Monday, April 12
Amid all the texts about the evil of the antediluvian (pre-Flood) world, the man Noah stands out in contrast to those around him. Look at the above text, at the three particular points that the Bible mentions about him. To the best of your ability, write down what you think each of these points mean:
1. He was “a righteous man”
2. He was “blameless”
3. He “walked with God”
There is no question, Noah was someone who had a saving relationship with the Lord. He was someone whom God could work with, someone who would listen to Him, obey Him, and trust in Him. That is why the Lord was able to use Noah to fulfill His purposes and why Peter, in the New Testament, called him “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5).
Read Genesis 6:8. How does this text help us understand the relationship between Noah and the Lord?
The word grace occurs here for the first time in Scripture and clearly has the same meaning as in the New Testament references, where the merciful, unmerited favor of God, exercised toward undeserving sinners, is described. Thus, we need to understand that however “blameless,” and “righteous” Noah was, he was still a sinner who needed the unmerited favor of his God. In that sense, Noah is no different from any of us who seek earnestly to follow the Lord.
Understanding that Noah needed God’s grace, as do the rest of us, look at your own life and ask yourself this question, Could it be said of me that I am, like Noah, “righteous,” “blameless,” and that I “walk with God”? Write down your reasons for whatever position you take and (if you feel comfortable) share it with the class on Sabbath.
