THE LORD SPOKE (January 03)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Genesis 6-8

Hen and hesed. Two different Hebrew words are both sometimes translated as “grace”. In neither case does our English word fully express the meaning adequately. There is some synonymous overlap between the two, but there are also some differences.

hen = favor, grace, charm. This word occurs 69 times in the OT and is most often translated “to find favor/grace in the eyes of”, usually related to charm, beauty, or pleasing actions. The majority of the occurrences are not theological but some appear to be (e.g. Gen. 6:8; Ex. 3312; Zech. 12:10).

hesed - kindness, loving-kindness, mercy, steadfast love, loyalty, love, unfailing love. The semantic range is much broader. When the Scriptures speak of the hesed of God, it is often related to his covenant and is frequently paired with emet (“truth”), rahum (“mercy”), or hannun (“grace”).

The word used in Genesis 6:8 for Noah is hen: “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Noah’s life was distinctly different from his contemporaries. The description of man’s depravity was given a few verses earlier in unequivocal terms: “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Gen. 6:5, emphasis supplied).

In stark contrast, Noah is described as “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (Gen. 6:9). None of this implies sinless perfection but it certainly sets Noah in a class apart. Earlier (5:22), Enoch had also been described as one who “walked with God”.

Noah’s daily life was characterized by a faith and communion with the Lord that made a difference in the way he lived in a wicked world. He was “found righteous” in his generation (Gen. 7:1) which the author of Hebrews attributes to his faith. That’s the key! Righteous living is the result of genuine belief in God. Righteousness is not the result of some innate goodness on our part. It is itself a gift from God (Eph. 2:8). It’s all of grace!

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Heb. 11:7)

New Testament: Matthew 3

The forerunner’s job was (1) to clear the way, (2) to prepare the way, and (3) to get out of the way. John the Baptist cleared the way for the Messiah by preaching that the kingdom of God had come. He emphasized the need to repent and believe. The kingdom of God (Matthew prefers to speak of “the kingdom of heaven” because of his Jewish audience) was a present reality and a future hope. That’s the “already...not yet” aspect with which we still grapple. Many received John’s testimony and believed. Great crowds followed him and even the highest leadership, both religious and political, took notice.

John’s preaching of the kingdom also prepared the way for Jesus’ own preaching. Matthew alone mentions this theme 50 times and the other Gospel writers make their contributions. John also prepared the way by publicly recognizing Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29; c.f. vs. 36). After the Lord’s baptism John affirms, “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God” (Jn.1:34). Mighty strong words for any Jewish person to proclaim! How could he? He heard with his own ears the very words spoken from heaven (Mat. 3:17) when God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Finally, John got out of the way so that the Messiah’s work could be accomplished. Repeatedly he had to tell folks, “I am not the one” (Mat. 3:11; see Jn. 1:19-27). He directed all attention to the Christ and was faithful in making Him known. As Isaiah prophesied, his was “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Mat. 3:3, from Isaiah 40:3). We’re all prone to toot our own horn but John gave a great example that applies well to our own job of evangelism (= make Christ known):

1. clear the way - We need to clear obstacles from the path - both those that our hearers raise and some that we tend to create ourselves.
2. prepare the way - Lay down the groundwork. Build a solid scriptural foundation. Someone else may come along and build upon it after you.
3. get out of the way - Make sure you’re not the central figure or the main topic of discussion. It’s not about you. Keep self out of sight so eyes can be fixed upon the Savior.

John did a good job. You can too.