Genesis Series: "Favor in the eyes of the Lord" (Gen 6:8)

THE GENERATIONS OF GENESIS: "Favor in the Eyes of the Lord" (Gen 6:8)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2002

We are all concerned with how others view us, especially those whose favor we hope to win, and we are often careful to behave in a way that will meet with their approval.

Calvin Coolidge, our 30th president (1923-29), once entertained some visitors from Vermont. The guests were concerned that they display proper table manners to win the President's respect, so they observed him very carefully and followed his example in detail. The meal passed smoothly, then came time for coffee. President Coolidge poured his into his saucer. The guests did likewise. Then the President added cream and sugar. The visitors did the same. He then leaned over and gave the saucer to his cat. (Adapted from Wright 1985:123)

We may never dine with the President, but we do care about meeting someone else's approval, that of God. The text of this message offers us the example of a person who did just that. In our series on The Generations of Genesis, we come to the account of Noah, a man who found "Favor in the eyes of the LORD."

It is unclear how much time passed since God created man but at least several generations (1000+ years), as we see in the genealogy of chapter 5 (KJV).

Gen 5:3 ...Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat...Seth... 6 [who] lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos 9 ...[who] lived ninety years, and begat Cainan  12 ... [who] lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel 15 ...[who] lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared 18 ...[who] lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch.... 21 [who] lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah 25 ...[who] lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech 28 ... [who] lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat [Noah]....

The verses that follow this genealogy, though, opening chapter 6 (NIV), are a little puzzling.

Gen 6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.... 4a ...the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them.

Who are "the sons of God"? One view holds that they were fallen angels, who cohabited with human women.¹ Another view holds that they were the righteous descendants of Adam and Eve through Seth, and that "the daughters of men" were the descendants of Adam and Eve through Cain.² Unfortunately, the passage is too vague and the evidence is too scanty to bear either interpretation with certainty. Whatever this means, the eventual result of their union is a profound moral decline, and the author of Genesis notes....

I. The Corruption of Man

Gen 6:5 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. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 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.

However vast the universe, however many other concerns vie for God's attention, the seriousness of the situation on earth attracts His notice. The depraved condition of man is undeniable, and...

A. God recognizes the reach of his iniquity (Gen 6:5).

The picture in v. 5 is the strongest description of wickedness in scripture, emphasizing the depths to which society has fallen. Mankind's sin is...³

1. Complete ("every inclination"),
2. Consistent ("only evil"), and
3. Constant ("all the time").

Almost every individual, no matter how unlikable, has some redeeming quality, a moment (however brief) of unexpected kindness. Perhaps it is a domineering boss, an intrusive neighbor, an annoying coworker, or a stuck-up fellow student. Usually any positive change in that individual's behavior is so uncharacteristic that we view it with suspicion, wondering if it is merely an attempt to lull us into thinking reformation is actually possible when, in fact, he is really plotting his next despicable act. Nevertheless, sometimes that person really does surprise us, and we revise (even if only a little) our negative evaluation of him. It was not so for the people of Noah's day. Evidently, they had no redeeming qualities, nothing that even hinted at the possibility of reform.

God's reaction to it, as the NIV and other English versions tend to render Gen 6:6, gives the impression that mankind has somehow hurt His feelings:

The LORD was grieved...and his heart was filled with pain.

Although it is possible to translate the verse this way, the Bible nowhere indicates that God suffers, emotionally or otherwise. The only exception was the incarnation, when God the Son experienced our weakness and expiated our wickedness.⁴ A more likely translation of this passage from Genesis is one that presents quite a different picture.⁵

The LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and he was annoyed.

The wickedness of this society has gotten His attention, and He is not pleased!⁶ Here...

B. God responds with regret for his progeny (Gen 6:6).

The divine reaction to it in Gen 6:7 is both radical and graphic: "I will wipe mankind...from the face of the earth"⁷ as one wipes unwanted scraps of food from a plate.⁸ Sin has risen to an irreversible level, having exceeded God's patience and making impossible man's repentance, and...

C. God resolves to recompense his disloyalty (Gen 6:7).

What may disturb some is how indiscriminate the Lord's judgment seems to be for, along with the wicked, He will destroy the wildlife.

Is God over-reacting? Surely the animals and birds have not sinned. We do not even refer to them in moral terms. When was the last time you heard someone say, "I have a righteous cat"?⁹ When a dog has a reputation for unprovoked attacks, we call him vicious but not sinful. Likewise, the biblical writers do not characterize animals or birds as moral creatures. Why, then, would God destroy them along with those who are evil? That is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Send a plague instead, some genetically-specific disease that only targets humans.¹⁰

We tend to compartmentalize sin, especially our sin. "It's my problem not someone else's.

• I'm the one who drinks.
• I'm the one with the bad temper.
• I'm the one with the foul mouth.
• I'm the one whose mind is always on sex.

It's my problem, not my family's, or my friends', or my coworkers'."

What you may not realize (or refuse to recognize) is that your sin almost always affects others. It damages your relationships, perhaps even promoting similar attitudes and actions in others, and it damages your reputation. So, the next time you face the temptation to do something you know is displeasing to God, pause and ask: How will this affect others? There are really very few, if any, truly private sins. Even those that seem limited in scope at the moment often have hidden costs that surface later, negative affects on your relationships or your reputation.

