Grace in the old testament
      
This is just a scratching of the surface, the beginning of an introduction to God’s Grace in the Old Testament. We start with Grace in the New Covenant and we concentrate on that and rightly so since we are living in and under the New Covenant of Grace. We know that God remains the same, yesterday, today and forever. He has always been a gracious God and he will continue to be a gracious God into all eternity. That is his nature, he will not nor does he have any need to change since he is the creator of the universe. Maybe Grace is just harder to “see” in the Old Testament; but if you look carefully at the Old Testament grace scriptures it will start to become more and more obvious to you that God has always been gracious toward his own and toward his creation.
                                             GRACE
In the Hebrew Old Testament the word for Grace is chen (Strong’s #2580).
The root word is chanan, which is graciousness.
Chen is in the Old Testament 69 times. It is translated as; favor(51), grace(8), gracious(3), charm, charming(3), graceful(2), adornment(1), pleases(1).
Noah finding favor in God’s eyes is the first time chen(#2580) is mentioned in the bible.    Gen 6:8 Most of the Grace in the Old Testament is someone finding grace in someone’s eyes. Either it is finding Grace in God’s eyes or a King’s eyes or someone else’s eyes.
A few other ones; (2580 Grace)
Psalms 45:2
You are the fairest of the sons of man, grace has poured into your lips, on this account God has blessed you forever.
Psalms 84:11
For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield, Jehovah will give Grace and glory, he will withhold nothing good from those who walk in integrity.
Proverbs 3:34
Surely he scorns the scorners, but gives grace to the lowly. (same as 1Peter 5:5+James 4:6)
Jeremiah 31:2
So says Jehovah, Israel, the people, the survivors of the sword, have found grace in the wilderness, I will go to give rest to him.
Zechariah 4:7
Who are you? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts; Grace! Grace to it!
Zechariah 12:10
And I will pour on the house of David, and on those living in Jerusalem, the spirit of Grace and of prayers. And they shall look on me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only son, and they shall be bitter over him, like the bitterness over the firstborn   List of the rest of the Grace (2580) scriptures in the Old Testament;
Genesis 6:8,18:3,19:19, 30:27, 32:5, 33:8,10,15, 34:11, 39:4,21, 47:25,29, 50:4
Exodus 3:21, 11:3, 12:36, 33:12, 13, 13, 16, 17, 34:9 Numbers 11:11, 15, 32:5
Deuteronomy 24:1 Judges 6:17 Ruth 2:2, 10, 13 1Samuel 1:18, 16:22, 20:3, 29, 25:8, 27:5
2Samuel 14:22, 15:25, 16:4 1Kings 11:19 Esther 2:15, 17, 5:2, 8, 7:3, 8:5
Psalms 45:2, 84:11 Proverbs 1:9, 3:4,22,34, 4:9, 11:16, 13:5, 17:8, 22:1,11, 28:23, 31:30 Ecclesiastes 9:11, 10:12
Jeremiah 31:2 Nahum 3:4 Zechariah 4:7, 7, 12:10
 2603 GRACIOUS (78 TIMES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT)
2603. chanan: beseech, Original Word: חָנַן, Part of Speech: Verb, Transliteration: chanan, Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-nan')
Short Definition: beseech
Isaiah 30:18+19
And so Jehovah waits to be GRACIOUS to you. And for this He is exalted to have mercy on you; for Jehovah is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
Malachi 1:9
And now entreat the face of God, that He FAVOR us. This has been by your hands; will He lift up your faces? Says Jehovah of Hosts. For the people shall live in Zion, at Jerusalem; you shall surely cry no more. He surely will be GRACIOUS to you at the sound of your cry. When He hears, He will answer you.
Amos 5:15
Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate. It may be that Jehovah the God of Hosts will be GRACIOUS TO the remnant of Joseph.
Exodus 33:19
And He said, I will cause all my goodness to pass before your face. And I will call out the name of Jehovah before your face. And I will be GRACIOUS to whom I will be GRACIOUS, and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.
Numbers 6:22-27
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, In this way you shall bless the sons of Israel, saying to them: Jehovah bless you and keep you; Jehovah cause His face to shine on you, and be GRACIOUS to you; Jehovah lift up His face to you, and give you peace. So they shall put my name on the sons of Israel, and I myself will bless them.
2 Kings 13:23
And Jehovah was GRACIOUS to them, and pitied them, and turned toward them, for the sake of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and was not willing to destroy them, nor to cast them out from His presence as yet.
