Noah's Heart

Very early in the scriptures there is an account of three hearts:-

GE 6:5 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. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

The first heart we encounter is the heart of man.

Man’s heart is wicked – so wicked that the writer of Genesis tells us that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

This is the situation with your and my heart – the heart of the fall.

The second heart is the heart of the Lord:-

6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain .Here we have the heart of God which is filled with pain because of the wickedness of our hearts.

The third heart is the heart of Noah 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

GE 6:9 This is the account of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

So we have three heart conditions revealed here in Genesis chapter 6.

The first condition is the corrupted heart of humanity – corrupted by the sin of the world.

The second heart is the pained and broken heart of God which is indicative of the depth of corruption the fall visited on the human heart and also indicative of the love God feels for people.

Then there is the mysterious condition of the heart of Noah.

There is something radically different about the life of Noah.

Noah was so different that his life persuades God to stay his hand and rescue humanity even though most of them are destroyed in a massive flood.

What is it in Noah’s heart that stays God’s hand?

We need to discover that, because if we do then we are on the pathway to discovering how to live the Christian life at a whole new level.

Let us consider the heart of Noah in three different ways.

The first question is was Noah’s heart subject to the fall?

When we read these words – Do they apply to Noah?

GE 6:5 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.

Noah was a descendent of Adam.

As a descendent of Adam he was subject to the condition of sinfulness which is in fact rebellion against God and His purposes.

What then, had Noah done that no one else on earth had seemingly done?

In Genesis chapter 4 we get some insight into what Noah must have done.

This passage of course is not about Noah at all but rather his ancester Cain :-

4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

GE 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

What Noah had done wass to master the sin that we all are afflicted by.

Was he perfect – No?

Later on we find Noah acting unwisely in a state of drunkeness but overall we are told:-

GE 6:9 This is the account of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

The first thing then we learn is that:- sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

Nothing has changed – sin crouches at our doors and we must master it.

The interesting thing about Cain in Genesis is he finds it difficult to understand what he has done wrong.

The situation was that both he and his brother had offered sacrifices to God.

God was happy with his brothers sacrifice but was unhappy with Cain’s.