How To Find The Favor Of God (Genesis 6:1-8)

Valley View Baptist Church                                                                 Pastor Curt Audet

6N656 Route 25                                                                                    June 14, 2026

St. Charles, IL  60174                                                                       vvbcil.com

“How To Find The Favor Of God” (Genesis 6:1-8)

14th in the message series Harbors For Our Soul

BI: God seeks throughout the whole world for men, women and children whom He can favor and bless.

The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him. (2 Chron 16:9)

The last time we were together, we (amazingly!) covered 58 verses in Bible message.  The genealogies helped us a great deal in doing this.  And what we saw was that as the human population exploded from one Husband and wife to many thousands in the first 1650 years since the Creation of the world, there were two distinct groups of people.  All of humanity chose one of two ways to live. 

One group promoted themselves as little gods and lived life their own way.  Cain consciously chose to live ever further from the presence of God.  His descendants accomplished great things, yet lived under their own rule where the mightiest among them reigned without compassion or mercy or humility before God. One of Cain’s descendants became infamous for his small value of human life, and his high value of himself own as the only captain of his lost soul.  Lamech put his self pride to boastful words:  I have killed a man for wounding me, [and another] young man for striking me.  My revenge will be seven times seven as brutal and selfish as Cain’s.  (Gen 4:1-24)

The other group rose up with Seth’s conscious good decisions and humble, faith filled lives.  Seth’s life sparked the first of many seasons of revival. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. (Gen 4:25-5:32) And in time, it is this line of faithful followers of the Lord, that ultimately preserves—with no exaggeration—the existence and continuing of humanity on earth.

Brothers and sisters, how long a man or woman lives on this earth is NOT our legacy.  Rather, how we live—quality, conduct, contentment—is our legacy.  We either honor the Lord and bless our fellow men and women or else we elevate ourselves and live for selfish gain.  The way of Cain and Lamech brings misery and God’s necessary judgment.  The way of Seth, Enoch and Noah in stark contrast finds God’s favor.

Principally, the choices we make in life either invites God’s favor or God’s punishment.  The manner in which you conduct your public and private life, the qualitative distinction of how you and walk on this earth and what you do during each 24  hour segment makes a difference in the eyes of God. 

“The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:11-12; see Pr. 16:25)

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12)

“Therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15)

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Near the year 1650—counting from Creation—God searched to and fro throughout the whole earth of that day for a man or woman to whom He could give strong strong support to; He looked for one whose heart is blameless toward Him.  He looked for one who was seeking to know God in relationship, and who was turning from sin in their day to day conscious choices and pursuing the presence of God more and more each day.  He found a man in Enoch’s great-grandson; in Methuselah’s grandson; in Lamech’s son Noah.  Enoch walked with the Lord all of his life.  Lamech (Gen 5) prayed over his son Noah.  God found Noah

to be one to whom He could support strongly and show favor. 

I. “My Spirit shall not abide with humanity forever.” (6:1-4; Job 1-2; 1 Peter 3:12-22; 2 Peter 2:4-9; Jude 1:6)

While a revival began in the days and ancestry of Seth, still the world in which Noah was born was a dark one consumed with evil.  Don’t let your choice to honor God and live for His glory be dependent upon the prevailing community around you.  Don’t thoughtlessly mirror your world community.  Choose.  Choose with intention.  Choose this day.  Choose each day God give you to seek and serve the Lord.  Throughout  Scripture the number of people who are living for the Lord is always a remnant. Never has it been a crowd in comparison. The population of Christ-followers are walking a narrow path with relatively few sharing the road with us; Cain’s way is the wide path. As it is today was how it had been in Noah’s day.

“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

What is going on here?  We met the “tempter” (aka, the Devil, Satan, Lucifer) back in Genesis 3 in the possessed body of a snake.  We learned that a great angelic rebellion took place some time between the Seventh Day (Rest Day) of Creation and the fateful moment when the Satanic Serpent provoked doubt and distrust between the Woman and God, her Heavenly Father.

In that great rebellion one-third of the angelic beings chose to arrogantly assume an enemy role before the Lord.  For this, they were cast out of Heaven.  Hell was created for their eternal future.  They were thrown down to earth where they have sought to recruit as many human beings as possible to join them in rebelling against God and share their destruction in Hell.  This purpose has occupied the doomed, condemned, fallen angels—now known as demons—ever since.

The sons of God. The phrase ‘sons of God’ refers to the fallen angels, now known as demons.   We know this because in Job 1 the same phrase is used to describe the angelic beings who had fallen with Satan. Job himself was another man who had found the favor of God for same reasons Noah–and you and I—find God’s favor.

“⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satanalso came among them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’  Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ ⁸ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’” (Job 1:6-8; see also 2:1-8)

The daughters of men.  These were the victims of the demonic dudes that sexually raped them.  There is no textual evidence that their sexual union was consensual.

The Nephilim—the mighty men of old.  These were the children and descendants of  human women and demons or demonicly possessed men.  They were ‘giants’ both in physical stature—Goliath was about 9 feet tall—and in accomplishments and intelligence—possibly the wicked Lamech’s sons Jabal, Jubal and Tubal-Cain in Genesis 4:21-22. Could Lamech’s extreme arrogance be fueled by demonic possession?   ‘Nephilim’ means “fallen ones”; the Nephilim descended from demon possessed fathers.

Reduced lifespans to 120 years. Lifespans for humans were designed by God to be eternal.  Human fall into sin began the process of dying. God promised that the day that they disobeyed Him, would be the day that they would die.   Still, for 1650 years between Adam and Noah the average lifespan was 857 years.  Because of the sheer wickedness of man,  God determines that His will to tolerate our sin less and less.  The takeaway here for us is twofold:

God’s Patience With Our Sin

1. Humanity is moving farther from God and deeper into rebellion.
2. No sin we have ever done will be forgotten.
3. All people are already condemned in our sin.
4. Every day we get to live is a mercy from God.
5. Receiving Christ is the only way for forgiveness of our sin.
6. Reconciliation with God comes through Jesus Christ alone.

While people may celebrate “progress” God sees moral decline. God’s evaluation of a society is based on its relationship with Him.

Good – Obedience to God’s Command.

Evil – Disobedience to God’s Command.

II. The Lord regretted that He made man on the earth. (6:5-7)

⁵ The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

God is grieved by persistent sin.  It begins with hidden sin.  It graduates to bold sin.  God had been patient. God warned. God called people to repentance. Then sin is accepted as good.  Then it is celebrated.

Notice the progression of v.5: Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart. Only evil. Continually. The phrases show the depth of human corruption. Sin was not merely occasional behavior. It had become the dominant orientation of the human heart.

Did God make a mistake? No. Consider a wise father who chooses to bless his adult son with a new car to help him in his work and transportation needs. Once the car is given, the son uses it normally and responsibly for some length of time. Then, he begins to ride at dangerous speeds, and recklessly disreguarding rules of the road and common courtesy. Soon he adds drinking alcohol to his driving habits. Despite his father’s dire warnings, the son arrogantly continues. One day, tragically another couple sharing the road with his son runs head on to him while he was driving dangerously. They are killed instantly. The father’s son’s choices deeply grieve the father, though he had not made a mistake in his kindness and gift.

This is the “regret” (or, ‘repent’, KJV) iwhich is better seen as grief. God so wants all to be saved!  God offers a durable grace to all.  But in response, people race toward the sin.  Caring nothing for God’s love, His design, His care, or for the coming consequences.  All the opportunities given to Man are spurned. Gpd demonstrates His desire for every person to turn toward repentance and reconcliation with Him.

This does not mean God made a mistake. It is a human way of describing God’s sorrow over sin.  God is not indifferent to evil. Sin breaks the heart of God because it destroys the people He created and loves. Listen to God’s mind and heart on the lost:

⁸Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.  (2 Peter 2:8-10)

III. Noah found favor in the Lord’s eyes. (6:8)

 ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (6:1-8)

God searches for those He can favor.  God is eager to see us turn from our sin, and turn toward seeking, and serving Him.  He wants to bless!

Judgment is announced. The flood is coming. Humanity has rejected God’s ways. Yet the story does not end there.  Verse 8 is an unexpected movement.  This little word “but” changes everything.

While everyone else is moving away from God, Noah is walking with Him. God’s eye falls upon Noah. Not because Noah was sinless. Not because Noah earned salvation. But because Noah responded to God in faith.  Grace is always God’s favor toward those who trust Him.

You can do the same!  He’s got His eyes on you.   Not for criticism.  Not to pick you apart.  Not to exploit every fault.  But ready to favor you.   “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him.” (Psalm 33:18)

How To Find The Favor Of God:

Walk with God – God’s favor rests on those who desire fellowship with Him.

Believe God – Faith attracts God’s favor. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

Obey God – God blesses obedience.

Remain steadfast in faith – Noah stands virtually alone in a corrupt world..  He seeks faithful individuals.

The question is not whether God is searching.  That is certain. The question is: What will God find when He looks at us?

May we be people whose faith, obedience, and walk with God place us in a position to receive His gracious favor and blessing.