Let us turn to God's Word again
in the book of Genesis chapter 7 and directing your attention
particularly to the words that we have here at the end of verse
1. In Genesis chapter 7 verse 1, And the Lord said unto Noah,
Come thou and all thy house into the ark for thee have I seen
righteous before me in this generation those words at the end of the
verse for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation
to consider then something of this man associated of course
with the universal flood that solemn judgment that God visited
upon the ancient world and how you may have observed in the
reading of Holy Scripture it's set before us here as historic
certainly the very time of it is specified here in verse 11
in the 600th year of Noah's life in the second month the seventeenth
day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the
great deep broken up and the windows of heaven were opened,
and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."
How specific is God in detailing the very time when this awful,
calamitous judgment was visited upon the wicked world. And yet in the midst of all of
these things we read of this particular individual and his
wife and his sons and their wives that God was pleased to deal
with them in the way of mercy and so to preserve a seat here
upon the earth. For thee have I seen righteous
before me in this generation. The first thing then we observe
is how that this man Noah was accounted righteous. He was accounted righteous. But what was he by nature? Well,
by nature, he was a sinner. He was the same as other men. And we see how great was the
wickedness of men at that time. In chapter 6 and verse 5, 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. Besides the imagination, you'll
see there in the margin now that the original indicates that the
purposes, the desires of men, all about men was only evil and
that's continual and that was true of all, there were no exceptions
for all of sins and come short of the glory of God, there is
not a just man upon the earth who doeth good and sinneth not."
There was no exception. This man, Noah, so far as his
nature was concerned, was the same as all the other men round
about him. And even after God was pleased
to deal so graciously with him and to preserve his life, we
see Noah immediately sinning. We see him in chapter 9 in a
drunken, states, verse 20, Noah began to be a husband man, and
he planted a vineyard, and he drank of the wine, and he was
drunken, and he was uncovered within his tent. The wise man
in the book of Proverbs tells us concerning drink, wine is
a mugger, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby
is not wise. He was not a wise man. He was
a foolish sinner was this man. And that drunkenness of which
he was guilty is of course found in that awful catalogue of sins
that is mentioned when the Apostle writes to the Corinthians. How God had mercy there in that
wicked city of Corinth there were those who were saved. But
what were they saved from? Well, they were saved from the
most gross of sins there was such wickedness, such iniquity
there in Corinth. And Paul writes and reminds them
of these things in 1 Corinthians 6, 9, Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God, be not deceived, neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminates,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit
the kingdom of God." What an awful, dreadful catalogue of
the wickedness of men. And amongst these sins we have
mention of drunkards, and he continues, such were some of
you. Such were some of you, but you are washed, but you are sanctified,
but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by
the Spirit of our God." You see, Noah, like those Corinthians,
was not any different to the other people who were around
about him. By nature, this man was a sinner. But what was he by the grace
of God? He was by the grace of God a
saint. And that's what is declared here
in the text. For thee have I seen righteous
before me in this generation. Now what was the reason for this
difference? Was this man who in his very
nature was a sinner? Like all conceived in sin, shapen
in iniquity, was Noah somewhere or other able to change his very
nature? Of course, that could not be
the case. The Ethiopian cannot change his
skin, nor the leopard his spots. We read in the prophecy of Jeremiah,
he was what he was, he would have continued what he was all
his days and then have gone to that awful appointed place of
suffering for those who die dead in trespasses and in sins. The reason why this man is declared
righteous before God is because of the grace of God. He found
grace. He found grace in the sights
of the Lord. And we read it there in the previous
chapter, the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created
from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping
thing, and the fowls of the air. For it repenteth me that I have
made them, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." But,
or God would destroy me, but Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Peter tells us in his second
epistle how God spared not the old world but saved Noah. It was God who saved Noah because
God was pleased to deal with this man not in the way of wrath
but in the way of mercy. And there are at least two evidences
of God's grace to be discerned in the case of this man Noah.
And as we consider those marks of God's grace in Noah, how we
do well to look to ourselves and to examine ourselves whether
we know anything of that grace of God. Do we bear the marks
of the grace of God as we see them set before us here in the
case of this man? Two marks, I say. First of all,
there is that mark of godly fear, or filial fear. What was it that
motivated the man? Well, again, when we read in
the 11th chapter of Hebrew, we find Noah recorded amongst those
others who were men and women of faith in the Old Testament.