This passage suggests yet another consequence of sin, one that is foreign to us, because we live in a culture that does not distinguish between clean and unclean: Sin contaminates; it renders whatever it touches unfit for God's creation.¹¹ Here, we see that man's sin is so great, it has permeated the earth, making even the animal kingdom unfit—guilt by association. So, Gen 6:11 states, "the earth was corrupt in God's sight."¹²

After painting this bleak picture of the corruption of man, the author presents in stark contrast...

II. The Character of Noah

Gen 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

As with mankind in general, Noah, too, attracts divine attention, but in a different way and for quite a different reason....

A. God recognizes the reputation of his integrity (Gen 6:8-9).

To find favor in someone's eyes is a common phrase in scripture. Where the LORD is concerned, though, it is a rare distinction that Noah shares with just one other person: Moses.¹³ Noah stands out in the corrupt culture of his day because he is completely opposite. Just as Gen 6:5 is the strongest description of wickedness in scripture, so, in stark contrast, Gen 6:9 is the strongest description of godliness in scripture.

This is the generation/history/account of Noah.

He was...¹⁴

1. Righteous (living by an ethical, moral standard),
2. Respected (having a good standing before men), and
3. Religious (enjoying a close relationship with God).

As we look elsewhere in scripture, we see how unusual Noah would be in any generation.

• Believers in general are called "righteous," but Noah, Daniel, and Job are the only ones God identifies this way by name.¹⁵
• God commands His people to be blameless, but Noah and Job are the only two who actually have this title.¹⁶
• Likewise, the Bible describes only Noah, Enoch, and Levi as having walked with God.¹⁷

Noah is part of a truly select group. It is not merely that the depravity of those around make him look like a saint in contrast; he would stand out in any generation. It is little wonder, then, that "Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." There is also no surprise that...

B. God responds with regard for his security (Gen 6:14).

Gen 6:14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood.

God will destroy the wicked but will deliver the righteous. Notice that He does not tell Noah to pack up the family and move somewhere else, to an area the flooding will not reach. Apparently, that is not an option. Noah will have to remain and face the deluge along with everyone else, though from the shelter of an ark.¹⁸

There is an important lesson here about God's deliverance. When we face a difficult situation, our petition is often that He will rescue us from our trouble, that He will remove us from the situation or eliminate the difficulty altogether.

• "This woman is just impossible to work with. Deliver me by helping me find a different job or by getting rid of her. (Either one would be fine, God.)"
• "I am not going to be ready for that exam. There's just too much material and not enough time. Deliver me by convincing the teacher to put it off another week."
• "All these bills are putting a real strain on our marriage. Deliver us by getting me a raise. (I'd also accept a visit from Ed McMahon and the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes.)"

Sometimes God does deliver us from a bad situation, as when He rescues Lot from the destruction of Sodom. More often, though, God chooses not to deliver us from our difficulty but through it.

• God delivers by giving you the grace to work with that impossible person.
• God delivers by helping you organize and maximize your study time.
• God delivers by providing wisdom to make what little money you have go just a bit further than you expect.

Likewise, God delivers Noah by having him build an ark to protect him through the flood.¹⁹

As if deliverance is not enough, God states what else He will do for Noah.

Gen 6:18a...I will establish my covenant with you....

The LORD makes several covenants or contracts with various parties in scripture,²⁰ but the first is with Noah, as...

C. God resolves to reward his loyalty (Gen 6:18a).

What the LORD just hints here, He explains in detail after the flood.²¹

Gen 9:8 Then God said to Noah.... 11 "I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 ...This is the sign of the covenant...: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds.... 14 Whenever...the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 1 will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life."

"Whenever the bow appears, it serves as a reminder that despite the fact that the world deserves judgment, God will show restraint and mercy" (Hamilton 1990:318).²² Were it not for Noah's devotion to God, all would have perished in the flood, and the covenant would not exist.²³ This offers a corollary to what we saw earlier.

Just as your sin can be a detriment to others, influencing them to follow your bad example or causing them to suffer the consequences of sin along with you, so your righteousness can be a benefit to others, influencing them to follow your good example or allowing them to enjoy the blessings of godliness along with you.²⁴ We benefit from Noah's devotion, for mankind got a second chance as well as an assurance from God that He would never execute this kind of judgment again. Likewise, your family, friends, coworkers, or fellow students benefit from your devotion to God.

• How many potential arguments did you avoid this week by controlling your tongue?
• Whose day did you brighten by offering help in a task that was not your responsibility?
• Who may have noticed how you resisted a particular temptation and resolved to follow your example?

You may not realize the affect your actions have on others, but God does.²⁵

In a generation that has turned from the LORD, Noah offers a stark contrast of devotion to the LORD. It is, perhaps, for this reason the Bible presents him as an example of godliness, one that we should emulate. Given how few individuals in scripture actually warrant the titles ascribed to Noah—"righteous...blameless...walked with God"—it seems extremely unlikely that any of us (let alone, all of us) could qualify. Yet, these are the very qualities God expects from each of us, which means that it is possible: to be righteous, to be blameless, and to walk with God.²⁶ So, be a Noah, for such are those who find "Favor in the eyes of the LORD."

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.