April 4, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Genesis? Here’s today’s reading:
Genesis 9 (NIV)
God’s Covenant With Noah
1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.……Continue Reading
Extra-biblcal Jewish traditions, manuscripts, scholars provide no suitable explanation what Ham did that was so evil. I spare you.
Noah drank himself into stupor; he was drunk.
Noah was uncovered, genitalia exposed.
Ham saw his father, drunk, uncovered.
He told Shem, Japheth.
They cover Noah, not ever seeing his exposure.
All knew it was wrong to see genitalia of another, and apparently here, very seriously wrong.
Based on the narrative, what else should Ham have done? I have ideas, but they are no more Biblical than what I read last night. So, there I am, left to my own conclusions.
Genesis 2:28, And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
3:7 And they eyes of them both were opened, and they knew they were naked, and sewed fig leaves….
3:8 …Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence if the Lord…
3:10 I was afraid, because I was naked, and hid myself.
3:11 he, God said, “Who told thee thou wast naked?”
The answer never came.
Adam and Eve knew in their conscience they were naked, nobody but themselves told them that. Even as spouses, they knew nakedness before others was wrong, sin. They covered themselves, that God would not see , but I ask, God already saw, knew they were naked, and it was no problem. Just because they just came to know it, and were ashamed, why were they worried that God would know their thoughts?
Adam and Eve were just they way they were physically before, naked; but before, they had no shame, no sense of discomfort, concern, wariness, guilt. Afterwards? Enough awareness to realize nakedness was seriously wrong, shameful, guilty, and it was an internal change of thought, and it was not good. Something inside them, not outside, changed.
What did Ham do wrong? At best, he saw the nakedness of his father, and that was enough. It is significant here, postdiluvial, that everyone knew this condition was the very thing Adam and Eve first knew as terrible, terrible sin, the “internal change.” The flood survivors had the first glimpse and reminder of their own cursed flesh nature, the corrupt spirit within them, that was in all the guilty, wicked earth just killed off, and they could not escape themselves.
What say ye? -gy
Good discussion and thoughts Gordon…I was trying to find relation to our lives in this passage and the first thing that came to mind was the commandment to “honor thy father and mother”.
But then, I was stuck by the fact that Noah and his family had not yet received the law, because “the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
But then I was stuck by another thought…total tangent here, but something struck me. God did not tell Noah to curse Ham through his son Canaan. Noah did it on his own accord. Why is this? Because Ham dishonored him? Certainly, that happened. But, was Noah blameless in this event? No. He became drunk. And just like avoiding sexual immorality, the New Testament repeatedly calls believers to avoid drunkenness. So, we see that both Noah and Ham sinned in this circumstance. But rather than forgive, Noah curses Canaan, one of Ham’s children.
What comes from this curse? The Canaanites. One of the peoples whom God would command Israel to drive out and destroy from the promised land. But, one of the peoples whom Israel would NOT fully drive out or destroy, which leads to all sorts of sin and calamity for Israel. How might this story had been different if Noah hadn’t gotten drunk?
The wild tangent here is between Abram and Sarai in Genesis 16. Does God tell Sarai to tell her husband Abram to go into her servant Hagar? Nope. Sarai and Abram figure, well, God hasn’t given us children, (in fact, she blames God for “preventing her from bearing children” Genesis 16:2) so they figure they’ll make it happen by their own design.
Never mind that they devise this plan despite the fact that the word of the Lord had come to Abram in a vision, in the previous chapter…and that Abram had “believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6).
God had told Abram directly that He would make him a great nation…and that “your very own son shall be your heir.” Genesis 15:4.
But time passed. Sarai didn’t get pregnant. And the faith that was counted to Abram as righteousness began to waiver. He obviously began to doubt. He began to drift. And he went along with Sarai’s plan. Ishmael is born…and through Ishmael comes the Islamic faith. And we see how Israel and the Islamic faith have gotten along.
But again. How does this story change if Abram continues to believe and trust and wait on God?
And here I find my connection. Hebrews 3:12 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today”, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”
How do we not fall away from the living God? Walk with Him, each day. Humble ourselves before Him. Acknowledge that His ways are not our ways, and that we don’t always understand what He is doing, or why He is doing it. But, we know that He is good, and that “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.
And what is that purpose? Here I love the Westminster Shorter Catechism…”Question: What is the chief end of man? Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
May God help us to glorify Him through our faith, love, obedience, and worship this day!!
Those are great insights Gordon. I had not thought about the internal change in the garden. I think because they ate from the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil”, they knew they were naked = knowledge of evil.
I think Ham should have covered his father’s nakedness and kept it to himself. Instead he exposed his father’s shame instead of covering it.
Honor your father.
It is funny to me that when people see a rainbow in the sky they are so excited and they break out the cameras and marvel at how beautiful and special. It is like a reenactment of this moment every time! God’s desire for sanctity of life explained and His promise as a tangible sign in the sky and even those who don’t believe recognize something special about a rainbow!
Noah gets drunk, not his finest hour, but Ham certainly makes a decision for his own sin when he chooses to exploit his father instead of protectiong him. We are called to help others even when they are sinning, to speak truth in love, and to guide them to a better place not relish in their mistakes, gossip, or join in sin and Ham certainly learns that lesson here.
