Articles
The Holy Outlier
Reading: Genesis 6
The state of human affairs reached atrocious conditions by Noah’s day. God assessed humanity with perfect justice and found nothing but wickedness and corruption. Indeed, “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (v. 5). Our ancestors had filled the planet with violence, and “all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (v. 12). Because of this complete abandon to willful rebellion against their Creator, God was grieved to His core and sentenced the human population of that day to destruction.
Yet there was one who found favor in God’s eyes (v. 8). Somehow, while surrounded by wickedness and violence and corruption, Noah walked with God (9). So it was that God chose this man and his family to carry on the covenants He had made and would continue to make with humanity (18). When told of the global flood and God’s plan to deliver Noah, his family, and the animals, Noah “did all that God commanded him” (v. 22).
Noah’s singularly unique standing with God in his day foreshadows the perfect Christ coming as the Light of the World into the seemingly hopeless darkness of a sin-stained world. While here in the flesh, Jesus Christ walked with God perfectly and committed no sin (something not even Noah could claim). He did all that God commanded Him, despite the hostility and corruption of the people around Him. And the best part of all? It wasn’t just to preserve Himself. He did all this to deliver us from God’s holy and just wrath on sin.
