Noah's Rest

Genesis 6:6–8 (ESV) 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Why was Noah saved? 
The word "favor" in verse 8 can also be translated "grace." It is important to note the verb before it as well. Noah FOUND favor, he did not earn favor. Verse 9 comes after verse 8 here with no connecting participle between them. God had every right to judge Noah along with his entire generation. Noah in no way earned salvation, for that would make it a work. Noah was declared righteous and blameless by the God who gave him His grace.

But you may say, "Yes, but look at Noah's righteous acts! He built the ark, he preached righteousness, he was zealous for God's word in a time when all other disregarded it." True, but what came first? God's Word! Noah built an ark according to God's Word to save himself and his family. Notice how Hebrews puts it:

Hebrews 11:7 (ESV) By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

He built that ark out of reverent fear that God had every right to judge humanity - himself included. But Noah was empowered by the favor of God to listen and respond to His voice.

It is the second most important theological conclusion any human will ever come to: "I am a sinner and worthy of judgment." The grace that the Lord bestowed on Noah led him to see his sin and seek God's salvation.

What keeps people from God? Their self-absorbed belief that their sin is not that bad, that they are good people, that God would be unfair to judge them. Noah had none of that here. And his confession that he was equally worthy of death ultimately was the doorway leading to his salvation.

Grace in Noah's life led him to come to terms with his sin. What a sweet mercy of God for us who do the same! It may be hard to confess we haven't made the grade in life. It may be difficult to confess we aren't all we hope others think we are... but in the end, it's where salvation is received.

Noah's name sounds like the Hebrew for rest. That's what confession does for us. We can rest now in our brokenness and God's goodness. We can rest from working so hard to make a name for ourselves. We can rest in the mercy of God and love of God for people least deserving. To be loved even when we are unlovely, that is sweet and wonderful rest.