What Does Genesis 6:8 Mean? (2024)

The first sixchapters of Genesis cover the span oftime from Creation to the Flood. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth, and made man in His own image and likeness.. and when He reflected on all that He had made God saw thatitwas very good. But Adam made a foolishchoice and instead of eating of the Tree of Life.. he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, catapultingthe human race headlong into sin and rebellion against their Creator-God. Sadly, only a few chapterslater we readthat the Lordsaw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of men'sheart was only evil continually.

What a shocking testimony of what sin can do and what a sombre truth of the destructive nature of sin in the life of men. In a matter of 10 generation we discover how quicklythe wholehuman race had become utterly depraved and corrupt. We read that theearth was filled with violence and God's pronouncement was that He would destroy the whole earth together withthe sumtotal of humanity. But we read that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

The Lord cannot look upon sin and sin must be punished.. but He is also full of mercyand great goodnessand we read elsewhere that the eyes of the Lord search to and fro throughout the whole earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. We also discover later in Scripture that it is faith in God that is credited to man as righteousness.. and as the Lord grieved over His fallen creation and the utter depravity of man's heart.. the eyes of the Lord search to and fro, looking for someone with a heart thatwas in right standing towardsGod.

God's eyes fell on Noah.. for Hesearches the heart and He understands every desire and every thought in the mind of man.. for it is the Lord Who finds pleasure in righteousness. Like all of Adam's descendantsNoah had a sin nature. But we discover that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was not a perfect man.. indeedNoah was a sinner who deserved the same condemnation of all humanity.. for all have sinned and all come short of the glory of God - and the wages of sin is death.

So why did God save Noah when he was obviously a sinful descendent of Adam? Why do we read that Noah was a righteous man, who was blameless among the people of his time? Why was it that NOAH alone found grace in the eyes of the Lord?

Well, as we have said..the eyes of the Lord search to and fro looking for someone with a heart thatisin right standing withGod and His eyes fell onNoah.. because God in His gracesearches the heart, and He could see that Noah trusted Him.. Noah believed in Him... Noah had faith in Him. Without faith it is impossible to please God, but Noah's faith pleased God and so Noah, found grace in the eyes of the Lord and His faith was credited to Him as righteousness.. just as Abraham and David and you and me and all who have trusted God's Word.. are declared righteous.

Hebrews chapter 11 gives us a greater insight into the importanceof trusting God.. of believing in God - of having faith in God.. forwithout faith it is impossible to please Him, for the onewho comes to God must believe thatHe is and that He is a rewarder of those who dilligently seek Him. Indeed it was by faith that Noah.. having being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household. Noah believed God.. by which Hecondemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which isaccording to faith.

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Genesis 2:2

Nehemiah 1:5

2 Peter 2:4

1 Timothy 2:2