19 May 2024 // Genesis 9
SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION: Genesis 9
SERMON REVIEW:
A New Covenant Vs 1-17
A Shameful Crime Vs. 18-22
A merciful Covering Vs. 23
A Generational Consequences Vs. 24-28
QUESTIONS:
LIFE APPLICATION:
The story of Noah's life involves not one, but two great and tragic floods. The world in Noah's day was flooded with evil. The number of those who remembered the God of creation, perfection, and love had dwindled to one. Of God's people, only Noah was left. God's response to the severe situation was a 120-year-long last chance, during which he had Noah build a graphic illustration of the message of his life. Nothing like a huge boat on dry land to make a point! For Noah, obedience meant a long-term commitment to a project. Many of us have trouble sticking to any project, whether or not it is directed by God. It is interesting that the length of Noah's obedience was greater than the lifespan of people today. The only comparable Long-term project is our very lives. But perhaps this is one great challenge Noah's life gives us-to live, in acceptance of God's grace, an entire lifetime of obedience and gratitude.
DIGGING DEEPER:
9:5 To "demand an accounting" means that God will require each W person to account for his or her actions. We cannot harm or kill another human being without answering to God. A penalty must not be paid. Justice will be served ,
6 Here God explains why murder is so wrong: To kill a person is to kill one made in God's image. Because all human beings are made in God's image, all people possess the qualities that distinguish them from animals: morality, reason, creativity, and self-worth. When we interact with others, we are interacting with beings made by God, beings to whom God offers eternal life. God wants us to recognize his image in all people.
9:8-17 Noah stepped out of the ark onto an earth devoid of human life. But God gave him a reassuring promise. This covenant had three parts: (1) never again will a flood do such destruction; (2) as long as the earth remains, the seasons will always come as expected; (3) a rainbow will be visible when it rains as a sign to all that God will keep his promises. The earth's order and seasons are still preserved, and rainbows still remind us of God's faithfulness to his Word 9:20-27 Noah, the great hero of faith, got drunk-----a poor example of godliness to his sons. Perhaps this story is included to show us that even godly people can sin and that their bad influence affects their families. Although the wicked people had all been killed, the possibility of evil still existed in the hearts of Noah and his family. Ham's mocking attitude revealed a severe lack of respect for his father and for God.
9:25 This verse has been wrongfully used to support racial prejudice and even slavery. Noah's curse, however, wasn't directed toward any particular race, but rather at the Canaanite nation-- a nation God knew would become wicked. The curse was fulfilled when the Israelites entered the promised land and drove the Canaanites out (see the book of Joshua).
Strengths and accomplishments:
• Only follower of God left in his generation
• Second father of the human race
• Man of patience, consistency, and obedience
• First major shipbuilder
Weakness and mistake:
• Got drunk and embarrassed himself in front of his sons
Lessons from his life:
• God is faithful to those who obey him
• God does not always protect us from trouble, but cares for us in spite of trouble
• Obedience is a long-term commitment
• We may be faithful, but our sinful nature always travels with us
Vital statistics:
• Where: We're not told how far from the Garden of Eden people had settled
• Occupation: Farmer, shipbuilder, preacher
• Relatives: Grandfather: Methuselah. Father: Lamech. Sons: Ham, Shem, and Japheth.
Key verse:
"Noah, did everything just as God commanded him" (Genesis 6:22). Noah's story is told in Genesis 5:29-10:32. He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 1:3, 4; Isaiah 54:9,; Ezekiel 14:14, 20: Mathew 24:37, 38; Luke 3:36: 17:26, 27; Hebrews 11:7: 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5
Commentary:
9:1 blessed Noah … Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. God blessed Noah and recommissioned him to fill the earth (cf. 1:28).
9:2, 3 The fear of you. Man’s relationship to the animals appears to have changed, in that man is free to eat animals for sustenance (v. 3).
9:4 blood. Raw blood was not to be consumed as food. It symbolically represented life. To shed blood symbolically represented death (cf. Lv 17:11). The blood of animals, representing their life, was not to be eaten. It was, in fact, that blood that God designed to be a covering for sin (Lv 17:11).
