Resting in Grace
The story of Noah is one of the most sobering in all of Scripture. It begins in a world gone terribly wrong—so wrong, in fact, that God grieves over the state of humanity.
April 6, 2025
Genesis 6:5–8 – “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the Lord said, ‘I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth…’ But Noah found favor with the Lord.”
The story of Noah is one of the most sobering in all of Scripture. It begins in a world gone terribly wrong—so wrong, in fact, that God grieves over the state of humanity. These are not casual missteps or cultural quirks; Genesis tells us that every inclination of the human heart was only evil, all the time. In this dark and devastated context, the word “favor” breaks through like a ray of light. “But Noah found favor with the Lord.” That word—favor—changes everything.
What Is God’s Favor?
Favor in Scripture is often synonymous with grace. It’s an undeserved kindness, a divine leaning in, a heart of God turned toward someone in love and mercy. It’s not earned, and it’s certainly not deserved. In Noah’s case, it’s the hinge on which an entire story of redemption swings.
While the rest of the world spiraled into chaos, Noah stood out—not because he was perfect, but because God’s favor rested on him. The Bible says Noah walked with God. He lived in close fellowship with Him. In the middle of a generation that had turned its back on the Creator, Noah turned his face toward Him.
This wasn’t about religious performance or moral superiority. This was about relationship. God chose Noah, extended His favor, and invited him into a partnership that would literally preserve the future of humanity.
Favor Doesn’t Always Look Like Comfort
It’s important to recognize what favor did not mean for Noah. It didn’t mean a trouble-free life. It didn’t mean instant answers or an easy journey. Instead, God’s favor meant:
- An impossible task: Build an ark with no sign of rain.
- Social rejection: Imagine the ridicule he faced over decades of preparation.
- Prolonged waiting: Noah waited 120 years while preaching righteousness and building a boat.
- Uncertain timing: When the flood finally came, he had no idea how long he’d be in that ark.
God’s favor does not mean we are exempt from storms. Often, it means we are preserved through them.
Favor Is About Faith
Noah had to trust God in ways that defied logic. He had no evidence to support what God had said—just a word and a promise. And yet, he obeyed.
When the first drops of rain finally fell, Noah and his family stepped into the ark. The door was shut—not by Noah, but by God Himself.
Genesis 7:16 – “Then the Lord closed the door behind them.”
God sealed them in—not just to keep them safe from the waters, but to secure them in His plan and presence. That is what divine favor looks like: not the absence of crisis, but the presence of God in the middle of it.
Resting in God’s Timing
We know from Genesis 8 that the rain lasted 40 days and nights, but Noah remained in the ark for over a year. Think about that—waiting in a confined space, surrounded by noise, mess, uncertainty. And yet, he waited on God. He didn’t pry the door open. He didn’t jump ahead. He waited until God remembered him—and opened the way forward.
Genesis 8:1 – “But God remembered Noah…”
This doesn’t mean God had forgotten him. In the Bible, when it says “God remembered,” it always signals a turning point—a moment when divine action moves in line with divine promise. Waiting is hard, especially when we don’t see signs of progress. But favor means that even in the silence, God is working. He is faithful. He remembers.
Jesus: Our Ark of Salvation
At first glance, that might seem like a minor detail—just another date in the Bible. But there is rich symbolism hidden in that moment.
According to the Hebrew calendar, the seventeenth day of the seventh month would later become the same day Jesus rose from the grave. The month that was once known as Nisan—the month of Passover—corresponds to the seventh month in the original calendar of Genesis. Jesus, the greater ark, conquered death and rested in resurrection power on that very day.
What does this mean for us? The day Noah’s ark came to rest—the day the floodwaters of judgment began to recede—foreshadowed the day Christ would rise and declare rest from sin, rest from striving, rest in the finished work of salvation. The flood was over. The storm was silenced. A new beginning had come. Noah emerged into a new world. And through Jesus, we too are invited into resurrection life.
Ultimately, the story of Noah points us to Jesus. Just as Noah found favor and was invited into a vessel of salvation, so we are invited into Christ—our true ark. Jesus is the place where God’s judgment and mercy meet. The cross is the door through which we enter and find refuge from the flood of sin and separation. Just like the ark was sealed, so is our salvation secure in Christ. And just as Noah emerged into a new world, one day we too will step into the fullness of God’s renewed creation.