And what are we told concerning Noah? Hebrews 11, 7, He was moved
with fear. He was moved with fear and prepared
an ark. He knew something of the fear
of the Lord. But what was that fear of the
Lord that was in the heart of this man, Noah? Certainly there
is a fear that he's not good, there is a fear that only brings
bondage into the soul. The devil certainly knows something
of that flair. James, when he would rebuke some,
because he sees that their faith is not of the right order, the
right sort, he tells them the devils also believe and tremble. Why do the devils tremble? Because
they have something of God's fear in their heart which is
slavish fear. We see it, of course, at the
very beginning of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ,
there in the opening chapter of Mark's Gospel, where we see
Christ in the synagogue at Capernaum, as he performs a miracle. in healing a man, yet how the
devils cry out. Verse 23, there in Mark chapter
1, there was in their synagogue a man with an uncle in spirit
and he cried out saying, Let us alone! What have we to do
with thee? Thou Jesus of Nazareth, art thou
come to destroy us? I know that you thou art the
Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean
spirit had torn him and cried with a loud voice, he came out,
and they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves,
saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For
with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and
they do obey him. But see how the unclean spirit
See how this demon, this devil, recognizes him and fears him.
What have we to do with thee? Art thou come to destroy us?
I know thee who thou art, says the demon. Thou art the Holy
One of God. Oh, there is a fear, you see.
Even in devils they recognize the Lord Jesus. and they're afraid
before him because he has come to destroy all those works of
darkness. Now that's not the fear, of course,
that was in the hearts of Noah, it was a different sort of fear,
not a slavish fear. It was, on the contrary, a fearful
fear. The fear of one who was a true
child of God. that fear that is spoken of at
times in the book of Proverbs that fear of the Lord which is
the beginning of wisdom and that fear of the Lord which is spoken
of as the beginning of knowledge it's that fear that is in the
heart of those who have a true knowledge of God who know something
of God's character something of His holy attributes and how
they stand in awe before Him Oh, it's that fear that makes
a man wise, wise unto salvation outside of himself, that salvation
that is only to be found in the person and work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is the fear, I say, that
was in the heart of Noah. This was the fear that motivated
him. He was moved with this fear. It's that fear, you see. that
hates sin and hates sin because of what sin is hates sin because
it is so contrary to God it's that fear in the heart of a man
who loves God and so turns from evil whereas that slavish fear
of course is one that only fears the consequence of sin That's
the fear that's in the demons. Aren't they come to destroy us?
Why was that demon there in Mark chapter 1 afraid? Because he
sees Christ as that one who has come to destroy all the works
of darkness, all the works of sin. It's not a fear of the consequence
of sin. It's a fear of sin itself, I
say, that must be in the hearts of the God How sin grieves, how
sin grieves a godly man. Now that was the case, of course,
with Lot. We're told concerning Lot in
2 Peter, how that sin was a grief to him. There in the 2nd epistle
of Peter, In chapter 2 and verse 7, God
delivered just Lot, we're told, vexed with the filthy conversation
of the wicked. For that righteous man dwelling
among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from
day to day with their unlawful deeds. He was vexed was Lodge
with the filthy conversation of the wicked. It says vexed,
it vexed his righteous soul from day to day. And what was true
in the case of Lodge was also true here in the case of Noah. He was vexed by those things
that he saw about him. Now the word that's used and
rendered as vexed there in that second chapter of 2nd Peter as
the idea of being distressed. He was distressed, tormented,
grieved. All of these words are contained
in the particular word that's employed that's rendered as vexed.
He distressed lots to see evil. He was a torment to his soul.
Now, friends, is this the case with us? Are we those who are
grieved at that sin that we see all about us, but not only the
sin that we see about us, the sin that we feel to be yet in
our own hearts? Grieved at that old nature? Grieved like Paul was when he
cries out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from
the body of this death? Is sin itself a real grief to
us? Or do we desire to be those who
are blessed indeed? We can think of the prayer of
that remarkable man whose account is buried away there in the fourth
chapter of the first book of Chronicles, Jabez, there in 1
Chronicles chapter 4. and verses 9 and 10 we have recorded
his remarkable prayer. Jabez was more honorable than
his brethren, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying,
Because I bear him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of
Israel, saying, O that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge
my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou
wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. And God
granted him that which he requested. Here is a man who desires to
be blessed indeed. And what is that indeed blessing? He wants to be kept from evil,
he says, that it may not grieve me. It was such a grief to him,
so vexed his spirit. He brought sorrow into his heart.
