?  Here are the headlines Friday mornings: Woman pepper sprays other Black Friday shoppers 'to gain an upper hand'...'Competitive shopping' turns into chaos...   VIDEO: Mayhem over $2 waffle maker...  Two women injured in brawl...Woman shot, robbed in SC after midnight shopping trip to WALMART...  GUNFIRE ERUPTS AT MALL...Grandmother shot while cooking Thanksgiving dinner...

            This is what we can see, and experience.   But when the Lord looks at our world and our society, he also sees and is very much aware of what we cannot see; “Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart.”  Not only does the Lord see all the violence and corruption, his eyes also can see what is going on in the very heart and mind of an individual.  Man looks on the outward appearance, God looks at the heart.   “Out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adultery, fornication, thefts and false witness…” and God sees it all. 

            Our hearts and souls can languish and cry out to the Lord why does he make us see all this violence and injustice?  It is also as though the Lord is ignorant of what is going on in our world.  Habakkuk 1:3–4 (NIV84) — 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

            Our God reveals the impact of life in Noah’s day on his own heart.   We read 6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.  To be honest we need to reflect on what is the impact of our own hearts on the Lord’s heart?  Have we brought grief and pain to the heart of our God?  Psalm 90:8 (NIV84) — 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. Romans 14:12 (NIV84) — 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Matthew 12:36 (NIV84) — 36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken .   Now it is Jesus who pulls this all together with a reminder for our generation.  Matthew 24:37 (NIV84) — 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  Do we have reason to question whether we are God’s favorite?  We shouldn’t get any presents this Christmas or in any years to come.

God cannot tolerate such corruption and violence.   His eyes are too pure.  He is a holy and a righteous God.  God does not play favorites.   “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”   This God being true to himself proclaims a day of accountability and justice.   Those who have grieved his heart and brought pain into the hearts and lives of others will indeed have to face the judge.  

This is the focus of Advent, as Jesus came in the past, so he will come in judgment.  Listen to the judge speak from the days of Noah: Genesis 6:3 (NIV84) — 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:7 (NIV84) — 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” Genesis 6:13 (NIV84) — 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.

When you think of God’s judgment we have clear examples of the Lord’s impending doom.   We have the story of the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, we have Angel of Death in Egypt and the ground swallowing up the rebellion of Korah.   But there is another example of the ultimate and final judgment that is coming.  1 Peter 3:18–20 (NIV84) — 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. Here is the double judgment, both on Jesus and on those from the days of Noah.   The wicked at the time of Noah were still in the eternal prison when Jesus descended into hell following his being made alive.   So we all have to take serious our own relationship with the Lord.  Peter in the next chapter writes: 1 Peter 4:17 (NIV84) — 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

            The time came for judgment, but before that happened the Lord came to Noah.  Genesis 6:18 (NIV84) — 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.  God told Noah to build an ark.  The Apostle Peter would write of those days: 2 Peter 2:4–5 (NIV84) — 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others.  Genesis 6:22 (NIV84) — 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

            The book of Hebrews unfolds the heart of Noah: Hebrews 11:7 (NIV84) — 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

            Noah was a man of faith.  Noah was a man whose faith was followed by obedience.  What God asked of him, he did.   Noah was a righteous man, it was not his own righteous but the righteousness that comes by faith.   His right standing and finding favor before the Lord was experienced in believing the words and promises of God.

            But there is something else, we need to know about the Lord.  Yes, he promised a flood and a flood came.   But there is still another side, the patience of the Lord.  He waited and waited while he let Noah proclaim repentance   He gave that generation an additional 120 years to hear and listen to the word of the Lord.