9:5 beast … man. Capital punishment was invoked upon every animal (Ex 21:28) or man who took human life unlawfully. Cf. Jn 19:11; Ac 25:11; Ro 13:4 for clear NT support for this punishment.
9:6 For in the image of God. The reason man could kill animals, but neither animals nor man could kill man, is because man alone was created in God’s image.
9:9–17 This is the first covenant God made with man, afterwards called the Noahic Covenant. 9:9, 10 with you … with your descendants … with every living creature. The covenant with Noah included living creatures as was first promised in 6:18.
9:11 by the water. The specific promise of this covenant, never to destroy the world again by water, was qualified by the means, for God has since promised to destroy the earth with fire one day (2Pe 3:10, 11; Rev 20:9; 21:1).
9:12 the sign of the covenant. The rainbow is the perpetual, symbolic reminder of this covenant promise, just as circumcision of all males would be for the Abrahamic Covenant (17:10, 11).
9:15 I will remember. Not simple recognition, but God’s commitment to keep the promise.
9:16 the everlasting covenant. This covenant with Noah is the first of 5 divinely originated covenants in Scripture explicitly described as “everlasting.” The other 4 include: 1) Abrahamic (Ge 17:7); 2) Priestly (Nu 25:10–13); 3) Davidic (2Sa 23:5); and 4) New (Jer 32:40). The term “everlasting” can mean either 1) to the end of time and/or 2) through eternity future. It never looks back to eternity past. Of the 6 explicitly mentioned covenants of this kind in Scripture, only the Mosaic or Old Covenant was nullified.
9:18 Ham was the father of Canaan. Canaan’s offspring, the idolatrous enemies of Israel whose land Abraham’s descendants would later take (15:13–16), became a primary focus in chap. 10. This notation is important since Moses was writing the Pentateuch just before the Israelites took Canaan (see Introduction: Author and Date, Background and Setting).
9:19 from these the whole earth. All men who have ever lived since the Flood came from these 3 sons of Noah (cf. 10:32). The “one man” (Ac 17:26) from whom all nations came is Adam through Noah. All physical characteristics of the whole race were present in the genetics of Noah, his sons, and their wives.
9:21 became drunk. Fermentation, which leads to drunkenness, may have been caused by changed ecological conditions as a result of the Flood. Noah may have taken off his clothes because of the heat, or been involuntarily exposed due to his drunkenness.
9:22 saw the nakedness. There is no reasonable support for the notion that some perverse activity, in addition to seeing nakedness, occurred. But clearly, the implication is that Ham looked with some sinful thought, if only for a while until he left to inform his brothers. Perhaps he was glad to see his father’s dignity and authority reduced to such weakness. He thought his brothers might share his feelings so he eagerly told them. They did not, however, share his attitude (v. 23).
9:25–27 Cursed be Canaan. The shift from Ham to his son Canaan established the historic legitimacy of Israel’s later conquest of the Canaanites. These were the people with whom Israel had to do battle shortly after they first heard Moses’ reading of this passage. Here, God gave Israel the theological basis for the conquest of Canaan. The descendants of Ham had received a sentence of judgment for the sins of their progenitor. In 10:15–20, the descendants of Canaan are seen to be the earlier inhabitants of the land later promised to Abraham. 9:26 let Canaan be his servant. Conquered peoples were called servants, even if they were not household or private slaves. Shem, the ancestor of Israel, and the other “Semites” were to be the masters of Ham’s descendants, the Canaanites. The latter would give their land to the former. 9:27 dwell in the tents. This means that spiritual blessings would come to the Japhethites through the God of Shem (v. 26) and the line of Shem from which the Messiah would come.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Is there a time when you were up in life only to be followed by a foolish action?
2. What might have been going through Ham’s mind?
3. Was he a Bully, wicked son or prankster/joker?
4. What should Ham have done instead?
5. Do you have friends or family more like Ham or like the other brothers?
PRAYER:
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ge 9:1–27). Thomas Nelson Publishers.