His very name is Jabez, you see. His mother called his name Jabez,
saying because I bear him with sorrow. It was a sorrowful man.
And what caused him to have sorrow in his heart? It was sin. Sin
was to him such a grievous thing. And I say, friends, here is the
mark of the grace of God also in Noah. He knew that true fear
of the Lord. And we sang of it just now, did
we not? An unctuous light to all that's
right, a bar to all that's wrong. Ought to know something of that
true fear of the Lord, by the fear of the Lord. says Solomon
in the Proverbs, by the fear of the Lord, men depart from
evil. Are we those who are moved with
fear? Is that a great motivator in
the midst of our hearts? We know something about fear
of the Lord. He was moved with fear, it says.
And he prepared an ark. He did all that God commanded
him. as we saw in the reading time
and again. He did that that the Lord commanded
him. Here is the first evidence then
of the grace of God coming into the heart of this man. God had
put his fear into the hearts of Noah. He feared the Holy God
and he felt the sin that was within him and he hated that
sin and he hated that sin that was all about him, it was a grief
to him. But then a second mark, a second mark of that grace of
God was this saving and justifying faith, not just the fear of the
Lord, all but that precious gift of faith. that faith that is
of the operation of God, as we read in Colossians chapter 2
and verse 12, that faith which is the gift of God. This is what
this man had. He had fear, the fear of God,
but also he had faith. As I said, his name is there
in that great 11th chapter of the Hebrews. He's amongst those
of faith spoken of in the Old Testament. What do we read concerning
his faith? Verse 7. By faith, Noah, by 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 which
he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which
is by faith." Now see the character of this man's faith. What sort
of faith is it? It's saving faith. It's saving
faith. He's moved with fear, he prepares
an ark, and here is the consequence to the saving of his house. It's
saving faith. And as it is saving faith, so
also we see that it is justifying faith. He became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith. The righteousness which is by
faith. These two things stand out so
clearly there in Hebrews 11.7 with regards to the faith of
Noah. What was the consequence of him
believing? Salvation. Justification. And isn't that what we have here
in the text? Thee have I seen righteous before
me in this generation. How is he righteous? He is righteous
by the imputation of the righteousness of another. He is righteous by
faith, and by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was shut in
to the ark. We quite deliberately concluded
our public reading of Scripture with those words in verse 16,
the Lord shut him in. All this man was shut in. Shut
in to what? Shut in to the Ark. And isn't
the Ark really a wonderful type of the Lord Jesus Christ himself?
during that terrible judgment that came upon the earth the
only place of safety was to be found in the ark and Christ himself
is that ark of grace, is he not? and here is the man, he enters
into the ark with his wife and his sons and their wives and
the Lord the Lord shut him in doesn't shut himself in It's
all the work of God's grace. He is shut there into the ark,
and there in the ark He is safe, because He's in Christ, and Christ
is the Saviour, and He's in Christ as His righteousness. Again,
we're told concerning this man, verse 9 of chapter 6, these are
the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect
in his generations and Noah walked with God. A just man and perfect,
or as the margin says, a just man and upright. Upright or righteous. Thee have I seen righteous before
me in this generation. And how is this man a righteous
man? Only by faith. Only by faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. to be found in him, as Paul says,
not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith. It's there with these characters
in the Old Testament. And we see it not only in the
case of Noah, we see it also, of course, in the case of Job,
when we're introduced to Job, remember the opening words there
in the book of Job. There was a man in the land of
Uz whose name was Job and that man was perfect and upright and
one that feared gods and eschewed evil. The same sort of characteristics,
the same marks of grace. He fears God, does Job. He eschews evil and he is declared
as is Noah to be perfect and upright. How is he perfect? How is he upright? Not in himself.
