Section 2 Chapter 2 – Noah found Grace
We mentioned in the last chapter that Noah was a servant of the most-high God that “found” grace. He wasn’t out walking one day and stumbled upon some grace lying on the side of the road or found some under a bush and decided to take it home. The word found in the Hebrew is: maw-tsaw’; a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain. It’s a verb, indicating that this was a condition of Noah’s personal experience with his creator, long before he ever took any walk. Noah grew up as a young man exposed to the saving grace God had offered to a world in rebellion. In other words, Noah was living by grace even before God called him to his special mission. Other than the building of a special rescue craft, Noah was an ambassador of God’s truth and a spokesman for His kingdom. One-hundred and twenty years before the great cleansing flood, God would empower him by an extra measure of His grace to accomplish that overwhelming task of building a super ship.
This characteristic is only mentioned during a time when things were going to get very real for Noah and his family. We can only imagine the pressure and anguish he and his family experienced for taking on God’s special project. He was truly like the remnant that Scripture speaks of, that live through a difficult end time scenario, called the time of trouble. “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: He is their strength in the time of trouble” (Ps 37:39). “And at that time shall Michael stand up (close of human probation), the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book” (Dan.12:1). Always when a crisis is upon God’s people, He provides a special unction of grace to carry them through.
It is true that in every generation there have been tremendous challenges that have faced God’s faithful, but at the very end, near probation’s close, the wheels truly come off the cart. Not only society but nature itself will be in full rebellion and the inhabitance, both the wicked and the righteous, will be highly impacted to an unbelievable degree. Noah’s experience was somewhat similar, he would need that special implementation of grace in order to successfully accomplish his mission. The global reset would facilitate thousands of years of life yet still to play out on a compromised planet, for the promise of a Savior to come was still in the distant future.
Another example of grace empowering God’s people is recorded with the reset Israel was promised in Jeremiah 31. Saving grace would always play its role in equipping the called of God to properly lift up a future King to come. “At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus, saith the LORD, the people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest”.
The Psalmist confirms for us the character of Noah before God called him to his special mission; “for the LORD God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Ps. 84:11). “Then the LORD said to Noah, come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation” (Gen. 7:1).
Since Moses is providing just the highlights of that time before the great flood, there is no mention of Noah’s life until God calls him for special service, no doubt he was living a humble life and walking uprightly. “Surely the Lord scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble” (Pro. 3:34)
Scripture records that God knew the unrighteous evil conditions mankind had progressed to. Yet still He provides, through Noah’s life and mission, the standard to which He had intended for mankind to reach. The 120 years of special probationary time would be granted to reveal in stark contrast, the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness. The construction of the Ark was to send a message that could not be misunderstood. “Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness, he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD” (Is. 26:10).
Scripture records that anarchy and violence became the norm in antediluvian society, it was like the last days that Scripture mentions, a “perilous time shall come” (dangerous – 2 Tim. 3:1). That generation was sent a somber message, one that they in large part ignored. It was not only the construction of the ship, that was a constant testimony of the danger to come, but Noah was a preacher of righteousness as well, “God did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly” (2 Pe.2:5).
It seems clear from God’s word that grace was in full operation from the very beginning of time, yet many Christians today are taught and believe that grace is a New Testament only phenomena. I understand a casual surface read from John chapter 1 might bring a person to a premature conclusion, however, because of my insights on the atonement, I conclude that there is always more to gleam from the scriptures. Let’s take a closer look: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, this was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me. and of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”. (Jn 1:14-17)
John being a faithful Jew would cringe if he knew today that Christianity was teaching the setting aside of His Masters law. To start with “the Law” of God (moral law- ten commandments) had its’ origin from God Himself from the very beginning. Moses did record in a book various health, social and ceremonial laws, these as well were inspired by God (since they were pointing to the Messiah) or current circumstances at that time. Christ was the law made flesh, to illustrate for us the example of sanctification. Christ used the same power (grace), to live that exemplar life, but Scripture has demonstrated that this power was always available from the very beginning of time, and we especially see it demonstrated through the Patriarch’s.
The reason for John’s distinction is that the “fullness of time”, when Christ would be sent, was the time that God’s people were relying on the keeping of the law as their savior. And the truth is, the law is only intended to point out sin (like a school master), to drive us towards the Savior who saves us. Remember, this is why God would not let Noah close the Ark door. He and we must always keep in mind that all our efforts, even the keeping of the law, is not what saves us. What saves us was the accomplishment of the atonement, by the Messiah. This, however, does not minimize the importance of God’s law, as It is doing what is was designed to do, lead us to total cooperation in the saving process – just like great-granddaddy Noah.
Grace does not replace the law as some advocate, but it confirms its existence. The greatest evidence of this is Christ’s willingness to give His life on Calvary. The law demanded the death of the sinner, “the wages of sin is death”, Christ as the only sinless human offering was willing to take our place. But not only that human offering was necessary in accomplishing the atonement a divine offering was also necessary and provided. In order to cover the transgression of an eternal law; an offering of equal value would be necessary to atone or reconcile us to God. Since humanity had nothing to offer, God would look to His Son, who through the incarnation, could qualify to provide both offerings: one human, one divine (this is highlighted in 1 Jn. 5). Christ would lay down His human life as our substitute and of necessity use His Omnipresence to cover the transgression of His Father’s law. One holy character to cover another.
The reality of the atonement was illustrated with the construction of Noah’s Ark (the world was being saved). The “pitch” used to cover and seal the joints was applied both on the outside and inside (kafar-atonement, Kofer-cost of a life), representing the 2 offerings the Savior would need to make (human & Divine). God’s plan to save humanity was more costly than most Christians understand, that’s what Grace is!!