Things you can learn from Genesis: part 8

The thing about Noah is that he found favor in the eyes of God. There is no mention of what this means. We have really no clue about what it was that Noah did that brought about this distinction. We just know that this is what scripture says. In genesis 6:9 we are told that, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God." that is some pretty sick stuff. There are not a whole lot of people who walked with God. You would be hard pressed to name too many ( I am not counting the thousands that followed Jesus.) you can count them if you want. But still we do not see it listed that Noah did anything extraordinary.

But the times Noah lived in were certainly extraordinary. We are told the earth was filled with wickedness. The word of God makes clear that every single man/woman was wicked. That "every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." That is shocking. The thoughts of all men were evil at all times. Certainly that can't be true? Or could it be that God sees evil as all thoughts not about Him? And if that is true then what? It seems evident that all men were not involved in murder, mayhem and perversion at all times. At least not in the way we define it. But in truth if God sees things in one of two ways. If God sees only light and dark(and I am pretty sure that is what He sees) then this brings into perspective what God was looking at when He decided He "was sorry that He had made man on the earth."

So maybe Noah did not live in such extraordinary times. Perhaps He lived in a time that looks strikingly familiar. Noah walked in the light. I know this because God walked with him. Everyone else. Every single person on the face of the planet walked in darkness. Only Noah's family was saved.

God does a hard reset on the planet earth experiment. He kills off all things including the bugs and the animals. And when the water subsides Noah makes a sacrifice and this so strikes God to the core that God makes an announcement. He says, "I will never again curse the ground because of man." That right there is interesting. It is a promise with a qualifier. God essentially says He will not let man get to Him again. He will not destroy stuff due to the failure of man. He may break stuff for other reasons but it won't be because of what man does. What is even more shocking is the why of the whole thing. God will not destroy things because of man, "For the intention of man is evil from his youth." What just happened God? Here is the thing the hard reset was never intended to fix the problem. God never thought if I reduce the planet to the few who love me it will all turn out good. He never thought this will fix everything. He knew from the beginning that man was evil, that man was always evil and was always going to choose evil.(and that is some crazy stuff right there) The reset did nothing to curb the evil of man. 

In fact what we know is that Jesus comes to do what man always fails to do. Jesus became the sacrifice that stirs the heart of the Father. Jesus is the "pleasing aroma" that so moves God to forgive our ways. Don't confuse what Jesus has done with anything we have done. We only look different because God sees Jesus. He is like this cool window that makes us look different to the Father. Maybe i'm not being super theological there but you get the point.