Not at all in himself. He comes to acknowledge that
at the end of the book, does he not? In chapter 40 it says,
Behold I am vile. There's no righteousness in him.
It's not self-righteousness that's spoken of there. Again he says,
Right at the end I have heard of thee by the hearing of the
ear, but now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself. and
repent in dust and ashes. All the righteousness that was
there in a man like Job as with Noah was by the grace of God. These men were favoured with
faith, that faith that looks to the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember
after all that we read in Hebrews 11, those great exploits of the
faithful in the Old Testament. As soon as we come over into
chapter 12 of Hebrews, what do we read? Looking unto Jesus. Looking away from every other
object. Remember that's the force of
the verb that's used. It's a looking away from every
other object. One object alone. Looking only
unto Jesus. the author and finisher of our
faith. It's the righteousness that is
in Christ that is spoken of here concerning Noah. Thee have I seen righteous before
me in this generation. He is one of those, you see,
who has the same faith as Abraham. Abraham is the father of all
them that believe. Because Abraham comes after,
after Noah. And yet Abraham in Scripture
is set before us as a great example of father. The father of all
that believe. And we have there in the fourth
chapter of Romans a clear, plain declaration as to just what the
faith of Abraham is. And that faith of Abraham, of
course, centers on in the person and the work that was accomplished
by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Remember the words at the beginning
and then again at the end of this fourth chapter? Verse 3, what says the scripture,
Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness
that him that worketh is a reward not reckoned of grace but of
debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that
justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness
here is the faith of Abraham he believed God and it was counted
unto him for righteousness again to him that worketh not but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. But what does it mean, his faith
is counted? It's the object. It's not the
grace of faith, it's what faith has to do with. It's that faith
that is looking onto Jesus. It's the object of faith. And
we see it at the end of that fourth chapter concerning Abraham,
he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded
that what he had promised he was able also to perform. Therefore, it was imputed to
him for righteousness. What does the it refer to that
was imputed to him? It's what God had promised. It
was what God was able to perform. That's the object of his faith. And the promise of God and the
performance of God, that's the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's all that Christ did. It's the righteousness of Christ
that Abraham's faith has to do with. And that's the faith, I
say, of all who are saved. Be it here at the beginning of
human history in the book of Genesis, be it in the day and
generation in which we're living, throughout the years, throughout
the centuries, but one way of salvation. This man is accounted
righteous. And how is he accounted righteous?
Because of the grace of God. And the evidence of that grace?
He has the fear of God in his heart. And he is in possession
of that precious gift of saving and justifying faith. And so
what do we see concerning this man? Of whom God says, Thee have
I seen righteous before me in this generation. Well, he bears
testimony to that righteousness. He bears testimony to it. He
speaks of it. And that's how he's spoken of,
is it not, in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5 we read of Noah the 8th person,
a preacher of righteousness. Noah the 8th person, a preacher
of righteousness. He proclaimed that righteousness. Now he's spoken of there in 2
Peter 2 as the 8th person. Noah, the 8th person. What does that mean, the 8th
person? Some imagine it refers to the 8th generation from Adam. But he can't mean that. We know
from Jude 14 that Enoch Enoch, the man who walked with
God and was not, because God took him. Enoch, we're told there
at verse 14 in Jude, was seventh from Adam. Enoch is the seventh
generation. And we know from what we read
here in Genesis chapter 5 in verses 21 to 29, that Noah, in
fact, is the 10th, the 10th generation from Adam. Not the 8th. He's
the 10th generation. What then are we to make of that
expression? Noah, the 8th person. A preacher of righteousness. Well, again, in the New Testament,
Peter in 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 20 tells us concerning the ark
that few, that is, 8 souls were saved by water. Few, 8 souls. And when we read
of Noah, the 8th, he's one of those 8. That's all it means. It doesn't mean the 8th generation,
he's the 10th generation. He's one of those 8 souls, that
very little remnant. As we read through the Scriptures
we see time and again that God saves a remnant. God saves a
remnant. Remember it was so in the days
of Isaiah when we read of that man's call to be God's servant,
to be a prophet, to be a preacher the preacher of righteousness
as were all the prophets and that ministry is really to little
more than a remnant as God calls him there in chapter
6 go and tell these people hear ye indeed and understand not
see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of these people
fat, make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see
with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with
their heart and convert and be healed. The multitudes, the vast
majority will have no time for this message, no understanding of this message.
