Blamelessness. A quality of Noah, mentioned in Genesis 6, that gives me pause. The same quality is attributed to Job in Job 1:1 and the prophet Ezekiel affirms it described both Noah and Job (Ezekiel 14:14).

Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. 

Genesis 6:9

¹There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.

Job 1:1

These Hall of Fame saints were said to be blameless. Digging a little into the original Hebrew word used here, I found that most uses of the word referenced the quality of animal used for sacrifice. It had to be without defect, the best of the herd. In several instances, the word is used to describe God. On occasion, an individual uses it to describe himself (David in Psalm 18; Job in Job 9).

In Psalm 15, the psalmist begins by asking, “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?” The answer?

²Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

Psalm 15:2

The psalmist goes on to list qualifications to come into the presence of God. Blamelessness tops the list. How does one live blamelessly? Without fault? Full of integrity? For we know, humans are simply unable to live in this manner just because they desire it.

Yesterday, I noted that Noah maintained close fellowship with God. Job 1 says this about Job:

. . .He feared God and stayed away from evil. . . . Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

Job 1:1-5

Apparently, Job also maintained close fellowship with God. He even regularly offered sacrifices for unknown sins his children might have committed.

Allow me to draw a conclusion from these two examples. Blamelessness is not sinlessness. It is truth in the inner parts, integrity, without blame – not because I am perfect, but because I am forgiven. Blamelessness is a character quality that develops when I maintain close fellowship with God, with an awareness of my proclivity to sin, coupled with a willingness to confess that sin quickly. It is a posture of the heart.

Blameless. What does that word stir in your heart? In a world where someone needs to take the blame, do you yearn to be blameless? Without blame in a world hungry for someone to blame?

The New Testament provides a fuller picture of God’s desire for and the pathway to blamelessness for all people – not just spiritual giants like Noah and Job.

Tomorrow: Blamelessness – Part 2.