Resurrection Power and Revelation
The power and revelation of the resurrection of Jesus is not just information—let it become a revelation.
Romans 8:11 – If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
What is this headache you’re dealing with? What are the kidney issues you’re facing? God raised Jesus from the dead—He can raise your body, your career, your purpose, even your broken business back to life. You have permission to believe in resurrection power. One revelation from God can change your life.
The Reality of Peace: Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken
Every time we complain, it’s often because we underestimate the resurrection power of Jesus. If we were fully convinced of that power, we’d realize that nothing is ever truly lost or broken.
In Hebrew culture, when a child leaves or returns home, the parents greet them with shalom—peace. But shalom means far more than a calm mind. It means nothing missing, nothing broken. It’s a declaration of restoration. When Noah rested in the ark, he wasn’t just resting in God’s protection or provision—he was resting in God’s peace.
Noah had likely lost everything—his home, his livelihood. He had to start from scratch. But because he trusted the God of peace, he knew that what was missing could be restored. Nothing was broken beyond repair.
The Dove and the Olive Leaf: A Message of Peace
Genesis 8:8–11 tells us that while Noah was in the ark, he sent out a dove:
Genesis 8:8–11 – “Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided… But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned… He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove… And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf.”
The dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, returns with an olive leaf, a symbol of peace. This was more than a sign that the earth was drying—it was a gospel moment. The Spirit brings peace. The time for new beginnings had arrived.
The First Response: Worship
Noah’s immediate response after exiting the ark was to build an altar and offer sacrifices to the Lord (Genesis 8:20). God had instructed him to bring extra pairs of clean animals for this very purpose. Those who are willing to sacrifice will always be provided with an offering.
Genesis 22 tells us how Abraham, when asked to sacrifice Isaac, believed God would provide. And He did.
Worship is not a requirement to gain God’s favor—it is a response to His grace. Noah worshiped not to earn God’s presence, but because he had already experienced it.
Blessing After the Storm
Genesis 9:1 – “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.’’
We’ve heard this before—it’s the same command God gave to Adam and Eve. But they lived under the consequence of the fall. Now, God counters that curse with a blessing. The blessing of God is more powerful than any curse.
In Numbers 22–24, a pagan prophet named Balaam was paid to curse Israel, but he couldn’t. He said, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed?” What God has blessed, no curse can override.
A Covenant of Peace
Genesis 9:11 – “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood.”
This covenant points to the cross. Isaiah 54:9–10 connects it:
Isaiah 54:9–10 – “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you.”
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Because of Jesus, God is not angry with you. He has made a covenant of peace.
Covered and Accepted
Just as Noah waterproofed the ark with pitch, we are covered by the blood of Jesus. Nothing can seep through—your life is sealed. Righteousness is not earned; it is received.
Stop trying to prove yourself. Rest in the finished work of the cross. Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). You don’t have to feel righteous—you just have to believe that Jesus’ sacrifice is enough.
Boldness Through the Blood
Some prayers go unanswered because we don’t approach God boldly. We come timidly, unsure of our place. But Hebrews 4:16 says:
Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Where does that boldness come from? From the blood of Jesus. When God sees you, He sees the sacrifice of His Son. You are accepted in the throne room—not by your works, but by His grace.
Righteousness Credited by Faith
Genesis 6:8 – “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”
Genesis 6:9 – “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”
Noah’s righteousness came from his faith, not from his performance. When you rest in God’s goodness, righteousness is credited to your account. You don’t become righteous to earn rest; you rest in God and receive righteousness.
Stop Striving. Start Receiving.
Trying to pay for grace is offensive. Imagine someone gives you an iPhone as a gift, and you pull out ₹1,500 to pay them back. It’s insulting. Just say thank you.
God has given you the gift of grace. Don’t try to earn it with hours of prayer or acts of penance. You don’t pray to earn love—you pray because you’re already loved. You don’t seek attention—you already have it. Let prayer be a joy, not an obligation.
Even if you stop praying, you’re still going to heaven. But prayer connects you not to a place, but to a Person.
Heaven isn’t the best gift—Jesus is. Don’t just wait for heaven. Receive Jesus today and enter His rest now.
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