In fact, it comes as a terrible word of judgment upon them. No
wonder Isaiah says, Lord how long And the answer is, until
the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without
man, and the land be utterly desolate. And the Lord hath removed
men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the
land. But yet... I like that. It doesn't just
say but, or yet. It says but, yet. Here is a contrast. Here is a contrast. Here is a
remnant being introduced. But yet, in it shall be a tenth. and it shall return there's the
remnant you see one in ten as it were the doctrine of the remnant
we see time and again and it was a remnant oh it was just
a remnant saved just eight Noah one of these Noah the eighth
person the preacher of righteousness is it not remarkable how we see
so much of the gospel here in the Old Testament even in this
historic book of Genesis, of course the gospel is there in
a book like Leviticus because it's a ceremonial book it's a
book that speaks of all those great and glorious times all
those sacrifices, burnt offerings and sin offerings and trespass
offerings and all of Leviticus is set in Christ before us But
even when we come to Genesis, and this is history, as I said,
this event that's recorded, this flood, it's so specific, the
language that is used with regards to these things. And yet, even
here, in the days of Noah, we see something of the gospel. Now, we observed something of
it on Thursday. In fact, that's what brought
me back to it This morning on Thursday of course we were looking
at those words in chapter 9 concerning Noah's son Japheth. God shall enlarge Japheth and
he shall dwell in the tents of Shem. We looked at that word
and also I remarked in particular on the word in the margin. where we have the alternative
reading, God shall persuade Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents
of Shem. And remember what we're told
concerning Japheth, his son, we have his generations or the
sons of Japheth mentioned in chapter 10 verse 2 and then verse
5 there in chapter 10 by these were the Isles of the Gentiles
divided in their lands everyone after his tongue, after their
families, in their nations. By these were the idols of the
Gentiles. And I said then that what we
really have in the text that we were considering, the enlargement
of Japheth, is the calling of the Gentiles. The calling of
the Gentiles. And Paul speaks of it, remember.
He speaks of it so plainly in Ephesians chapters 2 and 3. speaks
of it again of course also in Romans chapter 11 the calling
of the Gentiles and here is the promise concerning that gospel
back in the days of Noah with regards to his son Japheth but
not just the enlarging of Japheth the calling of the Gentiles but
the effectual call as well and that's what we sought to emphasize
on Thursday how God will be the one who does the work God shall
persuade Japheth. It's God who makes his people
a willing people in the day of his power. There's much, I say,
of the Gospel to be discerned here in the early part of this
historic book of Genesis. Now, in the Old Testament Isn't
the Gospel many times prophesied in terms of God revealing righteousness? That's how the Gospel day is
spoken of, that's how it's promised. We have these prophecies and
Isaiah in particular speaks of that Gospel in those terms. Isaiah 56 verse 1, my salvation
is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed. That's a prophecy
of the Gospel. What is God saying? My salvation
is near to come. And what is that salvation? It's
my righteousness. It's my righteousness being revealed. Again, there's that lovely verse
in Isaiah 42 and verse 21, a wonderful reference to the coming of the
Gospel and what the Gospel is, what God is doing with the coming
of the Gospel. Isaiah 42, rather Isaiah 45,
I should say. It's Isaiah 45. Let me get this reference. Isaiah 45, it is, and verse 8. Isaiah 45, verse 8. And he sees
words, Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour
down righteousness. Let the earth open, and let them
bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together,
I the Lord have created it. And it's prophecy, I say, of
the coming of the Gospel. What is the Gospel? It's the
heavens dropping down from above, it's the skies pouring down,
righteousness. It's the bringing forth of salvation,
it's righteousness. springing up out of the earth. It's the great work that the
Lord Jesus Christ himself came to accomplish. And what is righteousness? It's obedience. It's obedience
to God's law. That's righteousness. It's that
doing of the will of God, that doing of the work of God. And so when Christ comes, When
Christ comes, He is made of a woman, He is made under the law. And Christ is that one who comes
and fulfills the law. He accomplishes that righteousness. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believeth. And again, this
is where we got confused in Isaiah 42 the Lord is well pleased for
His righteousness sake He will magnify the Lord and make it
honorable God is well pleased well pleased with that work that
the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished His righteousness how He went
about doing good how He was obedient to all the holy will of His Father
how under the law He magnified it by a life of perfect obedience,
holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. And honoring
it not only by obedience to its precepts, honoring it even by
that accursed death that he dies, honoring it in all its terrible
penalties, bearing the punishment that was due to the transgressors
of that holy law. And this, of course, is the message
that is proclaimed by the apostles. They preach Christ. They preach Christ's righteousness.
