Do you know what grace is? Do you really think you know what grace is? Probably most of you reading this would say, “I’m confident I know what grace is."

We have all been falsely taught by religion and religious leaders that grace is Yahweh looking the other way when we sin as long as we feel bad about it, or we’re kind of sorry; that He just kind of looks the other way. Or maybe, we were taught that if we belonged to a certain group or a certain organization, maybe a certain church or even an assembly and maybe if we attended regularly, that grace was just pretty much guaranteed to us, because we belonged. Again, with the definition of grace being Yahweh looking the other way, or Yahweh “giving us a break,” you know…”You deserve a break today.”

I will tell you, the world doesn’t know what biblical grace is and there is such a need for a message such as this, it’s not even funny. They haven’t been taught correctly by the scriptures because they haven’t looked through Hebraic eyes. They haven’t read the Hebraic book, looking through Hebraic eyes. Religious leaders have not been taught themselves by what the scriptures say and that’s why they have not gotten it right. That’s why they have not been accurate. They are not bad guys. I used to be one of them and I was not a bad guy but I just had not been taught correctly. I had never looked at the Hebrew book, through Hebrew eyes, listening with Hebrew ears.

Probably the most quoted verses on grace are in Ephesians. We are not going to look at very many verses of scripture, but are going to concentrate on just a few verses. Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of Yahweh, not of works, lest anyone should boast. They are probably the most quoted verses on grace. They are also probably the most misunderstood verses on grace. Again, without a true biblical definition of the word, how can grace be understood? You tell me, how can grace be understood if we do not have the foundation and start with the proper definition?

So, let’s look at grace through Hebrew eyes so we can come to the correct understanding of what grace really is and how it saves. According to that scripture, grace saves us so we need to know how it saves us.

Well, before we ever even get started on our journey to figure out what grace is and to come to the knowledge of truth of what grace is, we have to understand a principle that is called “the law of first mention” in scripture. The “law of first mention” is something that the ancient sages, the rabbis, they who studied the scripture and poured over scripture day and night throughout their lifetime, would connect different dots. They would see there are parallels here--"this seems like this goes with this and this seems to go with this" and we notice that the first time a subject is mentioned that it carries the flavor for every time it’s ever going to be mentioned again.

Let’s look in scripture of where the first time that grace is ever mentioned. Where do you think it is at? It has to be in Genesis somewhere, wouldn’t it? The first time grace is ever mentioned is in Genesis 6. It was not the first time it ever happened or was implemented, but it is the first time it is ever mentioned by name. Genesis 6:8, But Noah found grace in the eyes of Yahweh. Whatever grace is, Noah found it! And he got a hold of it and that is what we need to do. We need to find it and get a hold of it and come to the knowledge of what it is.

Here’s a fact: In the Old Covenant, every time that grace is mentioned with only one exception (being Ezra 9:8), it is the word “ḥēn” in Hebrew. It is Strong’s #H2580 and it means “favor.” Now, it is just probably a coincidence, but the word “favor” also is Strong’s #H2580. This word gets its foundation, or its root, from Strong’s #H2603 and that word is “chânan.” That word means “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior, to favor or to bestow.” Now "to bestow,” look that up in the dictionary. It means “to present as a gift.” So, a gift is something tangible, is it not? It is something that is concrete, like a book, it is concrete, something needed and something desired.

Remember, Hebrew….listen Hebrew students….Hebrew is a concrete language. It is specific unlike Greek that is all over the place--theoretical theories and hypotheses. So, when Noah found grace from Yahweh, he found HELP to do what Yahweh had called him to do. He found something he needed. He found something tangible. Yahweh supplied Noah with everything to do what He, Yahweh, had called Noah to do. Noah obeyed. Are you with me so far? So, Noah worked on this ark for 100 years, a long time. Yahweh supplied the building material, He supplied the animal cooperation—think about that. We all know the story about it. He supplied the animal cooperation. He supplied the storing of food for Noah and his family and the animals. He supplied the conviction or the memory that Noah had that he had been given from Yahweh to accomplish this incredible feat. Yahweh had supplied Noah with the desire and the faith to continue. Think about this...year after year after year after year after a decade—think about that. Yahweh put confidence in Noah to continue and not give up! Yahweh had to put confidence in the man so he could be focused and dedicated day after day knowing that he was being led by Yahweh’s spirit. Scripture tells us in the New Testament that Noah also was a preacher of righteousness. So, he was preaching the word all that time to people that did not want to listen. Noah believe Yahweh by faith and built and worked. Yahweh gave Noah grace—everything Noah needed to complete and bring to fruition an ark suitable to save mankind and all of the animals. Yahweh gave Noah help to do what He called him to do.

That just happens to be the first mention of “grace” in the Bible. Interesting, isn’t it? It’s more than interesting, much more than interesting. It is the correct precedent for understanding what grace is now and all through the Book. All through the scriptures, now we have the correct precedent, the correct foundation on which now we can read about grace and understand about the story of Noah and how Yahweh provided Noah everything he needed to accomplish what Yahweh had called him to do.

