RR Charis Is Personal By David Harwood
Shavuah Tov,
From the beginning of the Scriptures, we see illustrations of people appealing for favor (chen/charis/grace) based upon their relationship with the one able to show favor. “Finding favor in someone’s eyes” is an idiom. It is repeated numerous times in the Hebrew Scriptures. It means that the person receiving favor is liked, or loved, by the benefactor.
Consider Joseph’s life. He found favor in his master’s eyes, with the warden of the jail in which he was imprisoned, and with Pharaoh. (Genesis 39:4,21; 50:4) They liked Joseph when they saw him and gave him favor.
The first time it is written that someone found favor in God’s eyes is in Genesis.
But Noah found favor in Adonai’s eyes. (Genesis 6:8)
When it is written that someone found favor in God’s eyes, it means that, just like in human relationships, God liked – loved – who He saw.
Favor is always personal. Grace is relational and the giving of charis (grace/favor) is founded upon affection.
The core motivation of favor (charis/grace) is love. The bestower of favor does so because they favor the recipient. The receiver is a “favorite”; therefore, he receives charis. It’s personal. It is relational.
Grace is given to those a benefactor finds to be worthy. It is not necessarily dependent upon the character of the grace-giver. There can be rotten people who show favor to others. For instance, sinners agape those who agape them (Luke 6:32). In the same way, it is safe to say, sinners show favor to those who favor them.
There are varying degrees of emotion in charis. They are all positive. Favorable evaluations produce different intensities of charis (favor/grace). In human relationships some favored people are loved more than others. Some demonstrations of favor are more costly than others.
Think about God’s favor. Every aspect of God’s grace proceeds from God’s love.
Consider the saving favor shown to sinners, enemies, of God. Consider His grace (charis/favor) to us. There is an element of mercy in its core. Recall, we are not loved because of mercy, we receive mercy because we are loved. We do not receive saving favor (charis/grace) because of any works-based righteousness. Our good works, such as they are, are not the impetus of the mercy we receive. God’s love is. (Ephesians 2:4-9)
Concerning this love our Father has for us, we are not foundationally loved because of our deeds. We have been created to draw His love. He succeeded. He’s an amazing creator.
The most highly favored person, who found favor in Father’s eyes, was His Son. Yeshua grew in favor with God and people. This grace was personal. God, people who knew Yeshua, or knew of Him, had reasons to favor Him. It is written that He grew in grace, not into grace. Messiah’s growth in favor came from a foundation of favor.
Before God Incarnate could crawl, God favored Him. So did Miriam (Mary) and Joseph. So did the shepherds. It was not a matter of what He could accomplish. It was a matter of whose, and who, He was.
To God, His Father, Yeshua didn’t have to do anything to receive favor. Just as a parent of a newborn favors their baby before the infant can do anything praiseworthy, so did Father favor Yeshua. Before Messiah’s first act of obedience, before His first expression of love for God, Yeshua was Father’s favorite and was favored.
Then He grew.
He grew in faith, hope and love. He grew in obedience. He grew in His relationship with Father. He grew in consecration. Yeshua grew. As He grew, He merited favor. As time went on, He merited more and more favor.
Father took Yeshua’s growth in holiness, personally. Father saw the way His Son related to other humans that Father loved, and He took it personally. The favor Yeshua received was personal.
The favor you’ve received is relational. It is personal.
When God saw you, even in your rebellion, He favored you enough to provide the way of salvation. When you responded, you receive even more grace.
As you have spiritually and relationally matured you have grown in favor as well. Just like Yeshua, and as it was with Yeshua, this charis is relational. It is personal.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun7-June-2026 22nd of Sivan, 5786
Nu 13:1-20Jer 31Dan 71 Co 13 (Mk 14:1-42)
From the beginning of the Scriptures, we see illustrations of people appealing for favor (chen/charis/grace) based upon their relationship with the one able to show favor. “Finding favor in someone’s eyes” is an idiom. It is repeated numerous times in the Hebrew Scriptures. It means that the person receiving favor is liked, or loved, by the benefactor.
Consider Joseph’s life. He found favor in his master’s eyes, with the warden of the jail in which he was imprisoned, and with Pharaoh. (Genesis 39:4,21; 50:4) They liked Joseph when they saw him and gave him favor.
The first time it is written that someone found favor in God’s eyes is in Genesis.
But Noah found favor in Adonai’s eyes. (Genesis 6:8)
When it is written that someone found favor in God’s eyes, it means that, just like in human relationships, God liked – loved – who He saw.
Favor is always personal. Grace is relational and the giving of charis (grace/favor) is founded upon affection.
The core motivation of favor (charis/grace) is love. The bestower of favor does so because they favor the recipient. The receiver is a “favorite”; therefore, he receives charis. It’s personal. It is relational.
Grace is given to those a benefactor finds to be worthy. It is not necessarily dependent upon the character of the grace-giver. There can be rotten people who show favor to others. For instance, sinners agape those who agape them (Luke 6:32). In the same way, it is safe to say, sinners show favor to those who favor them.
There are varying degrees of emotion in charis. They are all positive. Favorable evaluations produce different intensities of charis (favor/grace). In human relationships some favored people are loved more than others. Some demonstrations of favor are more costly than others.
Think about God’s favor. Every aspect of God’s grace proceeds from God’s love.