And they preach, therefore, that great truth of justification
by faith in Christ, and what Christ has done, by Him all that
believe. are justified from all things
that they could not be justified from by the deeds of the law
they cannot justify themselves but they're justified by faith
in what Christ has done and this is the message you see that we
have here this is the message that this man Noah proclaimed
the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness now all those
all those who were preachers of this righteousness that comes
down from heaven, that we see in the person and work of the
Lord Jesus Christ, all the preachers of this righteousness, they know
and they feel that they have no righteousness of their own.
They have no righteousness of their own these days. That was
the case with Paul. Oh yes, when he was a self-righteous
Pharisee he thought differently. He imagined then that he was
righteous, but he learned the truth, did he not? I know that
in me, that is in my flesh, he says, there dwelleth no good
thing. I really am the chief of all
sinners. And so, how he expresses his
desire to be found in Christ. Not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God, my father that's the
message this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am
the chief that's what Paul says I'm the chief of sinners all
but I'll proclaim I'll proclaim the righteousness of another
that's where his hope that's where his trust is in the righteousness
of another it's the same with David Is it not the same with
David, how he feels his own sins and confesses his sins against
thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. Or how that man was made to feel
the awful reality of his sinnership before God, how he confesses
it time and again there in the book of Psalms. There is no soundness
in my flesh because of thine anger, neither is there any rest
in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone
over mine head as an heavy burden. They are too heavy for me. My
wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I
am troubled. I am bowed down greatly. I go
mourning all the day long, for my loins are filled with a loathsome
disease. and there is no soundness in
my faith." There's David. No righteousness of his own and
he feels himself to be such an awful sinner. And so he speaks
of the righteousness of another. We sang it. We sang it, did we
not, in the Metrical Psalm, Psalm 71. I will go in the strength
of the Lord God. I will make mention of thy righteousness. Even of thine only, he says there
in verse 16, I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I will
make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. My tongue
shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long. David preaches
the righteousness of another just like Paul. And so too with
this man Noah. He was a preacher of righteousness. And God saw him righteous. There
have I seen righteous before me in this generation. He was the same as the other
men all about him. But by the grace of God. Oh,
how different. And by that grace, by that grace
of God, this man practiced what he preached. The end of chapter
6, Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so
did he. He sought to obey the commandments
of God. Chapter 7, verse 5, And Noah
did according unto all that the Lord commanded him. So different to scribes and Pharisees. Look at the opening words of
Matthew 25. or rather Matthew 23, and there
Christ speaks of the scribes and Pharisees who sit in Moses'
seat. But Christ says they say and
do not. They say and do not. They don't
practice what they preach. But this man, he preached righteousness
and so what does he do? He desires to practice righteousness. That's the way That's the way
of those who know the grace of God. They don't look to themselves. This man doesn't look to himself. The righteousness that justifies
him, that accounts him to be righteous before the presence
of God, is that righteousness of Christ that was imputed to
him. But only desires to practice what he preaches. and to walk
in the path of obedience to all God's holy commandments. For
thee, says God, have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Yes, it is important, of course,
that there's that fruit, that conforming, but we're not to
look to our own deeds, we're to look to Jesus and look only
and always to the Lord Jesus. Righteousness within thee rooted
may appear to take thy part, but let righteousness imputed
be the refuge of thy heart." Oh, that was this man's refuge.
He enters the ark, the Lord shuts him in. He's shutting to Christ
and all that Christ is and all that Christ has done. And friends,
that surely should be Your ambition, my ambition, O God, grant us
such desires to be found in Christ, not having our own righteousness,
but that righteousness which is by the faith of Christ, that
righteousness which is of God, by faith. Amen.