***The suggestion is that there was something different about Noah.***
So, what do you think was different about Noah that made him worthy of salvation?
***I say this because I simply do not believe that God acts arbitrarily.***
Well, since you contrast arbitrary with God seeing things which cause him to save people, then what is it that made Noah worthy of salvation?
In the service of the Lord,
Christian.
In the passages I pointed out, it seems more to speak of God's displeasure with what the others were doing, both in Noah's world and in the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah.
If Noah had been an active, homosexualizing, murdering, idol worshipper.....would he have found favor in the eyes of the Lord?
Perhaps. Paul & Moses were murderers. Rachel stole household idols. Transforming Christians have proven that homosexuals can leave that lifestyle....agreeing with Paul about some Christians Paul knew who had done the same.
If it isn't the good behavior and it isn't the bad behavior (although the bad behavior above is frowned upon), then it must be something else, since it CANNOT be arbitrary. I don't believe God has a random number generator, and when your number randomly comes up that He says, "OK, favor bestowed on that one."
Faith! (Heb.11:17)