God favored Noah

-

 


GENESIS 6:9–11 “These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth”

The now-familiar toledot formula (“these are the generations of”) signals a new storyline in the Bible, Until the end of chapter 9, Moses focuses on Noah and his salvation from the flood.

Verse 9 elaborates on 6:8, telling us the divine favour Noah enjoys is due to his righteous and blameless disposition. The Hebrew word translated “blameless” is also used for animals without blemish and fit for sacrifice. Noah is a good man; from a human perspective, he might even be called “perfect,” as some translations render verse 9.

This raises questions because other biblical passages clearly assert there is no person who is righteous (Ps. 14:1–3; Rom. 3:9–18). Does Moses, therefore, contradict the rest of the Bible in Genesis 6?



Distinguishing between the two ways the Bible speaks of righteousness solves our dilemma. The first type of righteousness is the absolute perfection the Lord demands of us to stand before Him in glory. Only those who always precisely obey God’s law in thought, word, and deed possess such excellence. The Bible laments our lack of this kind of righteousness, for only Christ meets this standard (Rom. 3:21–22a; 2 Cor. 5:21). When we trust in Jesus alone, His merit is imputed to our account, and we are justified in God’s sight.

The second type of righteousness results from our sanctification. Even though we will not perfectly practice God’s law in this life, those who have been justified will live uprightly. We will bear holy fruit, loving God and neighbour if we have true faith (James 2:14–26). This is the kind of righteousness that Noah possessed, one that comes from walking with God (Ps. 1). 

It is “relative” righteousness, for compared to his generation, Noah did practice real good, even though his obedience was imperfect and not the basis of his justification. As a result of God’s grace, we manifest this experiential righteousness, and it is brought to completion in our glorification. As Augustine says in the City of God (15.26): Noah was “perfect in his generation—not indeed with the perfection of the citizens of the city of God in that immortal condition in which they equal the angels, but in so far as they can be perfect in their sojourn in this world.”

John Calvin comments on this passage, “they are called just and upright, not who are in every respect perfect, and in whom there is no defect; but who cultivate righteousness purely, and from their heart.” Are you cultivating holiness in your life, not only by avoiding sin but in actively working to do good works for your neighbour? Your righteous works will not justify you, but if you lack them totally, you may conclude, along with James, that your faith is dead.

Author: R. Sproul



Popular posts from this blog

Speaking in tongues for today - Charles Stanley

-
Image
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. … But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. … And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. … Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way - 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7, 28, 30—31 The Lord Jesus Christ had come and gone. The church—newly birthed—was in a transition time. The new covenant was seen as a threat to the Jewish leaders; therefore, there was persecution for those who had chosen to follow Christ. The new religion, in its infant stages, had no Bible, few leaders, and absolutely no support from the government. Astounding that it survived, isn’t it?  How in the world did it survive with so little going for it? Power. Not just a force, but mighty, visible power. Th...
Read more

What is the glory (kabod) of God?

-
Image
2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Scripture places a high value on God 's glory, and it is not hard to figure out why. Since the inherent glory of the Lord is something that He will not share with others (Isa. 42:8), we know that His glory is something that He prizes highly; indeed, He prizes it more highly than anything else. We should, therefore, set the glory of God as the goal and overarching emphasis of our lives. Whatever we lose for the sake of making the Lord's glory known will be worth it when we see the dazzling light and beauty of; the divine glory (28:5; Rev. 21:23). Glory has to do with light and beauty, but those aspects do not sum up what the Bible means when it speaks of the glory of God. Interestingly, the Hebrew word kabod , which is translated into English as "glory," has the root meaning of "weight" or "heaviness....
Read more

The Holy Spirit causes us to cry out: Abba, Father

-
Image
Pentecostés. Óleo sobre lienzo, 275 × 127 cm. Madrid, Museo del Prado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) To bring out the same truth in another way, Paul says God sent Jesus (as a Man) to live under the Law in order “to redeem those under law, that we [Jews and Gentiles ] might receive the full rights [adoption] of sons” ( Galatians 4:5).  By “full rights” or “adoption” he means entering into the privileges and responsibilities of sonship. He uses it also of the sonship of Israel (Romans 9:4). Galatians 4:1, 2 indicate that the son and heir of a wealthy family in Paul’s day would be treated as a slave until he became of age.  Then he would receive the adoption, that is, all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that belonged to an adult member of that family. Adoption was also used in the modern sense, so that Gentiles who were not sons of Abraham became true heirs, true sons of God , by faith.  Jesus died, not just to save us from the fires of hell, bu...
Read more