SERMON REVIEW:
A New Covenant Vs 1-17
A Shameful Crime Vs. 18-22
A merciful Covering Vs. 23
A Generational Consequences Vs. 24-28
QUESTIONS:
- What did the message teach me about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
- What did the message teach me about the human condition?
- Is there anything I need to confess, repent, or be grateful for, because of this passage?
- How do I need help in believing and applying this scripture to my life?
- How can I encourage others with this passage?
LIFE APPLICATION:
The story of Noah's life involves not one, but two great and tragic floods. The world in Noah's day was flooded with evil. The number of those who remembered the God of creation, perfection, and love had dwindled to one. Of God's people, only Noah was left. God's response to the severe situation was a 120-year-long last chance, during which he had Noah build a graphic illustration of the message of his life. Nothing like a huge boat on dry land to make a point! For Noah, obedience meant a long-term commitment to a project. Many of us have trouble sticking to any project, whether or not it is directed by God. It is interesting that the length of Noah's obedience was greater than the lifespan of people today. The only comparable Long-term project is our very lives. But perhaps this is one great challenge Noah's life gives us-to live, in acceptance of God's grace, an entire lifetime of obedience and gratitude.
DIGGING DEEPER:
9:5 To "demand an accounting" means that God will require each W person to account for his or her actions. We cannot harm or kill another human being without answering to God. A penalty must not be paid. Justice will be served ,
6 Here God explains why murder is so wrong: To kill a person is to kill one made in God's image. Because all human beings are made in God's image, all people possess the qualities that distinguish them from animals: morality, reason, creativity, and self-worth. When we interact with others, we are interacting with beings made by God, beings to whom God offers eternal life. God wants us to recognize his image in all people.
9:8-17 Noah stepped out of the ark onto an earth devoid of human life. But God gave him a reassuring promise. This covenant had three parts: (1) never again will a flood do such destruction; (2) as long as the earth remains, the seasons will always come as expected; (3) a rainbow will be visible when it rains as a sign to all that God will keep his promises. The earth's order and seasons are still preserved, and rainbows still remind us of God's faithfulness to his Word 9:20-27 Noah, the great hero of faith, got drunk-----a poor example of godliness to his sons. Perhaps this story is included to show us that even godly people can sin and that their bad influence affects their families. Although the wicked people had all been killed, the possibility of evil still existed in the hearts of Noah and his family. Ham's mocking attitude revealed a severe lack of respect for his father and for God.
9:25 This verse has been wrongfully used to support racial prejudice and even slavery. Noah's curse, however, wasn't directed toward any particular race, but rather at the Canaanite nation-- a nation God knew would become wicked. The curse was fulfilled when the Israelites entered the promised land and drove the Canaanites out (see the book of Joshua).
Strengths and accomplishments:
• Only follower of God left in his generation
• Second father of the human race
• Man of patience, consistency, and obedience
• First major shipbuilder
Weakness and mistake:
• Got drunk and embarrassed himself in front of his sons
Lessons from his life:
• God is faithful to those who obey him
• God does not always protect us from trouble, but cares for us in spite of trouble
• Obedience is a long-term commitment
• We may be faithful, but our sinful nature always travels with us
Vital statistics:
• Where: We're not told how far from the Garden of Eden people had settled
• Occupation: Farmer, shipbuilder, preacher
• Relatives: Grandfather: Methuselah. Father: Lamech. Sons: Ham, Shem, and Japheth.
Key verse:
"Noah, did everything just as God commanded him" (Genesis 6:22). Noah's story is told in Genesis 5:29-10:32. He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 1:3, 4; Isaiah 54:9,; Ezekiel 14:14, 20: Mathew 24:37, 38; Luke 3:36: 17:26, 27; Hebrews 11:7: 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5
Commentary:
9:1 blessed Noah … Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. God blessed Noah and recommissioned him to fill the earth (cf. 1:28).
9:2, 3 The fear of you. Man’s relationship to the animals appears to have changed, in that man is free to eat animals for sustenance (v. 3).
9:4 blood. Raw blood was not to be consumed as food. It symbolically represented life. To shed blood symbolically represented death (cf. Lv 17:11). The blood of animals, representing their life, was not to be eaten. It was, in fact, that blood that God designed to be a covering for sin (Lv 17:11).