Man has forgotten and/or distorted what God provided.
”Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.“
Genesis 9:6 KJV
Justice for murder or bloodshed is bloodshed.
”And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.“
Genesis 9:7 KJV
The world is not overpopulated. Children are not an inconvenience. Abortion is not a solution.
”And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.“
Genesis 9:12-13 KJV
The rainbow is the sign of Gods covenant with man and beast. NOT a symbol of acceptance of sexual sin.
Genesis 9
Amy, count the primary colors of the rainbow that the Lord set in the skies.
Now count the colors in the LGTQB flag.
These souls need the Savior, and our love to lead them to Christ. Holy Spirit, give us those words to say in the hour of testimony! -gy
Genesis 8
Genesis 9
Genesis 9
Genesis 9; 1 Corinthians 1-4
Genesis 9 and Matthew 8-9.
Good comments Amy. The rainbow was given by God as a promise to mankind that He would never again destroy earth by a worldwide flood. Although fire will be used in the end times. God never said there wouldn`t be local floods but only there wouldn`t be a worldwide flood again. I hate how the rainbow has been stolen to mean something else. He doesn`t make anyone that way. God says it is a sin. The scriptures are very clear on this. The scriptures name it as such along with many other sins. God knew what He was doing when He created everything. He made them male and female. Satan has greatly deceived the human race. Did God really say? Satan is doing what he can to destroy mankind for he hates God and hates the human race. He is called the deceiver. The lies are there all over our world. People are taught by the lie that babies are not human beings until after birth but God says differently for the scriptures clearly teach that they are a human being at conception. The mother is carrying another human being inside of her. How dare anyone think that they know better than God. Anyways I hope I haven`t said too much but I grieve over these things. We know God does. Are we seeking to follow God and draw closer to Him or are we justifying our sins? We are made in the image of God. vs6. As far as Noah and his sons Ham sinned against his father after Noah got drunk and fell asleep naked. Ham told his two brothers and the two brothers covered up their father without looking in respect and honor. Apparently Ham dishonored his father by looking upon him and then instead of covering him up continued to dishonor him by telling the two brothers. What was his attitude when he told his brothers? Exodus 20: 12 { Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.} One thing that I have always been confused about is why did God curse Canaan instead of his father Ham when it was Ham that sinned? Any answers? God bless you all.
Remember years ago. Fishing in Florida early in the morning. With a couple of life long friends who to say the least are not believers A thunderstorm had passed through and the sun began to shine along with a perfect double rainbow Being on the ocean with no obstruction. Looked like you could touch I immediately said tell me there’s no God. If only I could have captured the looks on their faces. As they agreed with me. But soon had forgotten
God renews the covenant with Noah and affirms His desire to start anew by giving the same command to be fruitful and multiply, as well as providing a command that addresses the sin of Cain by establishing capital punishment for murder. Everything is given for food at this point and it is just interesting that restrictions will follow in the law and then be changed in the new covenant. But as Jesus says, it is not what goes into a man that matters, but what comes out of him that shows the heart. And what an astounding way to mark a promise and set a dynamic where light and water will create such a brilliant display. It really isn’t surprising that what God meant to such a good thing is being used for evil.
And boy it doesn’t take long for man to get it wrong. Noah gets drunk and lies around sans cloths (both recipes for trouble) and Ham doesn’t honor his father and cover his error but tells his brothers instead (both bad choices). Ham must have missed something in proper instruction when his brothers know what to do. And it is said that Noah curses Ham’s son without taking any responsibility for his actions. And how these curses and blessings have been misused in American history.
It is a good question Dennis why Canaan is cursed and not Ham. One wonders if he was involved in what his father did, or was mocking when Noah came to his senses, or was this a foreshadowing of what would happen to the Canaanites when the Jews (the seed of Shem) would enter the promised land. Might be a while before I can look into it further.
Been going through Genesis in detail Saturday mornings, and we touched on Ham’s sin, quite a lively discussion! Shem and Japheth took extreme measures not to see their dad exposed. But they were told he was exposed by Ham (warned). Any of them could have glanced at any time.
I read some seriously disturbing views as to what Ham, or Cainan might have done. For example, and far less shocking, I have always been told Ham went out, laughed, made fun of the situation, brought dishonor upon his dad. I believed it all of my life! Elders, pastors, teachers, all said it. BUT WHERE IS THAT IN SCRIPTURE? [EMPHASIS MINE].
Conjecture, hypothetically, “maybe’s” are all okay if clearly stated. Ham saw his dad exposed, his brothers corrected the exposure. Implies Ham could/should have corrected the problem himself. “Implies” based on my perception.
My take away?
-Drunkeness, even in the privacy of your own tent, is not good.
-Seeing the nakedness of others is not good.
-Our actions have unintentional, and at times, irreversible consequences.
-Even the descendants of Seth, even the blessed Noah, who found God’s grace, and his faithful children, sin, transgress, and make terrible choices, or failures to act….we can go on.
Sin was not remedied in the ark. -gy
Whenever we see a rainbow, we can be sure that God is remembering his covenant between us. Never again will all life be destroyed by a flood. And this is the truth about the rainbow: it signifies God’s everlasting covenant between him and all living creatures on the earth. That’s why it is so beautiful!