Good morning, here is a word study on favour.
In the Bible dictionary favour is kindness; approval; friendly regard from a superior. In Hebrew the word is translated as chanan which means to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior, according to Strong’s dictionary (2603). It has both tangible and abstract qualities. When God gives us chanan it is undeserved. In the case of Joseph, Jacob’s son, we don’t find him praying, worshipping, fasting, etc when he receives chanan; Genesis 39:1-6 and 19-23. But it was freely given without restriction. Joseph was enslaved and put in prison and both times we are shown that God’s chanan was automatically on his life; not because he came from the line of Abraham or because he was wise. Along with that he did not wallow in any of his circumstances and he always gave God glory for his ability to interpret dreams. Which also means that just because you have your trials does not mean you do not have God’s chanan. In Ex 3:21-22 God said He will give chanan by way of the Egyptians and later He did upon their exit from Egypt. God even knew how stiff-necked they would be but he freely gave that kindness to His inferiors. (These are several other scriptures that demonstrate God’s chanan; Gn 6:5-8, 39:19-23; Ex 3:21-22, 5:4-9; Ru 2:8-10; Ps 119:25-32; Am 5:14-15).
In Greek favour is charis (Strong’s dictionary 5485), God’s free and unmerited favour for sinful humanity. Grace indicates favour on the part of the giver, and thanks from the receiver. Charis is related to sins and is the attribute of God that they suggest, God’s eleos (1656) the free gift for the forgiveness of sins, is related to the misery that sin brings. God’s tender sense of our misery presents itself in His efforts to decrease and completely remove it, these efforts are hindered and defeated only by man’s continued perverseness. Grace eliminates guilt and mercy eliminates misery. To be in favour with is to have grace with. As for Mary, mother of Jesus, God’s favour did not provide instant success or fame. The honor of being the mother of our Savior led to much pain. Mary’s peers may have ridiculed her and she was almost left at the altar by her fiancé, yet she had charis, Lk 1:29-33. Mary also witnessed her son get rejected, ridiculed, beaten, and murdered (the horror). But through her came our hope. Mary’s submission led to our salvation. (These scriptures display charis; Lk 1:29-33, 2:52; Acts 2:43-47; Rom 1:1-7, 5:15-17; 2 Cor 1:12-14; 2 Jn 10,11).
These are my sources:
Life Application Study Bible: King James Version. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2007.
James Strong. The New Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001.
Enjoy your day.