Battle For The Truth (Part 46)
Battle For The Truth • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsNoah 's sin, Ham's indiscretion, and Canaan's curse, and Shem's blessing.
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Transcript
Genesis 9:18-29, “And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. (19) These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. (20) And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: (21) And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. (22) And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. (23) And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. (24) And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. (25) And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. (26) And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. (27) God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. (28) And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. (29) And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died."
Introduction
As we begin the message this morning, I want to preface it by saying this will be more teaching than preaching. What we are reviewing is the biblical account of the world’s history. I understand that to those who have been following along with me, this may seem repetitious, but when it comes to the word of God, repetition plays a critical and intentional role. As the Apostle put it in 2Peter 1:12-15:
“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. (13) Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; (14) Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. (15) Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.”
Thus, we have closely examined the world’s creation, and when I say world, I mean the entire universe. The Scriptures inform us that the world’s Creator is God, and that God created earth to be inhabited and ruled by man. Adam was the first man and Eve the first woman. We learned that through the deceit of a creature referred to as the serpent, Adam, and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the fruit from the forbidden tree—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The consequence of their disobedience was certain death, just as God had warned them. Additional consequences of their disobedience included banishment from the Garden of Eden, pain in childbirth and childrearing for Eve, and hard labor in trying to grow food in a cursed ground for Adam. Nevertheless, during the pronouncement of judgment, God made a promise to send a Redeemer, through the “Seed of the woman”to crush the serpent and restore fallen man back to a right relationship with Him.
The evil that was in the forbidden tree manifested itself within the first two children born to Adam and Eve—Cain and Abel. Cain murdered his brother Abel and was cursed by God for his egregious sin. Cain’s cursing eliminated him and his progeny from participating in the promise of God of a blessed “Seed of the woman.” And just when it seemed God’s promise had failed, God replaced Abel with Seth. The godly line of Seth is traced throughout the remainder of Scripture. The more notable characters in this godly genealogy are starts with Noah, whom the Scriptures described as “...a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Because evil was so widespread and violence so rampant, God destroyed the entire world except for eight souls—Noah, his wife, his three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japhet), and their three wives.
We now find ourselves on the other side of the flood. God made a covenant with Noah, his family which extended to their offspring including the animals not to destroy the world again with flood waters. As a token or sign of His covenant, God gave the rainbow in the clouds.
When we were reviewing Genesis 6, I pointed out that it was Noah who found grace in the eyes of the Lord and walked with God. And that it was because of Noah and the plan of God that the other souls were saved. It was made clear that Noah and his family were not saved because they were without sin, and that would be revealed in Genesis 9, where we happen to be. From this point forward, we will discover how the world became repopulated after the flood and the reality of our relationship to one another. Our text today focuses on the final activities of Noah and his pronouncement of blessing and cursing upon his three sons and their families.
Vv.18-19, “And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. (19) These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.”
As just mentioned, the focus is shifting from Noah to his three sons, Shem Ham, and Japheth. Notice the repetition of informing us of their names (5:32; 6:10; 7:13; 9:18; 10:1). I trust that you now know who they are. Through these three sons of Noah, the whole earth was overspread or populated. Now this is either true or not. I believe it is true. What say you? And since it is true, it means that all humanity are the offspring of one of these three sons, who were all the same blood and race. Therefore, racism (the belief that certain races of people are by birth and nature superior to others) is an ill-conceived idea that ought to be done away with immediately. Amen somebody.
The Sin of Noah
Vv.20-21, “And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: (21) And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.”
As previously mentioned, Noah was not sinless, and we find the evidence of that truth here in these verses. Furthermore, what unfolds from this point forward is proof that although sinners died in the flood waters, sin did not die. Sin survived for it was within the eight souls that were on the ark. Noah began having children when he was 500-years old (5:32). He entered the ark when he was 600-years old (7:6) and departed the ark when he was 601-years old (8:13). Now the text does not tell us Noah’s age when he began to plant a vineyard, nor does it tell us if his wife was still alive. All we know is that Noah planted a vineyard and drank enough wine to become drunk. Because being drunk is sin, Noah is guilty of sin. In the NT, the Apostle Paul makes it clear in Galatians 5:21, that those guilty of practicing drunkenness “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Therefore, this ought to deter us from drunkenness. Scripture warns us of the dangers of wine. Proverbs 20:1, says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”And we see that being played out here with Noah. He got so drunk that he took off his clothes. I have known of people doing a myriad of regretful things because of being drunk. Hospitals, jails, cemeteries, and skid row are full of people who either got drunk themselves or were the victims of someone who was drunk. Amen somebody.
Side Note:
Let me say this, please listen well because I do not want to be misunderstand. What Noah did in getting drunk was wrong and he suffered the humiliation of his actions. Nevertheless, the more I study Noah, the more I admire him. For, even though he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, walked with God, and offered pleasing sacrifices unto the Lord, he sinned. This humanizes Noah for me. This lets me know that the best of us are still sinful creatures and capable of sinning. Amen somebody. I offer no excuses for Noah, but before being too hard on him, consider what he has gone through. He has lost all his friends and extended family, and by this time, may even have lost his wife. Again, I am not making any excuses for Noah, but I can understand how all of this could have been overwhelming. Proverbs 31:6, says, “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” So, Noah may have had a moment of depression or a “heavy heart” and as a result drank too much wine. Be that as it may, before being too hard on Noah, put yourself in his sandals and ask yourself if you may not have been guilty of doing the same thing. For this reason, Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-5, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2)For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? (5)Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Amen somebody.
Vv. 22-23, “And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. (23) And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.”
Ham, for whatever reason thought that seeing his father in a compromising position was worthy of scandal. Ham dishonored his father in this act and it appears that he wanted his brothers to join him in ridiculing their father. However, they did not join Ham in his folly and did the honorable thing, which was to cover their father without looking upon his nakedness. Later God would give Moses the 10 Commandments, which among them is the law to “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12) Also, in the NT, Peter writes, in 1Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” Therefore, avoid the temptation of exposing someone else’s sin. But rather follow Paul’s teaching surrounding a brother or a sister’s faults. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:1-2, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (2) Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Amen somebody.
Vv. 24-27, “And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. (25)And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. (26) And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. (27) God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.”
The text does not explain how, but only that Noah knew what his younger son had done. After all, just because Noah was drunk does not mean he was unconscious. And, considering what was done, Noah cursed Canaan rather than Ham. Why? We cannot be certain. However, remember that Genesis is the Book of Beginnings, and it is here where we find the history of the world taking shape. Moses, the author of Genesis is leading his people to the Promised Land, and the Spirit of God leads him to give a reason for the upcoming struggle with the Canaanites, whose land God promised to Abraham as an inheritance. A genocide is forthcoming, and many scholars believe that Moses is preparing them for the annihilation of an entire people. Canaan is cursed to be a servant of servants. And a servant of servants owns nothing. Shem is identified as the blessed seed and the promised “Seed of the woman”will flow through him.
Vv. 28-29, “And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. (29) And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died."
This closes the book on Noah. God blessed him with 350 more years after the flood for a total of 950-years. Noah lived 20 more years than Adam. I would say that Noah knew a lot, saw a lot, and did a lot. Nevertheless, the effects of sin still applied to him for in the end we are told that “he died." Amen somebody.
Conclusion
So, until next time, may the Lord God bless and keep you is my earnest prayer. Amen.