Yahweh had called Noah to do what is basically, in our own human thinking, completely inconceivable, impossible so to speak. Grace cannot possibly be understood without this correct prophetic occurrence in the life of Noah being written down in the book of Genesis for us to read and learn from. As seen with Noah, grace is supernatural—listen to me—power and wisdom and understanding; had to be more than just facts. He had to “git it.” He had to know. He had to understand. It was supernatural determination and design and even architecture that it would float and that it would be able to withstand the torrent of the unleashing of what it says was “the great deep,” which is much more than just rain for 40 days and 40 nights. There’s a whole ocean of water under the ground that we walk on and that ocean of water is called “the great deep,” and it was unleashed on the earth. But, this supernatural organization and endurance and faith and belief and commitment—ALL supplied by Father Yahweh for His purpose. Noah just obeyed. The word “grace” from Strong’s #2603 is Yahweh bending and stooping in kindness to Noah as an inferior. To bestow as a gift everything Noah needed to accomplish the great task that Yahweh had called this man to do.

Genesis 6:8, we were there awhile ago, Noah found grace in the eyes of Yahweh. What did Noah find? I want to make sure the reader understands this. What did Noah find? Noah found Yahweh bending and stooping in kindness to him, Noah. Noah, being the inferior one, so that Yahweh could bestow as a gift to Noah, everything he needed to accomplish the extreme monumental task that Yahweh had called him to do. Wow...that’s what Noah found when he found grace. He found the help to do what Yahweh had called him to do.

Noah did NOT find Yahweh turning His head...remember what you read earlier about where we live in a culture that tells us that “grace” is Yahweh turning His head away from us! “I didn’t see what you just did….no, I don’t see that.” That’s the culture that we live in. That is the Greek mindset--that grace is Yahweh just cutting me some slack, give me a break because “I deserve a break today.” Yahweh did NOT turn His head away from Noah. Noah found Yahweh turning His face TO him, to help him. He needed help, to supply all that he needed to accomplish His will; it was Yahweh’s will, Noah just obeyed the instructions.

It works the same way with us. Because of everything you have read, this is now the New Testament foundation for the word “grace.” We are in New Testament times, right? So we need to find out what the New Testament word or definition is. Is it the same thing? Let’s go back to Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith, [just like Noah]. Grace in the New Testament is always (now this is interesting--except one time just like in the Old Testament, being James 1:11) Strong’s #G5485 and this is the definition: “divine influence on the heart and its reflection in the life.” Now, what does that mean? It means that it is concrete. It means that it is something. It’s not just some kind of a puff of air, it’s not a thought, it’s not just a concept, it’s something real—it’s concrete, it bears fruit, it’s what we do and what we are enabled to do by the power of the Spirit living within us. The divine influence, the reflection, is Yahweh’s help to do what He’s called you to do! It is just like in Noah's day! It is the same thing--it is not the Old Testament grace was something different. No, grace is the same thing then and now!

Ephesians 2:8-9, what does it mean “we are saved by Yahweh’s divine influence or help to do what He, Yahweh, has called us to do"? What’s He called us to do? To keep His Torah! That is what He has called every one of us to do. Everyone who is reading this...Yahweh wants you to keep His Torah, to obey His set-apart ways, to receive His sacrifice, Yahshua, His Son, and follow Him. Follow that Son, imitate Him. Imitate that Son and obey His instructions. Put another way: We are saved by this help to obey Him. We are saved because He helps us to obey Him! To come into harmony with Him through His Son, Yahshua. He helps us to come into harmony with Him, Yahweh. In our own Greek linear thinking, we are out of harmony with Yahweh and until we look and come to an understanding that this book we call the Bible is a Hebrew book, written by Hebrew people to Hebrew people about Hebrew things in a Hebrew culture, in a Hebrew land—until we get that through our skull and we accept it, we’re going to be basically lost in our Greek linear mess.

So, with this understanding, let’s look at Ephesians 2:8-9 again, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of Yahweh, not of works, lest anyone should boast. The gift is Yahweh’s help to obey. I challenge every one of you today to look at any scripture with this correct definition for the word “grace” and our understanding and appreciation for our Father in Heaven, will abound to His glory.

Let us look at one where the word “grace” is used twice. Hebrews 4:16, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. What did Noah find? He found “grace.” What are we being admonished by the writer of Hebrews to do? We are being admonished to find grace to help in the time of need. What will we find at this “throne of grace”? We will find the divine influence on our heart and its reflection in our lives to do what He’s called us to do which is to obey Him; to follow His instructions, or follow Torah correctly. It is what Yahshua did. He interpreted Torah correctly and when you do that, you will have the same thing happen to you in your circle that Yahshua had—the religious leaders most of the time will come against you as they did Him. The religious indignant will come against you. The religious prideful, the religious “full of themselves,” the religious “full of their own ways,” and their own understandings and their own programs, will come against you, the same as they came against Yahshua because He interpreted the Torah correctly.

Hebrew eyes—Remember? Noah was the first mention of grace. Remember the law of first mention. Yahweh our Father be praised, honored and glory given to Yahshua for teaching us to obey our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Your Holy Name forever, Father. I pray that this blesses you, the reader, and aids in your understanding.

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