DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Genesis 6:9-22
(3/24) 1st
The
Flood & Baptism-I ~ Grace: Genesis 6:9-22, especially vss. 9, 10: “But
Noe found grace before the Lord God....Noe was a just man; being perfect in his
generation. Noe was well-pleasing
to God.” Alone in
his generation, Noah “found grace” in God’s eyes, being
perfect and “well-pleasing to God.” As a result, God disclosed to him that
judgment had come “for all men...because the earth has been filled with
iniquity by them, and, behold, I destroy them and the earth” (vs. 14);
and yet, God saved Noah from destruction.
Like Noah, we live in a time flooded with wickedness; hence, the
question arises: is God likely to permit another season of destruction to come
upon the earth? Further, is it
possible that we, like Noah, might receive grace from God in the face of some
great, world-wide catastrophe?
After all, the Baptismal Liturgy makes it clear that we were clothed
with the garment of righteousness, although it clearly adds that we must take
part in preserving our “baptismal garment and the earnest of the Spirit
pure and undefiled unto the dread Day of Christ.”[1]
When Noah is called “just,” his righteousness is emphasized
both grammatically and by his being called “perfect” (vs. 10). He behaved perfectly with men and was well-pleasing to God. This is the character one expects to
find in those whom Scripture calls “just.” Aided by the grace of God, the
“just” man habitually functions in a trustworthy manner. This means that Noah was a person
trustworthy in business, in the company of others’ wives, in performing
contracts, or in handling money and valuables without oversight. Noah was a just man - morally predictable
and reliable, all of which is pleasing to God.
What is the relationship between moral consistency and grace? In Proverbs it is said that “All
the desire of the righteous is good”
(Prov. 11:23). But what
makes a man’s desires good in God’s eyes? When Noah is described as “perfect
in his generation” (Gen. 6:10), the point is made that Noah’s inner
character was wholesome, complete by God’s standard. By grace he overcame confusion and
contradiction and functioned with integrity, not being driven by impulses, base
desires, or conflicting wants. He
was at peace in himself and before God.
How may one attain such integrity?
God’s grace enables right behavior. Elder Joseph the Hesychast says,
“By ourselves, we cannot do anything if Christ does not first assist us
with His divine grace. He first
made Himself known to us, and then we came to know Him....If He does not act,
the good is not activated within us.”[2] O Lord, may we be perfected in Thy
Christ!
Notice also that Noah is said to have been “well-pleasing to
God” (vs. 10). The
reintegration of the inner man, by which we become “perfect” or
complete in Christ, requires cooperation with God. Let us embrace the grace of our Savior
and confess our sins to Him Who is “faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). By so doing we may become increasingly
well-pleasing to God. Strive to
receive His all-pure Body and precious Blood for healing, for restoration, and
for reconciliation with the God of all.
Observe: after the Lord gave Noah detailed instructions (vss. 14-21),
the text about him adds this: “And Noah did all things whatever the Lord
God commanded him, so did he” (Gen. 6:23). As God speaks and directs, so Noah does. Noah never replies verbally to God, but
he acts on God’s commands!
Let us who have received grace also heed the Lord and obey Him.
O Physician and Healer of our souls: guide us unto the haven of Thy will, enlighten the eyes of our hearts to the knowledge of Thy truth, and vouchsafe that our whole life may be peaceful and without sin; and grant us, O Lord, all our petitions which are unto salvation, that we may love and fear Thee with all our hearts and do Thy will in all things. Amen.[3]