Consider the saving favor shown to sinners, enemies, of God. Consider His grace (charis/favor) to us. There is an element of mercy in its core. Recall, we are not loved because of mercy, we receive mercy because we are loved. We do not receive saving favor (charis/grace) because of any works-based righteousness. Our good works, such as they are, are not the impetus of the mercy we receive. God’s love is. (Ephesians 2:4-9)
Concerning this love our Father has for us, we are not foundationally loved because of our deeds. We have been created to draw His love. He succeeded. He’s an amazing creator.
The most highly favored person, who found favor in Father’s eyes, was His Son. Yeshua grew in favor with God and people. This grace was personal. God, people who knew Yeshua, or knew of Him, had reasons to favor Him. It is written that He grew in grace, not into grace. Messiah’s growth in favor came from a foundation of favor.
Before God Incarnate could crawl, God favored Him. So did Miriam (Mary) and Joseph. So did the shepherds. It was not a matter of what He could accomplish. It was a matter of whose, and who, He was.
To God, His Father, Yeshua didn’t have to do anything to receive favor. Just as a parent of a newborn favors their baby before the infant can do anything praiseworthy, so did Father favor Yeshua. Before Messiah’s first act of obedience, before His first expression of love for God, Yeshua was Father’s favorite and was favored.
Then He grew.
He grew in faith, hope and love. He grew in obedience. He grew in His relationship with Father. He grew in consecration. Yeshua grew. As He grew, He merited favor. As time went on, He merited more and more favor.
Father took Yeshua’s growth in holiness, personally. Father saw the way His Son related to other humans that Father loved, and He took it personally. The favor Yeshua received was personal.
The favor you’ve received is relational. It is personal.
When God saw you, even in your rebellion, He favored you enough to provide the way of salvation. When you responded, you receive even more grace.
As you have spiritually and relationally matured you have grown in favor as well. Just like Yeshua, and as it was with Yeshua, this charis is relational. It is personal.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun7-June-2026 22nd of Sivan, 5786
Nu 13:1-20Jer 31Dan 71 Co 13 (Mk 14:1-42)
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February
RR Psalm 45:14-16(13-15) Part 11RR Psalm 45:17,18(16,17) Part 12RR Psalm 46:1,2(1) Part 1RR Psalm 46:3,4(2,3) Part 2RR Charismata - Signs of Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 46:5-8(4-7) Part 3RR “Guarding our Relationship with the Lord” by Jerry MillerRR Psalm 46:5-8(4-7) Part 5RR Psalm 46:5-8(4-7) – Part 4RR Psalm 46:5-8(4-7) Part 6RR Psalm 46:9-12(8-11) Part 7RR THE ONE AND ONLY YOU (Part 1) The Amazing Mystery of Light and You By Dr. Raymond FinneyRR Favor and Sanctity by David HarwoodRR Psalm 46:9-12 (8-11) Part 8RR Psalm 47:1-4(1-3) Part 1RR Psalm 47:1-4(1-3) Part 2RR Psalm 47:1-4(1-3) Part 3RR Psalm 47:1-4(1-3) Part 4RR Gratitude for Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 47:6(5) Part 5RR Psalm 47:7(6) Part 6RR Psalm 47:9(8) Part 8RR Psalm 47:10(9) Part 9RR Psalm 48:1-3 Part 1RR “Guarding our Relationship with the Lord, Part 3” by Jerry MillerRR Some Favorite Verses (1) By David HarwoodRR Psalm 1:1 Part 1 (rerun)
March
RR Psalm 48:4(3) Part 2RR Psalm 48:8,9 Part 5RR Psalm 48:8,9 Part 4RR Psalm 48:5-7 Part 3RR Psalm 48:10-12 Part 6RR Psalm 48:10-12 Part 7RR Some Favorite Verses (2) Generosity and Enabling Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 48:13-15 Part 8RR Psalm 49:1-5 Part 1RR Psalm 49:1-5 Part 2RR Psalm 49:6(5) – Part 3RR Some Favorite Verses (3) Favor in Speaking and Knowledge By David HarwoodRR Psalm 49:7-9(6-8) Part 4RR Psalm 49:10,11(9,10) Part 5RR Psalm 49:12(11), 13(12) – Part 6RR Psalm 49:14(13) Part 7RR Manifestations of Favor in Speaking and Knowledge By David HarwoodRR Psalm 49:15,16(14,15) Part 9RR Psalm 49:15,16(14,15) Part 8RR Psalm 49:19-21(18-20) Part 11RR Psalm 49:17,18(16,17) Part 10RR Psalm 50:1,2 Part 1RR Psalm 50:3 Part 2RR “Guarding our Relationship with the Lord, Part 5” by Jerry MillerRR Yeshua’s Enriched Speech and Knowledge By David HarwoodRR Psalm 50:5 Part 4RR Psalm 50:4 Part 3RR Psalm 50:6 Part 5RR Psalm 50:6 Part 6RR Psalm 50:7-15 Part 7
April
RR Psalm 50:7-15 Part 8RR Psalm 50:7-15 Part 9RR Yeshua Provides a Pattern By David HarwoodRR Pasach 3 Torah Lesson – Exodus 33-12-34:26 By Jeffrey FreemanRR Let's Celebrate Yom HaBikurimRR Psalm 50:16-21 Part 10RR Psalm 50:16-21 Part 11RR Sh’mini Torah lesson – Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47 By Jeffrey FreemanRR Psalm 50:22,23 Part 13RR Psalm 50:16-21 Part 12RR Yeshua Grew By David HarwoodRR Psalm 51:1,2 Part 1RR Psalm 51:3 Part 2