9:5 beast … man. Capital punishment was invoked upon every animal (Ex 21:28) or man who took human life unlawfully. Cf. Jn 19:11; Ac 25:11; Ro 13:4 for clear NT support for this punishment.
9:6 For in the image of God. The reason man could kill animals, but neither animals nor man could kill man, is because man alone was created in God’s image.
9:9–17 This is the first covenant God made with man, afterwards called the Noahic Covenant. 9:9, 10 with you … with your descendants … with every living creature. The covenant with Noah included living creatures as was first promised in 6:18.
9:11 by the water. The specific promise of this covenant, never to destroy the world again by water, was qualified by the means, for God has since promised to destroy the earth with fire one day (2Pe 3:10, 11; Rev 20:9; 21:1).
9:12 the sign of the covenant. The rainbow is the perpetual, symbolic reminder of this covenant promise, just as circumcision of all males would be for the Abrahamic Covenant (17:10, 11).
9:15 I will remember. Not simple recognition, but God’s commitment to keep the promise.
9:16 the everlasting covenant. This covenant with Noah is the first of 5 divinely originated covenants in Scripture explicitly described as “everlasting.” The other 4 include: 1) Abrahamic (Ge 17:7); 2) Priestly (Nu 25:10–13); 3) Davidic (2Sa 23:5); and 4) New (Jer 32:40). The term “everlasting” can mean either 1) to the end of time and/or 2) through eternity future. It never looks back to eternity past. Of the 6 explicitly mentioned covenants of this kind in Scripture, only the Mosaic or Old Covenant was nullified.
9:18 Ham was the father of Canaan. Canaan’s offspring, the idolatrous enemies of Israel whose land Abraham’s descendants would later take (15:13–16), became a primary focus in chap. 10. This notation is important since Moses was writing the Pentateuch just before the Israelites took Canaan (see Introduction: Author and Date, Background and Setting).
9:19 from these the whole earth. All men who have ever lived since the Flood came from these 3 sons of Noah (cf. 10:32). The “one man” (Ac 17:26) from whom all nations came is Adam through Noah. All physical characteristics of the whole race were present in the genetics of Noah, his sons, and their wives.
9:21 became drunk. Fermentation, which leads to drunkenness, may have been caused by changed ecological conditions as a result of the Flood. Noah may have taken off his clothes because of the heat, or been involuntarily exposed due to his drunkenness.
9:22 saw the nakedness. There is no reasonable support for the notion that some perverse activity, in addition to seeing nakedness, occurred. But clearly, the implication is that Ham looked with some sinful thought, if only for a while until he left to inform his brothers. Perhaps he was glad to see his father’s dignity and authority reduced to such weakness. He thought his brothers might share his feelings so he eagerly told them. They did not, however, share his attitude (v. 23).
9:25–27 Cursed be Canaan. The shift from Ham to his son Canaan established the historic legitimacy of Israel’s later conquest of the Canaanites. These were the people with whom Israel had to do battle shortly after they first heard Moses’ reading of this passage. Here, God gave Israel the theological basis for the conquest of Canaan. The descendants of Ham had received a sentence of judgment for the sins of their progenitor. In 10:15–20, the descendants of Canaan are seen to be the earlier inhabitants of the land later promised to Abraham. 9:26 let Canaan be his servant. Conquered peoples were called servants, even if they were not household or private slaves. Shem, the ancestor of Israel, and the other “Semites” were to be the masters of Ham’s descendants, the Canaanites. The latter would give their land to the former. 9:27 dwell in the tents. This means that spiritual blessings would come to the Japhethites through the God of Shem (v. 26) and the line of Shem from which the Messiah would come.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Is there a time when you were up in life only to be followed by a foolish action?
2. What might have been going through Ham’s mind?
3. Was he a Bully, wicked son or prankster/joker?
4. What should Ham have done instead?
5. Do you have friends or family more like Ham or like the other brothers?
PRAYER:
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ge 9:1–27). Thomas Nelson Publishers.