"And He Loved Her": 06

Genesis 6:5‑8  •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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“God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.... But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:5,85And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:8)).
Man’s degenerate heart, the source of those awful imaginations and actions, has tainted with lust and violence all that God has instituted for his blessing. The institution of marriage is one of those spheres that has sadly degenerated into a union all too often marred by lust, depravity and perversion.
In the midst of that awful corruption before the flood, one man “found grace” in God’s sight. By faith Noah moved in the fear of God and saved his house (Heb. 11:77By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)). His actions not only made him a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:55And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (2 Peter 2:5)), but they provide us with valuable principles which we may apply with profit to the saving and strengthening of our marriages.
Three things specially characterized Noah, and, if they characterize our marriages, they will provide that union with happiness, stability and permanence.
(1) “Noah was a just man.” In a society that had no interest in God’s thoughts, Noah was upright (just) in all his ways. He judged by God’s standards, making God (rather than the world) the reference point of his thoughts. Husbands and wives need to take care that current moral and social standards of this world are never allowed to replace God’s thoughts as revealed in His Word. It is very easy to get caught up in the current thinking of the present evil world. If we Christians give place to such thoughts, our marriage unions will suffer great damage rather than enjoying lasting happiness.
(2) “Perfect in his generations.” Noah was not a “double minded man”; he was stable. He didn’t follow the world, when that seemed the desirable or easy thing, while trying to please the Lord. His eye was single to please God at all times in his life. When first married, a couple finds it no great difficulty to constantly seek to please their mate in all things. But if not first united in heart to follow God, marital devotion will eventually wane and turn into marital disaster.
(3) “Noah walked with God.” Noah had a choice—separation from the world or losing the joy of fellowship with God. God honored his faithfulness, for though we don’t read that his wife and family had the same desire, they were graciously preserved with Noah from judgment. Happy, lasting marriages have mates that daily commune with each other. But personal communion with God comes first if our marriages are to enjoy permanence. May we be like “Zacharias... and his wife... Elisabeth... they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1:5656And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. (Luke 1:56)). Such marriages will last.
Ed.