A King's Grace
"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Genesis 6: 5-8 NKJV
"Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”
And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” Exodus 33:12-19 NKJV
I love how the Bible ties two stories together when you didn't think they had any significant connection. Noah and Moses both worked through God's grace here in the above scriptures. These two special people in the bible show us how God gives grace. The word grace in the Old Testament is from the Hebrew word 'chen' (חֵן) which also gets translated favor a lot of times in other translations. Isn't it wonderful how the grace of God and the favor of God goes hand in hand?
Noah when surrounded by people turning farther away from God, still found grace with God. Commentators say this word for grace expresses God as a King or a Master and the person as the servant or employee or solider. To find grace with my God. To find favor with my King. Living in a democratic society I am far away from the monarch ideas. But I can still imagine the significance of finding grace when needed in the presence of a King. After all, we are talking about finding favor with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! When the world around you seems to be falling apart. When the world around me seems to be turning on it's head. When everything is going the wrong direction. I want to, I need to find more favor and grace with my King.
In Exodus we are seeing the same Hebrew word for grace, also referred to as favor as well. And it is still looked at as that of a King to a servant. While leading the Israelites through the desert, Moses needed God's grace more and more. That grace was a complete dependence on God. He needed affirmation that God would not just send Moses but come with him. I love the connection that is demonstrated with Moses and carried out throughout the Bible. That God in His grace and in His favor gives us access to Him! I don't just get the grace of a King. I get to have grace to be able to access the King; the King of Kings. I will never be holy enough to stand in His presence of my own accord. But with His merited favor! I will never be able to win His grace or His favor. It is something gifted to me. I love how in the context of Moses here it is something much more personal (vs. 33:14). Our King, Our God gives us grace to come to Him personally. To ask Him to come with us where we are going. God wants us to be face to face with Him. And in that we find a grace beyond words I can express.
Throughout the Old Testament grace is referred to as 'chen' and translated many times as favor. This is a grace to be able to access not just a King but the King of Kings. This favor to be able to stand in the presence of the King, and be able to talk face to face. To have the King's favor as He is the King of our lives. This gift of blessing despite our world, despite our circumstance, despite what is going on around us. He is gifting it to us.