Job 8:5
If you would seek EARNESTLY to God, and make your prayer to the Almighty,
Job 33:14-28
For in one way God may speak and in a second, but one does not regard it. In a dream, a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men; while they slumber on the bed, then He opens the ear of men and seals their instruction, that He may turn man from his deed; that He might conceal pride from man. He holds back his soul from the Pit, and his life from passing by the sword. He is also chastened with pain on his bed, and enduring strife in his bones; so that his life loathes bread, and his soul desirable food. His flesh wastes away from his sight; and his bones laid bare, they that were not seen. Yea, his soul draws near to the Pit and his life to those causing dying. If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to declare for man his uprightness, then let Him be GRACIOUS to him and say, Deliver him from going down to the Pit, for I have found a ransom! His flesh shall be fresher than in vigor; let him return to the days of his youth. He will pray to God, and He will accept him, and he will see His face with exultation; for He will restore to man his righteousness. He will observe to men and say, I have sinned, and I have perverted uprightness; and it was not equally repaid to me; He has redeemed my soul from passing over into the Pit, and my life shall see the light.
Psalm 4:1
Have MERCY on me and hear my prayer.
Psalm 6:2
Have MERCY on me, O Jehovah, for I am weak; heal me, O Jehovah, for my bones are troubled.
Psalm 9:13 be GRACIOUS to me, O Jehovah; see my affliction from ones hating me, be lifting me up from the gates of death,
Psalm 25:16
Turn to me and be GRACIOUS to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
Psalm 26:11
But I will walk in my integrity; redeem me and be GRACIOUS to me.
Psalm 27:7
Hear, O Jehovah, my voice when I call, and FAVOR me, and answer me.
Psalm 30:10
Hear, O Jehovah, and FAVOR me; O Jehovah, be my helper.
Psalm 31:9
Be GRACIOUS to me, O Jehovah, for I am in trouble; my eye has wasted away with grief, my soul and my belly.
Psalm 41:4
I said, O Jehovah be GRACIOUS to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Psalm 51:1
To the chief musician, A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be GRACIOUS to me, O God, according to your loving-kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies; blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 56:1
To the chief musician. Concerning the silent dove, those far off. Of David, a secret treasure (when the Philistines seized him in Gath). FAVOR me, O God, for man snuffs me up; all the day fighting oppresses me.
Psalm 57:1
To the chief musician. Do not destroy. A secret treasure of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be MERCIFUL to me, O God, be MERCIFUL to me, for my soul trusts in you; yea, in the shadow of your wings I will make my hiding place, until the great destruction passes by.
Psalm 67:1
To the chief musician, for stringed instruments, a Psalm, a song. May God be MERCIFUL to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. Selah.
Psalm 86:3+16
Be GRACIOUS to Me, O Lord, for I cry to you daily. O turn to me and be GRACIOUS to me; give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your handmaid.
Psalm 119:29
Remove from me the way of lying, and FAVOR me with Your Law.
Psalm 119:58
I entreated your face with all my heart; FAVOR me according to Your Word.
Psalm 119:132
Turn to me and FAVOR me, as is the way to those who love your name.
Psalm 123:2+3
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters; as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait on Jehovah our God, until He shows GRACE to us. Be GRACIOUS to us, O Jehovah; be GRACIOUS to us! For we are exceedingly filled with scorn.
Isaiah 33:2
O Jehovah, be GRACIOUS to us. We have hoped in you; be their arm in the mornings, our salvation also in time of distress.
2587 GRACIOUS (13 TIMES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT)
channun: gracious, Original Word: חַנּוּן, Part of Speech: Adjective, Transliteration: channun, Phonetic Spelling: (khan-noon') Short Definition: gracious; from chanan Definition; gracious
Exodus 22:27
For that is his only covering that is his covering for his skin. In what shall he lie down? And it shall be, when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Exodus 34:6
And Jehovah passed by before his face and called out: Jehovah! Jehovah God! Merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and great in goodness and truth,
2 Chronicles 30:9
For when you return to Jehovah, your brothers and your sons will have mercies before their captors, even to return to this land. For Jehovah your God is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn His face away from you, if you turn back to Him.
Nehemiah 9:17
And they refused to hear, and were not mindful of your wonders which you did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return them to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and did not forsake them.
Nehemiah 9:31
But for Your great mercies, you did not consume nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God.
Psalm 86:15
But You, O God, are God, full of pity; and gracious, longsuffering and rich in mercy and truth.
Psalm 103:8
Jehovah is merciful and gracious; slow to anger, and of abundant mercy.
Psalm 111:4
He has made a memorial for His wonders; Jehovah is gracious and full of pity.
Psalm 112:4
Light rises in the darkness to the upright; he is gracious and full of pity, and of righteousness.
Psalm 116:5
Jehovah is gracious and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Psalm 145:8
Jehovah is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great mercy;
Joel 2:13
Yea, tear your heart, and not your robes; and turn to Jehovah your God. For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He pities concerning the evil.
Jonah 4:2
And he prayed to Jehovah, and said, Please, O Jehovah, was this not my word while I was on my own land? On account of this, I fled to Tarshish before, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and One who repents over calamity.